My reviewThe Doll takes place over an eighteen-month period during 1878-9 and looks at Polish society, with most of the focus on the growing conflict between the upper classes and the emerging tradesmen. Two ideologies are contrasted in the novel—the older Romantic ideal and the newer Positivist outlook. From the New York Review Books’ page:Prus’s work centers around the stories of three men from three different generations: Wokulski, the fatally flawed and hopelessly love-struck hero; Rzecki, the methodical and romantic old clerk; and Ochocki, a bright young scientist who hopes for universal progress in the midst of a darkening political climate. As the stories of the three men intertwine, Prus’s novel spins a web of encounters with an embattled aristocracy, the new men of finance, and the urban poor. Written with a quasi-prophetic sensibility, The Doll looks ahead to the social forces of imperialism, nationalism, and anti-Semitism that would soon hound the entire continent.I think the last statement might be a little strong, but they did qualify it with “quasi”—Prus makes it clear that there are no easy solutions to the many problems raised in the novel. Furthermore, he recognizes that advancements, economic or social, come at a cost. As I noted in my first post, the book has its flaws, especially when Prus is a bit heavy-handed on his message, but I still highly recommend it.In the posts listed below I focused on only a few particular characters and a couple of issues in the posts listed below. I hope the excerpts provide a good sample of what you’ll find in the novel, at least as far as style, wit, and humor. I’ll note here that the New York Review Books has the introduction to their edition of the book by Stanisław Barańczak online—it provides a good background to the author and the novel.My posts on the book can be found at the links below:IntroductionPrus intended The Doll "to present our Polish idealists against the background of society’s decay."Miss Łęcka and her enchanted worldStanisław Wokulski“So we may well be witnesses of a tragedy"Ignacy Rzecki"I can’t leave Warsaw and the store even for a little while."The younger generation"You cads!"The Polish question"By wiping out everything that was good, we have produced an artificial selection and protected the worst."
I will say this, I was lucky with this book. I was in love and unhappy and the heroe in the book was reflecting my mood and emotions, so I read this book in one breath. nevertheless this is one of the best polish classic books.Someone in this reviews told that Prus is boring. I don't know about his other works but this book is nothing like boring. And although the book had been written about century ago it's still actual.I can't describe whole book, it's soo much more then one could describe in a few sentences. So I will tell you just read the book and about the man who fall for a doll, who fall so hard that he became from no one to someone powerful and reach, who changed all his life, and himself becoming better man and better person for a stupid doll.
Do You like book The Doll (1996)?
A ja się zgadzam. Może bym tego tak nie powiedziała, ale zajęło mi ponad miesiąc żeby przeczytać. Rozumiem to, ze Prus jest utalentowanym autorem i ze ta książka ma w sobie dużo historii polski i Europy, ale nie myśle ze pewne tematy są już przestarzałe.
—Adam What? Ovsky!
It took me some time to get into the story but it was worth the effort. I liked the author's writing style, the atmosphere of the 19th century Warsaw and the way he described - so precisely! - people's thoughts and feelings.What I didn't like was that each character was stupid in his/her own way and sometimes I simply wanted to shout at them. Wokulski did not see anything beside his Izabela, Rzecki went on and on about "politics" and "Napoleon heir", Izabela was into her high society status... argh. I know the book is supposed to be a picture of Poland in the 19th century and author's thoughts about the future of his country, but for me personally it was more about what obsession - of any kind - may lead into.
—Anna
In writing this majestic novel about fin de siècle 19th century Warsaw, Prus illustrated all the social currents that would make Poland such a cauldron of differing identities in the following century. Ostensibly a story about the excruciating infatuation of a successful merchant, Wokulski, for a noble's daughter, the book is also about three generations of men coming to terms with Poland's past and present and trying to break away from the Nobles' Republic in order to create a modern future for the nation. Although Prus could, naturally, have had no idea of what would happen to his country in the next century, the battle lines of ethno-nationalism, later exploited by the National Democrat anti-Semites, the Catholic Church, the Nazis and the Communists begin to emerge.
—John Gaynard
