Lapidarium V

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.