Magical realism has always been my favorite genre of literature and my discovery of the book “Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead” by Olga Tokarczuk has done nothing but solidify my adoration for all things weird. This narrative’s exposition places the reader in the Silesia region of Poland inside the mind of Janina Duszejko, who is an aging translator and teacher with a layered personality. Readers navigate a complex intertwinement between the opposing forces of nature and man, with a plot that is propelled by an ever-evolving series of murders.
A hunter, a policeman, a priest an entomologist all come together in a mystery that challenges the reader’s understanding of truth. Our protagonist, Duszejko, is somewhat of an unreliable narrator. Her decisions throughout the novel are influenced by her love of astrology and her appreciation of what nature has to offer. She finds solace in interpreting the stars and translating William Blake, which makes the reader wonder, how could this unassuming old woman’s surroundings be so saturated by despair and misfortune? Multiple people she knows throughout the novel succumb to death, in a myriad of ways. Duszejko is always secondary to these misfortunes, but why? That is something you will have to discover by reading it.
The reason why I loved this book so much is because of its representation of the female psyche. In many books I have read, women are usually characterized in a way that demands domesticity. These women are meant to be subdued for the sake of themselves and are often underdeveloped beings. However, Duszejko is a wealth of interest. Her perspective is the only one the reader has available to them throughout the entirety of the novel, which facilitates an intimate approach to understanding her as fully-fledged. Duszejko is also an elderly woman, which sets her apart from the usual “manic pixie dream girl” caricature.
Additionally, she is not fueled by typical motivations. She is set apart from greed, or lust, which are just a couple of examples of what usually drives characters through a murder mystery novel. The deaths seem secondary to the inner turmoil that Duszejko faces, which is her confrontation of loneliness. She attempts to understand why nature gives and takes as it does, all while attributing special features to the animal life that inhabits her world. Duszejko is someone who does not understand her fellow human race, and explains that, while humans may be the brunt of society’s force, “We have a view of the world, but Animals have a sense of the world, do you see?” Duszejko is entranced by this animalistic sense of nature. This is a unique feature of Tokarczuk’s work, as she writes in a form of protest to how normal folks in the world have cast people like Duszejko aside. This character builds a bridge between the functional and the mystical, all while encouraging the reader to understand nature in a new way: as a juror, as a harbinger of justice.
