Everyone knows the saying “to be in the wrong place at the wrong time”. Private Piotr Leńczyk discovers just how true it can be when an unfortunate series of coincidences gets him sent, by mistake, on a stabilization mission to Iraq. Leńczyk has a rare gift for attracting trouble and always coming through it in one piece. He also has an extraordinary talent for asking the wrong people direct, often inappropriate and slightly cheeky questions, so he quickly becomes the bane of his commanders’ lives. You might say he practically throws himself into the path of disaster, yet for all his carelessness, the young private is like a cat: he always lands on his feet. Permanently hungry, absent-minded and a little dim, Leńczyk can readily be compared to Grzegorz Brzęczyszczykiewicz from the film “Jak rozpętałem drugą wojnę światową” (“How I Unleashed World War II”), or to Forrest Gump from Winston Groom’s novel.
The first volume of “Misjonarze z Dywanowa” introduces the general reader to the somewhat mysterious world of the military. Władysław Zdanowicz includes a handful of technical details about army life, but balances them carefully enough that they never get in the way of enjoying the book. His story revolves around three kinds of characters: those who are fiercely loyal and follow regulations, those who readily engage in abuses and scams, and those who fall somewhere in between. Leńczyk and NCO Zalewski belong to that last group. There is no denying that Zdanowicz uses rough, streetwise language and plenty of swearing in “Misjonarze”, which might offend a more sensitive reader elsewhere. Here, however, given the subject and the need for military slang, it did not bother me in the slightest.
“Misjonarze z Dywanowa” is a witty novel full of grotesque, often absurd situations worthy of a Stanisław Bareja film. Among other things, we discover the mysterious “amba” that haunts the military, where the Dywanów of the title is located, and why confusing a bicycle with a popular car brand can have far-reaching consequences. At first, the novel may seem mainly a satire on the failings of the Polish military, where a bottle and the all-purpose swearword beginning with “k” can open any door. Yet there is another layer beneath the surface. Above all, it is the story of young soldiers placed in an unfamiliar reality in which they have to find their feet. Many have only just reached adulthood, yet already carry an enormous burden. They must patiently and humbly endure separation from their families, the hardships of life abroad and the constant fear of an uncertain tomorrow. They live with the ever-present threat of an unseen danger that can strike unexpectedly from any direction.