Europe

The polemic stance in Europe [Dudek's] 1954 opus, here reprinted with minor emendations in a handsome edition, complete with author's preface and afterword by Michael Gnarowski, may be irksome to some readers. But Dudek's comments on the decline of western civilization are still valid. Essentially, the book uses the structural paradigm of a transatlantic cruise to contrast the ageless "indifferent benevolence" of sea and rivers with the fickle ways of men, and so to highlight the devolution of renaissance culture in Europe. The form of poetic diary absorbs any esoterica, so we have Dudek's strong companionable voice as tour guide. 'The book is a young man's book, not Dudek's best, of course. Nevertheless, it is refreshing to see how well the parody and technique hold up after all these years'.