Witold Gombrowicz (August 4th 1904, Małoszyce, close to Kielce, Poland - July 24th 1969, Vence, close to Nice, France) is a writer Polish. He is today recognized like one of the more great authors of the 20th century and influenced many writers, such as Milan Kundera.

Biography

Resulting from a family of the landed gentry of the area of Warsaw, he studies the right to the Université of Warsaw, then philosophy and the economy with the Institut of the high studies of Paris. The publication of the Mémoires of the time of Immaturity in 1933 then of Ferdydurke in 1937 imposes it like the enfant terrible of the Polish modern literature. It binds with the writers of avant-garde Bruno Schulz and Stanislas Witkiewicz.

Arrived in Argentinian for a short stay in 1939, it ends up remaining there 25 years following an accident of the history: the invasion of Poland by the Nazi Germany, which dissuades it to return to Europe. Its life in Argentina in the middle of the Argentinian people as of the intelligentsia of the Polish emigration is told in its Journal , published in Paris in the Polish review Kultura ; one also finds of them echoes fictionalized in his Trans-Atlantique . The work of Gombrowicz, prohibited in Poland by the Nazis then by the Communists, fell into a relative lapse of memory until in 1957 where the censure was raised temporarily.

Gombrowicz turned over to Europe in 1963, with Berlin initially thanks to a purse of the Ford foundation. Its work is then a success growing in France and Germany. In May 1964, it settles in France with Royaumont, close to Paris. It employs there as secretary Rita Labrosse, Canadian of Montreal: this one becomes his/her partner, then his wife the December 28th 1968 (6 months before its death). In September 1964, he moves definitively with Vence (close to Nice), small town where reside of many artists and writers. In 1967, Cosmos receives the International prize of Literature. Gombrowicz is deceased with Vence in 1969 of respiratory Insuffisance, following a long illness.

Style

Works of Gombrowicz are characterized by a major psychological analysis, a certain direction of the paradox, an absurd tone and anti-nationalist. In 1937 it publishes its first novel Ferdydurke , which presents many topics explored in its preceding writings: the problem of immaturity and youth, the mask that revêt the man vis-a-vis others and an examination criticizes role of the classes in the Polish company and the culture, especially among noble the, representative ones of the Catholic church. Ferdydurke caused sour criticisms and two rival camps, its partisans on the one hand and its savage opponents on the other hand, quickly clashed.

Gombrowicz is an exceptional writer who struggled with the Polish tradition and the difficult history of his country. Often, this combat is the starting point of its works, which remain deeply anchored in the tradition and the Histoire. Gombrowicz wanted to sacrifice its imagination or its originality at no price, for anybody nor for any god, any company, no doctrines.

Topics

As novelist, Gombrowicz leaves the tradition of the comic novel (within the meaning of Rabelais, Cervantes, Fielding). It deals with the existential problems in a way light and merry, which often was badly included/understood. He regards the novel as sterile and dishonest person compared to reality.

• the Form like only reality of our existence
• Immaturity
• Youth
• thehuman one, i.e. the way in which the interpersonal relations work the people (to read in particular Ferdydurke )
• importance of philosophy (Existentialisme)

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