Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead

A Novel

By: Olga Tokarczuk, Antonia Lloyd-Jones

Narrated by: Beata Pozniak

Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's Summary

Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature

"A brilliant literary murder mystery." (Chicago Tribune)

"Extraordinary. Tokarczuk's novel is funny, vivid, dangerous, and disturbing, and it raises some fierce questions about human behavior. My sincere admiration for her brilliant work." (Annie Proulx)

In a remote Polish village, Janina devotes the dark winter days to studying astrology, translating the poetry of William Blake, and taking care of the summer homes of wealthy Warsaw residents. Her reputation as a crank and a recluse is amplified by her not-so-secret preference for the company of animals over humans. Then, a neighbor, Big Foot, turns up dead. Soon, other bodies are discovered, in increasingly strange circumstances. As suspicions mount, Janina inserts herself into the investigation, certain that she knows whodunit. If only anyone would pay her mind....

A deeply satisfying thriller cum fairy tale, Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead is a provocative exploration of the murky borderland between sanity and madness, justice and tradition, autonomy and fate. Whom do we deem sane? it asks. Who is worthy of a voice?

©2019 Olga Tokarczuk and Antonia Lloyd-Jones (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic Reviews

Named a best book of 2019 by Time, NPR, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and BookRiot.

PEN America Translation Prize longlist

Warwick Prize for Women in Translation shortlist 

“A marvelously weird and fablelike mystery.... Authors with Tokarczuk’s vending machine of phrasing...and gimlet eye for human behavior...are rarely also masters of pacing and suspense. But even as Tokarczuk sticks landing after landing...her asides are never desultory or a liability. They are more like little cuts - quick, exacting and purposefully belated in their bleeding.... This book is not a mere whodunit: It’s a philosophical fairy tale about life and death that’s been trying to spill its secrets. Secrets that, if you’ve kept your ear to the ground, you knew in your bones all along.” (New York Times Book Review) 

“While it adopts the straightforward structure of a murder mystery, [the book features] macabre humor and morbid philosophical interludes [that] are distinctive to its author...[and an] excellent payoff at the finale.... As for Ms. Tokarczuk, there’s no doubt: She’s a gifted, original writer, and the appearance of her novels in English is a welcome development.” (The Wall Street Journal) 

“Drive Your Plow is exhilarating in a way that feels fierce and private, almost inarticulable; it’s one of the most existentially refreshing novels I’ve read in a long time.” (The New Yorker) 

Narrator - Authentic as it can get!

I read this book (and other Olga Tokarczuk's work) many years ago in Polish, in it's original language. The performance of the narrator is so authentic and as good as it can get. She voiced all the characters so perfectly that it took me back to the old country and all the people from those small villages that actually do sound like that. The exchange between Duszejko and the President's wife is powerful. The dentist's voice and how he's a little tipsy is so believable. The scenes at the police station sound so spooky and real. Beata Pozniak's voice can honestly capture the tone of those meetings and all the settings described brilliantly by Tokarczuk. The relationship with Oddball and Dizzy are performed beautifully. Wonderful to hear how Duszejko's dreams and passion for astrology are shared with others. Also, great to hear a narrator that actually pronounces all the polish words correctly. Olga Tokarczuk has an extarordinary talent to describe characters and places. Janina Duszejko is one of the best written female characters in literature. Fantastic story. Nice to go back to a book from years ago, but this time - to listen to it! Perfect and so authentic!

A Haunting Performance

This is one of the most unusual and brilliant books I’ve ever read or listened to. I can honestly say I don’t think I’ve ever encountered another book quite like this one before. Beata Pozniak’s dramatic yet subtle performance beautifully creates the haunting atmosphere this unique work so richly deserves. Her slight, lovely Polish accent lends authenticity and immediacy to the characters’ thoughts, enhancing the fable-like quality of the story. The narrator skillfully brings all the different characters vividly to life while still maintaining their sense of isolated individuality. She imbues each one with their own distinctive voice and rhythm of speaking. From the sweet, light tones of kind shopkeeper Good News, to the rough, authoritative barkings of the police commandant, to Blake-lover Dizzy’s anxious, scholarly ponderings, to Boros’ scientific patter, each character’s voice is perfectly adapted to their personality. Oddball’s slow, deep speech sounds exactly like how you would imagine a man who rarely talks would speak. The Mushroom Picker’s Ball, where the townspeople gather to celebrate Midsummer’s Eve, is especially delightful to listen to with all the different villagers’ unique ways of expressing themselves. No one’s voice is more compelling than Janina Duszejko’s, the main character who leads us through this journey. Alternately neurotic, frightened, lonely, or angry, but always impassioned and brilliant, her musings, delivered by Pozniak’s smoky, mysterious voice, weave together the eerie strands of the plot in such a way that you will feel utterly transported to another place, a bleak winter landscape where terrible and inexplicable things happen but you won’t want to leave.

Nuanced and compelling, but anticlimactic overall

I read this based on how much I loved “Flights.” This is a much more straight-forward mystery and, as an animal lover, I found the synopsis compelling. Overall, the story is beautiful but mostly thanks to Tokarczuk’s exquisite writing and not so much because of the actual plot. It’s not that difficult to figure out the mystery, but the strength of the writing keeps the story chugging along. The narrator has a very unique voice and delivery but reads it as if she’s reading to a child. That is, it’s very slow and pronounced. I would suggest setting speed to 1.25. Overall, this is very different from “Flights,” but those who enjoyed that book will surely appreciate the writing in this one even if it is more structured and plot-driven.

Listened to it twice

This has turned out to be one of my favorite books. At first the narrator’s voice made me wonder if I would like it, but I grew to love her voice and the cadence of the sentences plus the story is fabulous fabulous fabulous. Strange title but a wonderful book. The title is a line from the poet Blake.

The courage of those who know the true nature of love

This book is not only about a “preference” for the company of animals. It is a desperate cry in defense of their very survival. I wish I had the courage, when I was living in similar circumstances, to ask for a show of conscience on the part of the hunters (and poachers) who perpetuate the so-called tradition of human dominion over the animal world. I wish that today, I had the courage to call on those who prefer to digest the blood born of horror. But, as Tokarczuk shows, to do so is madness, and we prefer reason. It is one of the many reasons why this book is so cathartic. It allows the reader to imagine herself larger, better, kinder and stronger than what she really is. I too would like, in my dreams, to put the good of animals above my own. To do something that may acknowledge their suffering and humiliation. Tokarczuk has the consummate talent and wisdom of great writers, whose work can measure the immeasurable. She can descend what Thomas Mann called, the bottomless well of time. She takes us along and brings us back up purified, and distraught by the fact that her book must end. And we must continue without her.

I loved everything about this book.

Great narrator, great story to be savored and not rushed up to 120% speed rate as some suggest. This has to be savored as one would a scone and a good coffee. Slow down and enjoy! Why hurry something delicious????

Great story, Great narration!

"Drive Your Plow" is a tour de force...a sort of wacky "Twin Peaks" meets "Murder She Wrote" that takes place in a small Polish village. The surreal atmosphere is perfectly captured by the narrator, who reflects both the international and universal qualities of the unfolding mystery. Beata Pozniak brings a strong authenticity to an array of colorful Tokarczuk characters in this unique and thrilling adventure involving animals, astrology and murder. Recommended for those who love stories with strong female characters, who rock.

Not worth it

I honestly tried to follow this and even started it multiple times but for me narration and story telling is the connection of bring you to the book and if the narrator, Pozniak, is drier than sack of 1,000 year old salt I will fall asleep or get frustrated trying to find something better. If you think Stuart Langtons’ narration of “We Die Alone” is dry then we are on the same page but at least he showed some enthusiasm and I prevailed... Don’t get me wrong the story seems great and I may just read this in hard copy due to the Nobel prize but there is no bridge to this book and I guarantee if you fee the same way as I do about a strong connection, great character telling the story to win you over, then you will find this is a waste of time even if you speed up the narration to 1.25-1.5.

Loved the narration

Unlike other people, I actually loved loved listening to Beata Pozniak, whose first language isn’t English. I enjoyed it so much, I will listen to it again in a month.

4

Way not what I expected. It has a modern,very rural setting, a retired main character with
a Polish accent ( use your narration speed toggle to find the speed for your listening ease)
Stay with this, it will be well worth
your investent. I really hope there is a sequel. Listeners looking for a quick read will not find it here.