Nine

Michal Cala, Untitled # 4, date unknown.

"Jacek could see them out of the corner of his eye, could guess what they were talking about. The balls clicked on the table, like people who meet, do things for each other, go their separate ways, and meet different people, until the last one dies. . . .

"Why are you smiling?" asked Beata.

"No reason. Pool makes sense. Let's get out of here."

Andrzej Stasiuk, Nine

Andrzej Stasiuk deserted from the Polish army, went to prison and became a writer. In Nine, his third novel, people run, forget, hide, remember, dream, eat, sleep, beat, and get beaten, while Warsaw's trains, trams, and buses weave the gritty fabric of the city around them. It's pretty good.