The Painted Bird - Jerzy Kosinsky

Despite having undergone a revision since the original was published in 1965, ‘The Painted Bird’ is still banned in Poland (Jezry Kosinski’s homeland) for its subversive content and less than flattering portrayal of the Polish during World War II. I was fortunate enough to borrow a copy containing a prefatory essay by the author which explains how the title functions as an essential element of the narrative but it also supports my previous ideas about its possible biographical sources. This makes what is already a difficult novel harder when the reader realises that Kosinski may well borne witness to some of the events he recounts. As if to further the ...