A Postcards from the Apocalypse: On Language (and) Memory in Jonathan Safran Foer’s and Piotr Paziński’s Debut Novels

The main purpose of this article is to highlight and compare the issues of postmemory, language and space presented in two novels published at the beginning of the 21st century: Piotr Paziński’s Pensjonat and Jonathan Safran Foer’s Everything is Illuminated. The analysis and interpretation of the novels provide insight into the complex nature of Jewish identity and demonstrates the importance of translation in polyphonic, multilingual testimonies.

The main purpose of this article is to highlight and compare the issues of postmemory, language and space presented in two novels published at the beginning of the 21st century: Piotr Paziński’s Pensjonat and Jonathan Safran Foer’s Everything is Illuminated. The analysis and interpretation of the novels provide insight into the complex nature of Jewish identity and demonstrates the importance of translation in polyphonic, multilingual testimonies.