Olga Tokarczuk; translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones; illustrated by Joanna Concejo
In the short story/parable, The Lost Soul, translated from the Polish by Antonia Lloyd-Jones and illustrated by Joanna Concejo, Olga Tokarczuk, recipient of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Literature, offers a profound meditation on finding inner peace. The text is minimal but inspirational.
A man wakes up one morning to experience an existential crisis. Feeling empty and experiencing a loss of identity, he is diagnosed with a case of lost soul. His doctor explains people are so busy running from one place to the next that their souls are unable to keep up with them. He advised finding a quiet place and waiting patiently for his soul to catch up. The man follows the doctor’s advice and waits until he is reunited with his soul. Finding inner peace and attentive to the natural beauty around him, he buries instruments of time and travel and enjoys life at a leisurely pace to accommodate his soul.
This very simple but beautiful story invites reflection. Enhancing the text are the finely detailed, monochromatic drawings of Joanna Concejo. Her illustrations are intricately drawn with pen and pencil. Shading is used to great advantage, whether to reveal the skeletal branches of a tree, the delicate petals of a flower, the windblown grass, the wooden floorboards in the cottage, or the wavy locks of hair on a head. All are shaded in greys and blacks with the occasional burst of green from a plant. Splashes of color are introduced once the man reunites with his soul. The final pages are plush with greenery and flowers to reflect the serenity that comes with slowing down, breathing deeply, and smelling the flowers.
With illustrations that feast the eyes, this is a charming parable for young and old, alike.