About this book
Zwierciadlana zagadka by Deotyma (Jadwiga Łuszczewska) is a haunting 19th-century tale that blends literary sensibility with speculative science fiction intrigue. Drawing on Deotyma’s background as a poet and novelist—her pen name echoing an ancient Greek poetess—the novel frames a philosophical mystery around invention, perception, and trust.
When Cezary, a destitute man, claims he is reconstructing a world-changing device and sends a desperate letter asking for financial help, the narratorka and her companion set out to interview him. Most of the story unfolds as a probing interview: they peel back layers of his past, motives, and the ambiguous evidence of his work, while readers are left to judge whether the “mirror riddle” is revolutionary science or an elaborate delusion. Themes of social class, the ethics of progress, and the slippery nature of truth run alongside a period atmosphere that situates the plot in the literary and scientific currents of the nineteenth century.
Ideal for listeners who love classic Polish fiction, thoughtful science fiction, and framed narratives with unreliable voices, Zwierciadlana zagadka rewards those who relish intellectual puzzles and moral ambiguity in audiobook form.
