Summary of A Treatise on Shelling Beans
An old man takes care of holiday cottages at a Polish lake resort in the woods. When during the off-season a guest arrives to buy beans, the old man starts telling his life story, from his happy childhood to the brutality brought upon his family during the Second World War, and his adult life as a saxophone player. In the end, he returns to the place where his past and the entire village have vanished.
Reasons to read A Treatise on Shelling Beans
“A Treatise on Shelling Beans” is a poignant memoir of a life full of anecdotes and intriguing life companions, told over the shelling of beans. Wiesław Myśliwski is one of the most celebrated Polish writers of the 20th century. He won the prestigious Nike Award twice: in 1997 for his novel “Horizon” and in 2007 for “A Treatise on Shelling Beans”. His novel “Stone Upon Stone” won the Best Translated Book Award and the PEN Translation Prize in 2012.
Setting: Poland
Book set in Poland: the specific location and name of the village are not mentioned in the novel. It is likely a village close to Ćmielów, where the author grew up.
Original title: Traktat o łuskaniu fasoli
Year of publication: 2006
Nr of pages: 450
