Book description
Named A Best Book of 2020 by NPR! "Imagine Call Me By Your Name set in Communist Poland and you'll get a sense of Jedrowski's moving debut about a consuming love affair amidst a country being torn apart." -- O, The Oprah Magazine"Captivating both for its shimmering surfaces and its terrifying depths. Tomasz Jedrowski is a remarkable writer." -- Justin Torres, bestselling author of We the AnimalsSet in early 1980s Poland against the violent decline of Communism, a tender and passionate story of first love between two young men who eventually find themselves on opposite sides of the political divide--a stunningly poetic and heartrending literary debut for fans of André Aciman, Garth Greenwell, and Alan Hollinghurst.When university student Ludwik meets Janusz at a summer agricultural camp, he is fascinated yet wary of this hand-some, carefree stranger. But a chance meeting by the river soon becomes an intense, exhilarating, and all-consuming affair. After their camp duties are ful-filled, the pair spend a dreamlike few weeks in the countryside, bonding over an illicit copy of James Baldwin's Giovanni's Room. Inhabiting a beautiful, natural world removed from society and its con-straints, Ludwik and Janusz fall deeply in love. But in their repressive Communist and Catholic society, the passion they share is utterly unthinkable. Once they return to Warsaw, the charismatic Janusz quickly rises in the political ranks of the party and is rewarded with a highly coveted government position. Ludwik is drawn toward impulsive acts of protest, unable to ignore rising food prices and the stark economic disparity around them. Their secret love and personal and political differences slowly begin to tear them apart as both men struggle to survive in a regime on the brink of collapse. Shifting from the intoxication of first love to the quiet melancholy of growing up and growing apart, Swimming in the Dark is a potent blend of romance, postwar politics, intrigue, and history. Lyrical and sensual, immersive and intense, Tomasz Jedrowski's indelible and thought-provoking literary debut explores freedom and love in all its incarnations.
QuestQuill
ListenBook’s design is sleek and modern. The app is a pleasure to use. ListenBook’s playback is silky-smooth. The app never glitches.
Cujo
I'm amazed at how this app has made my daily routines more enjoyable and intellectually fulfilling. 💪 Doubling the impact of my workouts – exercising and exploring stories, all thanks to this app! 💪🎧 ⏰ Maximizing my time with efficient features – this app's functionality lets me dive into stories even in the busiest moments. 📚⏳ ListenBook Pro's noise reduction feature enhances my audiobook experience, ensuring I catch every detail. ListenBook is the ultimate audiobook player. The app supports all formats, and the import process is seamless. I love the playback history feature—it’s so easy to revisit my favorite parts. Highly recommend this app!
Wild Kitten
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Mad Kid
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Blue Despair
No more converting files – this app effortlessly handles various formats, saving me time and effort. Automatic metadata extraction is a time-saver. My library is finally well-organized.
Reno Monarch
The sleek and user-friendly interface makes navigating the app a breeze. It's a pleasure to use. Auto-rewind is a brilliant feature. Never lose track of where I left off.
Engine Eye
I can't remember the last time I was this excited about 'reading' books! ListenBook has transformed my daily activities into opportunities for personal growth. ListenBook’s bookmarking feature is incredibly useful. I never lose my place in a book. The app is perfect for multitaskers. I can listen while working out.
Capital F
ListenBook's compatibility with various formats ensures I never miss out on any audio gem. Binaural audio processing really works. Less fatigue during long listening sessions.
180
ListenBook's user-friendly interface and intuitive controls make it a joy to navigate through my audiobooks. Effortlessly enjoying audiobook journeys – this app's ease of use is a delight. ListenBook's sleek layout and quick chapter access have made my audiobook journey incredibly enjoyable. The app’s design is sleek and modern. ListenBook is my favorite audiobook player. ListenBook’s audio quality is excellent. The app enhances my listening experience.
Sylvester Eye
ListenBook's configurable auto-rewind after interruptions is a smart addition that keeps me on track. ListenBook has made audiobook listening a personalized and enriching journey. 💪 Doubling the impact of my workouts – exercising and exploring stories, all thanks to this app! 💪🎧 Supports a wide range of formats flawlessly. Very happy with it.
GoldTouch
If you love stories but have a busy schedule, this app is your solution! 🎉 This app has turned my errands into exciting quests – I can conquer the grocery store while enjoying a book! 🛒📖 I've listened to hundreds of audiobooks and this narrator is now in my top 5. Their timing and inflection were masterful. Never a dull moment in the entire performance.
Grave Digger
With ListenBook, I can keep track of my audiobook consumption and explore new content with ease. The intuitive interface and efficient navigation make this app a pleasure to use every day. Perfect for listening to educational materials. Highly efficient and useful.
DriftDetector
Audiobooks have never been this accessible – this app is a true innovation. Simplifying audiobook management – this app's functionality is a true asset.
RawSkills
Listening to audiobooks has made my daily commute more enjoyable and productive. I'm amazed at how this app has made reading a seamless part of my life. This audiobook kept me company during a long road trip and made the miles disappear! The narrator's engaging performance and the crisp production quality made for an immersive experience. I appreciated how well they balanced drama with clarity - never sacrificing understanding for effect. The narrator was good but spoke a bit too slowly for my taste. I had to speed it up to 1.2x which then made some parts sound slightly unnatural.
Whistler
I'm blown away by how this app has revolutionized my reading experience. Automated metadata extraction is a time-saver. My library is so organized now. ListenBook Pro's noise reduction feature is a revelation. It eliminates distractions and enhances the clarity of recordings, resulting in a more immersive experience. A functional audiobook production that met basic requirements. The narrator's voice was pleasant enough to listen to for extended periods, though their performance didn't add much interpretation to the text. The audio engineering was competent without being remarkable.
Sneaky Lady
I can't imagine my audiobook routine without ListenBook's seamless audio player. ListenBook's sleek design and intuitive controls make it my go-to app for audiobooks. 🏝️🎧 Soaking up the sun while indulging in beach reads – this app is my ultimate relaxation companion. 🏖️📚 Kudos to the creators for crafting an app that understands audiobook lovers. With smooth playback and thoughtful design, it's a true companion for book enthusiasts. 📚👏 Highly engaging! The combination of a well-written story and skilled narration made this audiobook hard to pause. I finished it much faster than I expected because I just couldn’t stop listening.
Midnight Bat
Audiobooks on this app have turned my travels into explorations of new narratives. Discovering new literary worlds has never been this easy. This app's compatibility with various formats ensures that my audiobook library is at my fingertips. 📚🔊 The compatibility with Apple Watch is a game-changer. Controlling my audiobooks from my wrist is genius. The ability to download audiobooks directly is fantastic. ListenBook is very convenient.
Kill Switch
Kudos for the thoughtfully curated collections – I'm discovering hidden gems! As a language enthusiast, this app has been a fantastic tool for learning new languages. This app has made my daily routines more meaningful and enjoyable. The app's ability to extract artwork and metadata automatically is a huge time-saver. Book groups are a thoughtful addition. They help me keep related titles together for a seamless experience.
Lady Peach
The sleek design and easy navigation are visually pleasing and user-friendly. Binaural audio processing on ListenBook is a thoughtful addition that keeps my ears comfortable during extended listening sessions. With ListenBook, I've unlocked a world of educational and entertaining content right at my fingertips. I love the auto-rewind feature after interruptions. No more searching for where I left off! ListenBook is hands down the best audiobook player I’ve ever used. The interface is clean, intuitive, and packed with features like customizable playback speed and sleep timers. It supports all formats, which is a huge plus for me. Highly recommend!
Hidden Tree
The app's stability is impressive – it runs smoothly without any glitches. ListenBook's variety of ways to download audio makes it incredibly convenient. I'm blown away by ListenBook's ability to play diverse formats flawlessly – it's a game-changer. This app's convenience has turned my daily chores into moments of literary escape.
Playing a wide variety of audio formats
Works on all devices with iOS 13 and newer
Huge amount of features for a small price
Frequent updates to add new features and improve existing ones
Advanced playback controls
Live sound processing
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice and noise reduction
Translated into more than 20 languages
If you love listening to fiction audiobooks, ListenBook has features to make the process easier.
Edit book data: title, author, cover
Use equalizer to make the sound comfortable for you
Adjust the playback speed
Enjoy dark and light app themes
Supported formats: MP3, M4B, AWB, FLAC, OGG audio files and many more (must be DRM free)
Auto-Bookmarks make it easy to find your place
AirPlay support allows redirection of audio output.
VoiceOver support
Dark mode for night owls
Convenient bookmarking system helps you mark the most important places.
Unlimited bookmarks for each audiobook
Put your own cover on the wager
Share your audiobook with friends
Lock-screen control
Customise app with extensive options
Sleep timer with shake to reset, set custom notification sounds, and a few unique options
Auto rewind depending on paused time, customize rewind times to your liking
Removing background noise from recordings made in classrooms and meetings
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice for a better listening experience