Mam przeczucie

The novel’s plot plays out in the present day, but some motifs indicate that perhaps it could also be set in the recent past. The chief protagonist, Artur, seems unable to complete his studies – he has already dropped out before, and now is pretending to himself that he is deepening his knowledge of philosophy. He mooches about in a state of limbo, supporting himself via small-scale betting or trading in cryptocurrency. Essentially, he attends only one class – given by a charismatic lecturer who prophesies the inevitable end of civilisation. Under the lecturer’s influence, he flees the metropolis (the city is unnamed) and somewhere in the countryside he tries to prepare for the ultimate collapse. He turns into a “prepper”, i.e., he mentally joins the community of those who build shelters, stockpile goods and draw up survival scenarios. In the third, final part of the novel, annihilation comes – it is not entirely clear what causes it; the metropolis made up almost entirely of glass skyscrapers is turned into a ruin.

A key fundamental characteristic of Łukasz Krukowski’s debut novel is its gradual build-up of tension. In the first part, we are given a portrait of a contemporary youth who does not know what to do with himself and seems permanently attached to his smartphone or laptop. In the second part, Artur’s habitual lethargy turns into paranoia. Finally, the third segment is dominated by apocalyptic imagery. Whether the end of the world has really taken place or is being played out in the head of a tormented hero dependent on benzodiazepine remains a puzzle.