Rivers of Babylon
SynopsisPlot
Rivers of Babylon tell the story of a Central Europe, where criminals, intellectuals and ex-secret policemen have infiltrated a new democracy . Slovaks see Peter Pist'anek as their most flamboyant and fearless writer, stripping the nation of its myths and false self-esteem. The novel has been translated by Peter Petro of British Columbia University, in collaboration with the author .
Story
About this book
Rivers of Babylon is a novel by Slovak writer Peter Pišťanek, set in the period when Central Europe was shifting from communist rule to new democratic systems. The story follows a cast of criminals, intellectuals, and former secret police officers who find ways to exploit the uncertain power structures of a young democracy. At the center is a protagonist who has become one of the most recognized figures in Slovak fiction, a character whose ambition and resourcefulness reflect the chaotic energy of the era.
Pišťanek wrote with sharp, unsparing directness about Slovak society, stripping away national myths and comfortable self-images. The novel portrays a world where old loyalties dissolve quickly and where opportunism fills the space left by collapsed institutions. Its tone is closer to dark comedy than to political thriller, treating corruption and reinvention as ordinary features of everyday life rather than extraordinary scandals.
The English translation was produced by Peter Petro of the University of British Columbia, working in collaboration with Pišťanek himself. The book originally appeared in Slovak and became a defining work of post-1989 Slovak prose.
