Witold Gombrowicz

Witold Gombrowicz (August 4, 1904, Ma?oszyce, near Kielce, Poland – July 24, 1969, Vence, near Nice, France) was a Polish novelist and dramatist active from the 1930s until the end of his life.

Style

Gombrowicz's works are characterized by deep psychological analysis, a certain sense of paradox and an absurd, anti-nationalist flavor. In 1937 he published his first novel, Ferdydurke, which presents many themes explored in his further writings: the problems of immaturity and youth, the masks taken on by men in front of others, and an ironic, critical examination of class roles in Polish society and culture, specifically among the nobility, representatives of the Catholic Church and provincal Poles. Ferdydurke provoked sharp critical reactions and immediately divided Gombrowicz's audience into rival camps of worshipers and sworn enemies.

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Gombrowicz is an exceptional writer who always struggled with Polish traditions and the country's difficult history. However, this battle comprised the starting point for his stories, which remain deeply rooted in this tradition and history. Gombrowicz was always a writer and a man who would not sacrifice his imagination or his originality for any price, person, god, society or doctrine.

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