The Painted Bird

Rating:
Summary: the HEART of darkness
Review: My byline refers not only to the fact that both Conrad and Kosinski were Polish authors writing in English. There are also similarities in Marlowe's journey into the darkness of the Congo and Kosinski's young narrators' voyage through the surreal landscape of wartime Eastern Europe. Both investigate the darker regions of the human psyche. Both are the antithesis of a "picaresque" novel. Both are told from the point-of-view of a relatively innocent narrator, whose original naivete is transformed by the scenes he witnesses into an understanding of the "horror" and a comprehension of man's capacity for evil. I read The Painted Bird over 30 years ago and many of its images still remain vivid in my imagination. I will never forget the couple caught copulating (you'll have to read Kosinski's description yourself - I'm not going to go there) and the boy-narrator's harrowing account of being thrown into a pit of excrement. I'm a bit surprised, having taught high school English myself, that this would be recommended to a young reader, even though I read it when I was about sixteen. It definitely wasn't on my school's list of recommended reading. I don't agree with some reviewers here that the book is pornographic. Far from it. The sex depicted is hardly meant to arouse. Kosinski's later work might have fallen into that category (he did a lot of short-story writing for Playboy and Penthouse), but this is far too brutal a work to be anywhere near titillating. If you would like to take a harrowing walk into the heart of darkness, and are equipped to handle visions of one of the most depraved landscapes you are likely to encounter in literature, then this book's for you.

Rating:
Summary: a shoking masterpiece
Review: this book has to be the be the saddest book ever in makes you realize that with out education that humens(in this case the villagers that abused the boy)can sink in to undiscibable lows the maybe ironic thing about this book is that all do it tales the tale of a young abandaded jewish boy during world war 2 he dosent spend any time in a geto or death camp the book is "writen by a young boy" and not from and adult point of view and jerzy did an amazing job at that

Rating:
Summary: disturbingly beautiful
Review: wow! the painted bird is the first book i have read that covers such a large spectrum of human emotion and ways society acts. as we go on the adventures of the protagonist, we are confronted with the different sorts of emotions he feels. from sadness, to triumph, from feeling alone, to feeling like a part of something, from shame, to pride, and from love to apathy and wrath, all within a short 200-something page book. the painted bird also reminds us how society rebukes those different from us and how events in a persons life determine who he/she will become. some of the subplots may be disturbing and grotesque, but it all adds to the effectiveness of the theme shining through. overall, the book makes you think and leaves you with a different perception of society than the one you may have had when you turned to the first page.

Rating:
Summary: Where is the movie?
Review: I read this book 10 years ago, and I'm still waiting for the movie! Each chapter is another depressing short story about a boy who learns the hard way of mans selfishness during hard times. A "Schindler's List" void of hope until the last 2 chapters if I remember correctly. Like I said, I have not read it in 10 years, but I definitly will buy another to replace the copy I lost.

Rating:
Summary: Collection of pornographic short clips
Review: This is a sad excuse for something to be taken seriously. If someone wanted to be jolted by man's insensitivity to man, "Night" by Weisel is of much more literary value. This book has none, zero, nada, as value goes. I'm sure that many injustices have occurred, but the author should have stuck to fact. There is no conclusion to his line of writing either, just an ending of his scenes.

Rating:
Summary: Maybe the best novel never turned into a motion picture
Review: Just allow me to add the The Painted Bird is possibly the best novel never turned into a motion picture. And why not? Roman Polanski has spend part of his youth in the Polish countrysite. And the novel is now as appropriate as ever, with ethnic cleansing going on.

Rating:
Summary: Holds a mirror up to life.
Review: This is an unbelievably powerful book. And the reader should realize that things almost as bad, if not equally bad, happen right here in the USA.

Rating:
Summary: amazing
Review: aside from the gorish nature of the novel, which i do believe is a needed impact of the book to describe the nature of the people he has to deal with, i found this novel incredibly well written and very emotionally tainted. an outstanding piece of work. i recommend this every chance i get.

Rating:
Summary: Stare into the abyss without flinching...
Review: As others have stated, this book is extremely harrowing in its depictions of brutality and violation. However, the atrocities we are forced to witness are never gratuitous. One crucial element which none of the other reviewers here have mentioned is the book's searing indictment of the desire for retribution, which is exposed as futile and senseless. So many of the abuses perpetrated therein are motivated by sheer vengefulness, including two actions by the narrator and his friends which result in the killing of innocent people (at least, to the extent that *anyone* in such a dynamic is innocent). Even when revenge is carried out against those who committed the original offense, we see that it accomplishes little or nothing and is ultimately hollow. Through all the inhumanity we are shown, this book succeeds in giving us one of the strongest affirmations of humanity I have ever read, and in doing this it is a masterpiece.

Rating:
Summary: This book has good meaning but is just wrong.
Review: If you are the sick perverted type who likes torure and the loss of self respect, this is the book for you. This book has great meaning it but is to graphic and has not only caused me nightmares, but many of my companions as well. The onlt reason I have read this book is because of myu teacher who thinks that it is showing human rights. Take my advice, and don't read this booik unless you are forced to do so, have nothing better to do with your life, or find humor in serious matters that should be discussed but to a certain extent. This book goes beyond what it should and, me being 15, would not be recomended until out of high scool.