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Okładka książki „Lapidarium V”

Book

Lapidarium V

First published: 2002

The fifth volume of Ryszard Kapuściński's lapidary reflections — notes on the metamorphoses of the world, the human condition, and the art of observation.

About the Book

Lapidarium V is the fifth volume of Ryszard Kapuściński’s notebook, gathering his thoughts, observations and jottings from the beginning of the 21st century. It is another instalment of an authorial genre in which the reporter blends aphorism, fragment of essay and note from his reading into a single, freely flowing whole.

At the centre of this part stand the metamorphoses of the contemporary world — the acceleration of change, globalisation, new technologies and media — and the nonetheless unchanging human condition. Kapuściński reflects on the art of observation: on how to look in order truly to see, and how, in the thicket of events, to reach the essence of things.

It is reflective reading, to be savoured slowly. Although each volume of Lapidarium forms a separate whole, all of them share the same spirit: curiosity about the world, humility before its complexity, and the conviction that it is worth noting down what is fleeting. The fifth part confirms the maturity and consistency of this remarkable, long-running literary project.

Themes

  • The metamorphoses of the world
  • The human condition
  • The art of observation
  • The essence of things

Significance

Each volume of the Lapidaria stands as an independent work sharing a common spirit.

Polish Editions

See the list of Polish editions of Lapidarium V with ISBN numbers.

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Where to go next

Three ways to keep going — read a sample, pick the next book, or meet the author.

Quotes

Kapuscinski in his own words

Memorable lines on travel, truth and the Other — the shortest way into his way of thinking.

Read the quotes → Read next

Lapidarium VI

The final volume of the cycle, published in the year of the author's death — the notebook closes.

About the book → The author

Who was Ryszard Kapuscinski?

From a small town on the Polish border to reporting on twenty-seven revolutions — the life behind the books.

Read the biography →

source: kapuscinski.info

Materials about this book

13

Lapidarium V – Analysis and Interpretation (subject matter, themes, quotes)

Kapuściński's Lapidarium V – analysis: composition, the subject matter of the world's metamorphoses, themes, quotes and theses. The reporter's fifth volume of notes.

Lapidarium V. Polish Editions and ISBN.

A working list of Polish editions of Ryszard Kapuściński's "Lapidarium V" with ISBN numbers where confirmed.

"Apparent Pessimism" — Review of "Lapidarium V"

Review of Ryszard Kapuściński's Lapidarium V on globalisation, social inequality, and the best path to knowing the world — making friends with it.

"From Near and Far" — Review of "Lapidarium V"

Review of the fifth volume of Ryszard Kapuściński's Lapidarium on the world's inequality, Africa, and the obligation to bear witness in the face of tragedy.

Excerpts from "Lapidarium V"

Ryszard Kapuściński shares reflections and observations from travels around the world in Lapidarium V, combining reportage with philosophy.

Lapidarium V

Discover Lapidarium V by Ryszard Kapuściński — a collection of essays on the world, humanity, and the contemporary condition, published in Gazeta Wyborcza from 2002.

Lapidarium V — Review (Anna Pytlowany)

Review of Ryszard Kapuściński's Lapidarium V — a meeting with the author about global change, politics, and contemporary literature.

Lapidarium V — Review (Piotr Huniewicz)

Review of the fifth volume of Ryszard Kapuściński's notes, analysing globalisation, multiculturalism, and contemporary moral dilemmas from the perspective of a reporter.

Lapidarium V — Review (Tygodnik Powszechny)

Review of Ryszard Kapuściński's Lapidarium V on the globalisation of imagination, the world's pessimism, and the roots of his writing in the Polish provinces.

Press Reviews of "Lapidarium V"

A survey of press reviews of Ryszard Kapuściński's Lapidarium V from 2002–2003, published in leading literary periodicals.

Ryszard Kapuściński's Speech at the Launch of Lapidarium V

Speech by the famous reporter at the launch of Lapidarium V, in which Kapuściński explains the origins of his essays written during martial law.

The Editor-in-Chief of Czytelnik Publishers on "Lapidarium V"

Henryk Chłystowski, Editor-in-Chief of Czytelnik Publishers, on the work of Ryszard Kapuściński and his book Lapidarium V.

TV Panorama Report on the Launch of Lapidarium V

TV Panorama coverage of the launch of Ryszard Kapuściński's fifth volume of Lapidarium at the Czytelnik café in Warsaw, where the author discusses his creative process.