Oscar Swan's Kaleidoscope of Poland emerged out of the author's invaluable online Polish-English, English-Polish dictionary, giving the cultural background of a number of things that simply cannot be translated, and explaining a little bit of the society that produced and sustained such a language. It is thus not a “traditional” reference encyclopedia, but an introduction to the complexity of recent Polish culture, history, and politics for the traveler or enthusiastic language student. Each entry is kept short, and the text is richly illustrated throughout. There is little to compare it to, though there are a wealth of encyclopedias, cultural guides, and biographical dictionaries in both English and Polish for which this might serve as a jumping-off point. The result is a charming and quirky reference volume with a surprising range of entries—just more than 1,000—on all and sundry aspects of modern Poland, with a heavy emphasis on nineteenth- and twentieth-century Polish culture, literature, and film. These brief explanations are sufficient for “empik” (the bookstore chain) and “bigos” (hunter's stew), but just a teaser for “national minorities,” “women in politics,” or “World War II.” Everything is coded with a cross-referencing system and concluded with a handful of brief supplemental historical appendices. The English-language index (there are both Polish and English indices) will be especially important for the average reader, as the entries are organized and alphabetized exclusively in Polish. Because of this, some may end up reading the text cover to cover. The result will be chronologically jumbled but highly engaging. Unlike most reference works, this “kaleidoscope” is fluidly written and the personality of the author frequently breaks through, usually in comments on contemporary culture, like when he notes that “improbably, the metrical quality of the Polish language is well-suited” to hip hop music (76) or discourages men from ordering their beer with raspberry syrup. One could take issue with the idea that Inka ersatz coffee is “delicious” (80), that all Poles can “instinctively” identify poisonous mushrooms (70), or that every Kraków maiden is temptingly beautiful (234), but not with the sense that such things are the subject of their own lively local controversy.
Those familiar with Polish history will be unsurprised that there are several running pages devoted exclusively to uprisings, or about the prominence of nineteenth-century poets. Of the more unusual entries, there are a handful of Communist-era car models, magnate families, and even one for Nivea crème (which was briefly produced in Poland). A particular mercy is the clarification of the ambiguous geometric bathroom gender signs—the circle and triangle—that have perplexed many a traveler.
The best audience for this project is Americans with some experience traveling in Poland and eastern Europe. Many events and customs are explained with reference to their closest American counterpart, presuming an American reader, and a few are more properly Polish American than Polish—like the entry on the polka (not the Polish national dance!) or the back story on the careers of actress Pola Negri, makeup pioneer Max Factor, or pharmacist Ignacy Łukasiewicz, who invented the kerosene lamp. Such readers may be surprised to discover that the Colorado potato beetle has its own entry, and that this “striped infiltrator” sparked a propaganda campaign in the early years of the PRL (People's Republic of Poland) (241) but will be comforted by the familiar presence of pierogi, Christmas Eve traditions, and Tadeusz Kościuszko.
“Poland” is defined broadly in the work, encompassing both the historic lands of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the various centers of the Polish émigré community. Lwów (L'viv) and Wilno (Vilnius) thus both have entries as historic Polish cities—but so does Wrocław, with a reference to its German past. There is considerable attention to the contributions of nonethnic Poles and an emphasis on the multicultural nature of Polish historical development, and on a number of prominent Polish women. Swan is deliberate in his description of some of the more controversial aspects of modern Polish history, and the volume focuses on the most substantial achievements of Polish arts and letters. Polish-Jewish relations during World War II and the Holocaust, or the wisdom of the bloody partition-era insurrections, are treated with great care.
The vulnerability of the volume lies in its admirable attempt to be as current as possible. Later editions will require updating on technology and cultural preferences, especially of young Poles. The entries on, for instance, World War II museums or Jarosław Kaczyński already need a bit more elaboration to account for recent controversial developments. An appendix of the titles of the many literary and cinematic works interwoven through the entries might be helpful, as would a few opening maps. The greatest strength of the volume is its description of Polish literature and language—unsurprising considering Swan's decades-long contribution to the study of Polish and Slavic languages. Literary motifs and the vibrancy of poetic and dramatic work woven through generations of (sometimes forbidden) performances and publications and into music and film form the backbone of the work, and the few, straightforwardly presented grammar summaries should be provided as a gift to all who attempt to learn the Polish language.
