The King of Warsaw: A Novel

Written by Szczepan Twardoch

Narrated by Stefan Rudnicki

Winner of the EBRD Literature Prize awarded by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

A city ignited by hate. A man in thrall to power. The ferociously original award-winning bestseller by Poland’s literary phenomenon—his first to be translated into English.

It’s 1937. Poland is about to catch fire.

In the boxing ring, Jakub Szapiro commands respect, revered as a hero by the Jewish community. Outside, he instills fear as he muscles through Warsaw as enforcer for a powerful crime lord. Murder and intimidation have their rewards. He revels in luxury, spends lavishly, and indulges in all the pleasures that barbarity offers. For a man battling to be king of the underworld, life is good. Especially when it’s a frightening time to be alive.

Hitler is rising. Fascism is escalating. As a specter of violence hangs over Poland like a black cloud, its marginalized and vilified Jewish population hopes for a promise of sanctuary in Palestine. Jakub isn’t blind to the changing tide. What’s unimaginable to him is abandoning the city he feels destined to rule. With the raging instincts that guide him in the ring and on the streets, Jakub feels untouchable. He must maintain the order he knows—even as a new world order threatens to consume him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Translator: Sean Gasper Bye
• Release date: Apr 21, 2020
• ISBN: 9781799750383

Szczepan Twardoch

Szczepan Twardoch is the author of the bestselling novels Morphine, Drach, and The King of Warsaw. He is the recipient of numerous honors for his work, including the Brücke Berlin Preis, Le Prix du Livre Européen, and Nike Literary Award: Audience Award. Rights to his novels have been sold in over a dozen countries. The King of Warsaw is the first of his books to be translated into English. A TV series based on the novel is being produced by Canal+. He lives in Pilchowice, Upper Silesia. For more information, visit www.szczepantwardoch.pl/en/home.

Reviews for The King of Warsaw

[zoes_human · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

It took me three days to force myself through the first 17 pages. I had absolutely no desire to read this. It felt boring and repetitive. As ever with works in translation, one must question if this is the writer or the translator. Regardless, I won't be finishing this.

[colligan · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not my favorite book but... not badly written. Some plot details and twists seem a bit awkward. Lots of violence that, at times, begins to seem gratuitous and/or redundant. It seems that the author strains to present the book as more serious than it actually is. Might have been better with a straight plot line, less pretense, and less repetition.