Other Songs (novel)

Universe

The novel's universe resembles our own except that it operates on Aristotle's metaphysics and, to a lesser extent, Hegelian philosophy, rather than known physical laws. Matter consists of five elements, not atoms, and every Substance strives toward its ideal Form (morphe), which exists separately from Matter (hile). Nature is teleological and purposeful; the Sun and planets orbit Earth through aether, and diseases are signs of mental imbalance or weakness of Form.

Human will can alter Forms, allowing the mind to shape reality indirectly. The most powerful individuals, called kratistos (male) or kratista (female), possess such strong Forms that their anthos (aura) influences entire regions. Within a kratistos's domain, people gradually adopt his behavior, appearance, language, and thoughts.

In a despot's aura, people become more egoistic; in a hedonist's, more sensual. Travelers acquire traits of the lands they enter, including language. People can train their anthos, and specializations exist—for instance, in the presence of an ares (a natural warrior), any object becomes a deadly weapon.

Influence and interpretation

Dukaj drew primarily on Aristotle's concepts of Form and Matter, and the novel makes heavy use of Greek vocabulary or Greek-inspired terms. The work also shows strong influence from Witold Gombrowicz's Ferdydurke.

Because it combines philosophical ideas with action and colorful characters rather than essays or monologues, the book resists easy genre classification and is often called philosophical fiction. Aleksandra Klęczar noted that the novel explores otherness by presenting a world with different physical and philosophical rules, set in a somewhat recognizable history. She cited influences from Jules Verne's descriptive style, as well as from Henryk Sienkiewicz and Joseph Conrad in the adventure and exploration subplot, and observed that the novel is closer to fantasy than science fiction.

Reception

The novel won the Janusz A. Zajdel Award and the Sfinks Award in 2003, and received a special mention at the Poznański Przegląd Nowości Wydawniczych. It was also nominated for the Paszport Polityki and Nautilus Award.

In 2003, Eryk Remiezowicz called it Dukaj's most refined work, a perfect puzzle with logical solutions and seamless world-building. Wojciech Orliński praised Dukaj's novel ideas and vivid descriptions, and described the protagonist as the author's most interesting to date, concluding it was Dukaj's best work. Jarek Rusak, reviewing in 2013, described the book as challenging but rewarding, praising its originality.