O Wilnie inaczej, czyli o Wilczej godzinie Andriusa Tapinasa

Abstract

The novel by Andrius Tapinas “The Hour of the Wolf” was published in 2013 and soon became a sensation on the Lithuanian literary scene, as it was written as a steampunk novel. It was awarded the title of the Book of the Year. The selection of the genre allowed Tapinas to create an alternative history of Vilnius, which was referred to as a post-modern pastiche. The novel features the transformation and interpretation of the city’s history, as well as a deformation of certain elements of collective memory. The alternative history of Vilnius references, among others, events that made newspaper headlines at the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, which were placed by the author in the year 1905. The fact that the writer chose the steampunk genre may also evoke the question what it means to create an alternative history of a city like Vilnius. Does it indicate a crisis in the recognition of the paradigm of the city or the incapacity of writers to capture its phenomenon? However, part of Tapinas’s vision of Vilnius is not new at all. To the contrary: it is easily recognizable, as the author based the plot on press information from the last deca des and the transformation of legends and tales connected with Vilnius. The reception of the book requires attention from the reader. An insightful recipient will both search for real events while reading and track the cultural references, stereotypes, and elements of collective memory that are woven into the plot.