Abstract
Polish writer Olga Tokarczuk’s Primeval and Other Times(1996), the most representative novel from the early period of her work, is widely considered to beautifully embody a mythological imagination. Consisting of eighty-four episodes, the novel is a unique work in that it integrates events which actually occurred in Poland into a fictional story set against the background of an imaginary village called ‘Primeval’. Notably, the word ‘primeval’, which means ‘the earliest time in history’, is used to name a place. Through the imaginary village of Primeval, Tokarczuk has created a new and distinctive world in which reality and supernatural phenomena co-exist, and unfolded mythic time with the characteristics of ‘circularity’ and ‘roundness’ within a special space. Tokarczuk reveals the robustness of the literary archetype originating from universal human sentiment through the various mythical motifs embedded in the novel. As such, Primeval is a microcosm in which reality and myth co-exist. With this novel Tokarczuk sought to emphasize the everlasting presence of myth, proving that all great novels are grounded in some kind of myth.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have