the best books about poland (najlepszych książek o polsce)
“w polowie drogi mojego zywota posrod ciemnego znalazlem sie lasu. Las ten co gorsza byl zielony.” gombrowicz
it is of vital importance when visiting a foreign culture to do two things: familiarize yourself with the language and read about the history (politically and culturally) of the place. this is done out of respect for your host country and for your own development. too many times do i encounter young people on a blitzkrieg tour of europe spending no more than even two days in a single country. that is not traveling, it is pretending to travel.
immerse yourself.
and with this in mind i will offer some books that can help one visiting poland and warsaw familiarize themselves with where the country stands and where it has been. and no, these are not ‘boring’ history books, they are cultural behemoths of creative literature that have shaped the polish psyche. the history can be found in any book, one need not suggest a history book, just hit the library.
and so we begin:
adam mickiewicz is a name you had better familiarize yourself with. this romantic poet weighs so heavily in the educated pole’s mind that one might even say mickiewicz defines polish literature, as a generalization. this would not be an over-statement. he authored many works, but the main one for you to read is master thaddeus (pan tadeusz). this is it, the polish masterwork.
witold gombrowicz is another titan in polish literature, though this particular author had trouble reaching an audience in post-war poland, with the suppression of dissent by the polish authorities. however, the out-pouring of support for gombrowicz led to the printing of his banned books in secret, and the dissemination of his works in the shadows of warsaw. the book for you is ferdydurke. it’s quite a work and about as easily read as joyce, however the effort is worth it. language is crucial to this particular work so much is lost in translation, but fear not, it is still a worthy read.
henryk sienkiewicz is the last one i will discuss in short today. a writer of historical novels, he is held in high regard for his accuracy and focus on language. ogniem i mieczem (with fire and sword) is the book you are looking for of his. i am not highly familiar with him beyond this one work, so i don’t feel comfortable going on in detail about his works – but his influence on the nation and the language is worth noting.
and so that brings this update to a close. being an informed traveler is crucial to gaining any sort of insight or growth from your travels. read, listen, and learn about your destinations.
see you on the road,
derek
