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Available
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Genres
Collection
Publication
NYRB Classics (2011), Paperback, 704 pages
Description
Bołeslaw Prus is often compared to Chekhov, and Prus's masterpiece might be described as an intimate epic, a beautifully detailed, utterly absorbing exploration of life in late-nineteenth-century Warsaw, which is also a prophetic reckoning with some of the social forces--imperialism, nationalism, anti-Semitism among them--that would soon convulse Europe as never before. But The Doll is above all a brilliant novel of character, dramatizing conflicting ideas through the various convictions, ambitions, confusions, and frustrations of an extensive and varied cast. At the center of the book are three men from three different generations. Prus's fatally flawed hero is Wokulski, a successful businessman who yearns for recognition from Poland's decadent aristocracy and falls desperately in love with the highborn, glacially beautiful Izabela. Wokulski's story is intertwined with those of the incorrigibly romantic old clerk Rzecki, nostalgic for the revolutions of 1848, and of the bright young scientist Ochocki, who dreams of a future full of flying machines and other marvels, making for a book of great scope and richness that is, as Stanisław Barańczak writes in his introduction, at once "an old-fashioned yet still fascinating love story . . . , a still topical diagnosis of society's ills, and a forceful yet subtle portrayal of a tragically doomed man."… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member DieFledermaus
Boleslaw Prus’ expansive and ambitious The Doll is a wonderfully entertaining 19th century triple-decker and should be better known in the English-speaking world. The main plot concerns Stanislaw Wokulski, a former waiter, clerk, student and haberdasher who makes a fortune abroad and returns to
Wokulski’s love for Izabela drives the plot and while he is much more sympathetically depicted, he is also culpable and in some respects blameworthy in his treatment of her. Wokulski is a self-made man but a moral one – Prus mentions several times that his business concerns are legitimate – and is active, intelligent and generous. He is also one of the few characters who is unconcerned with anti-Semitism, even the polite sort of Rzecki, though he acknowledges it. Izabela, on the other hand, is snobbish and prejudiced, concerned only with material things, flirting and having a good time. Part of the story is told from Izabela’s third person narration – it would have been good to have more of this as it helped show her motivations and feelings, shallow though they may be. Some of her thoughts, like her initial disgust at marriage after being the confidant to a number of women with cheating, neglectful husbands or the hurt at being a pariah when they have no money, are not entirely shallow. Izabela’s handling of the relationship is cold and selfish but Wokulski is at fault as well. He actively pursues her, sometimes in a creepy way as he makes all her friends and family dependent on his money. He has an extreme tendency to romanticize her and put her on a pedestal which causes disappointment, but one of his own making. It’s love – or an obsession – at first sight and Wokulski makes his money and worms his way into her life before even talking to her. He finds his first conversation with her and various others, as well as her behavior, troublesome but continues his pursuit. Many friends and enemies warn him and it’s not like he hasn’t thought about the issue so he goes in with his eyes fully open. Wokulski has some explanations for his foolishness – he’s never been in love before, in his mid-40’s, is unduly influenced by romantic novels and poetry, and, having married once before for money feels he has earned a stupid, expensive love. He is overtly compared to the unsympathetic and foolish Baron, an old man who first tries to court Izabela then another woman but whose only attraction is his wealth. It is certainly unfair of Wokulski to punish Izabela for being herself when she’s never tried to hide what she is from him. In fact, he encourages her to act spoiled and wastes vast sums of money on her. The aristocracy never quite accepts him and at times, to please Izabela, he acts servile as if he’s eager to be used. She treats Wokulski like all the men who flirt with her and plans to act that way if they marry. Knowing this, Wokulski hardly has a reason to complain.
Wokulski’s pursuit of Izabela allows the author to look at women’s role in society in the late 19th century. The question is raised and a number of characters provide a comment on the issue but, as with many things, it is left open. Knowing how things developed in the 20th century provides an “end” which makes the book more interesting as a portrait of a time of transition. Women were still subservient to their husbands in most ways, with the usual inequalities – men were allowed to cheat and retain their status, they controlled the financial decisions, women had to marry for money. The strict division of women as morally and spiritually superior to men was fading though – Izabela and some of those like her can hardly be moral models. Izabela’s opposite, the virtuous, hardworking and loving Helena, is repeatedly slandered and almost everyone accepts that she has loose morals. Virtue is no protection for her and her ending is lukewarm though not horrible. None of the marriages shown are happy and unhappy romances are suggested for some of the other characters. Women of Izabela’s class and temperament are punished for being too flirtatious, even though that’s the norm for their lives, and though the author never hesitates to show their light characters, it is suggested that the punishment is unequal (never happens to men) and unfair given how they grew up. Perhaps one of the most sympathetic and interesting characters is Kazia Wasowska, a rich widow who is one of the few to genuinely like Wokulski. She’s intelligent – she gets the better of Wokulski in a debate on women – and tolerant and kind – she forgives Izabela’s faults, reminds Wokulski that he knew what she was like and tries to get them back together. Her take on love is similar to many of the men as she loves frequently but never seriously and she has more independence than even some of the men who are trapped by love, obligations or money. Perhaps like Wokulski, she’s between almost everything – not a wife, not unmarried; not in love but not forbidden from having relationships; not bound by ties but not coldly rejecting the people in her circle. But Mrs. Wasowska’s situation can hardly be an ideal solution though it suggests one direction of greater independence and choice for women. The question of a woman’s status though changing is left open but there is a much evidence in the book that it needs to be addressed.
Other larger societal issues are also examined. Sometimes Prus seems to refrain from any judgment. Rzecki, still romanticizing the Napoleonic era, wars fought for noble causes, and a firmer class division, is a relic of the past though he is clearly a good man as well. Wokulski is caught between the old and the new, still idealizing the aristocracy but maintaining a pragmatic business-like approach to everything else. His divisions are shown in a number of ways – his back-and-forth relationship with Izabela, his frequent class-crossing, the changing attitudes of almost all the characters towards him. Ochocki represents the future, idealizing technology, an aristocrat who is somewhat outside the typical class divisions due to his obsession. Prus provides some criticism of this mindset through another dedicated scientist. The 20th century would be full of scientific advances that both improved lives and were abused for grotesque purposes, exemplified in the ambiguous portrayal of technology and science as a new form of class. The question of Jews in society is also raised but not answered, with some sympathetic characters and others more stereotypical. A range of options available to Jews is shown though – some trying to assimilate as much as possible, others sticking to their community and the stereotypical Jewish occupations, one, Wokulski’s friend Dr. Szuman, criticizing the Jews, still praising the community and noting that anyone who converted would be rejected by both Christians and Jews. The growing conflicts with Russia, socialist underground groups and Siberian exiles also anticipate 20th century convulsions. A number of other issues are also raised in this lengthy book but it is also quite engrossing and entertaining. Highly recommended.
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Warsaw determined to marry the beautiful and impoverished aristocrat Izabela Lecka. Izabela is spoiled, selfish and shallow, and it is possible to find both Izabela and the obsessive Wokulski irritating, but the author continually undercuts any interpretation of the story as one of an unworthy woman dragging down a productive, intelligent man. The romance is a means for Prus to examine the Polish state-of-society at the end of the 19th century. Wokulski comes into contact with a mess of useless though sometimes well-intentioned aristocrats through his pursuit of Izabela, middle class clerks and tradesmen through his occupation as a store owner, Jews through friendship and work and the lower class through his sporadic charitable instincts. He previously pursued science as an occupation and passion and also encounters several engineers and scientists whose ideas regarding technology suggest one way to the future – not an entirely rosy one. Wokulski’s faithful friend and employee Rzecki narrates some chapters in the first person and he recalls his family’s worship of Napoleon and his own experiences in battle. A profusion of ideas and movements are touched on – socialism, anti-Semitism, the question of women’s roles, class differences. Prus finishes the book with an oddly open ending but it is very appropriate – the novel looks at a society still in some ways stuck in the past and anticipates some of the convulsions of the 20th century. Wokulski’s love for Izabela drives the plot and while he is much more sympathetically depicted, he is also culpable and in some respects blameworthy in his treatment of her. Wokulski is a self-made man but a moral one – Prus mentions several times that his business concerns are legitimate – and is active, intelligent and generous. He is also one of the few characters who is unconcerned with anti-Semitism, even the polite sort of Rzecki, though he acknowledges it. Izabela, on the other hand, is snobbish and prejudiced, concerned only with material things, flirting and having a good time. Part of the story is told from Izabela’s third person narration – it would have been good to have more of this as it helped show her motivations and feelings, shallow though they may be. Some of her thoughts, like her initial disgust at marriage after being the confidant to a number of women with cheating, neglectful husbands or the hurt at being a pariah when they have no money, are not entirely shallow. Izabela’s handling of the relationship is cold and selfish but Wokulski is at fault as well. He actively pursues her, sometimes in a creepy way as he makes all her friends and family dependent on his money. He has an extreme tendency to romanticize her and put her on a pedestal which causes disappointment, but one of his own making. It’s love – or an obsession – at first sight and Wokulski makes his money and worms his way into her life before even talking to her. He finds his first conversation with her and various others, as well as her behavior, troublesome but continues his pursuit. Many friends and enemies warn him and it’s not like he hasn’t thought about the issue so he goes in with his eyes fully open. Wokulski has some explanations for his foolishness – he’s never been in love before, in his mid-40’s, is unduly influenced by romantic novels and poetry, and, having married once before for money feels he has earned a stupid, expensive love. He is overtly compared to the unsympathetic and foolish Baron, an old man who first tries to court Izabela then another woman but whose only attraction is his wealth. It is certainly unfair of Wokulski to punish Izabela for being herself when she’s never tried to hide what she is from him. In fact, he encourages her to act spoiled and wastes vast sums of money on her. The aristocracy never quite accepts him and at times, to please Izabela, he acts servile as if he’s eager to be used. She treats Wokulski like all the men who flirt with her and plans to act that way if they marry. Knowing this, Wokulski hardly has a reason to complain.
Wokulski’s pursuit of Izabela allows the author to look at women’s role in society in the late 19th century. The question is raised and a number of characters provide a comment on the issue but, as with many things, it is left open. Knowing how things developed in the 20th century provides an “end” which makes the book more interesting as a portrait of a time of transition. Women were still subservient to their husbands in most ways, with the usual inequalities – men were allowed to cheat and retain their status, they controlled the financial decisions, women had to marry for money. The strict division of women as morally and spiritually superior to men was fading though – Izabela and some of those like her can hardly be moral models. Izabela’s opposite, the virtuous, hardworking and loving Helena, is repeatedly slandered and almost everyone accepts that she has loose morals. Virtue is no protection for her and her ending is lukewarm though not horrible. None of the marriages shown are happy and unhappy romances are suggested for some of the other characters. Women of Izabela’s class and temperament are punished for being too flirtatious, even though that’s the norm for their lives, and though the author never hesitates to show their light characters, it is suggested that the punishment is unequal (never happens to men) and unfair given how they grew up. Perhaps one of the most sympathetic and interesting characters is Kazia Wasowska, a rich widow who is one of the few to genuinely like Wokulski. She’s intelligent – she gets the better of Wokulski in a debate on women – and tolerant and kind – she forgives Izabela’s faults, reminds Wokulski that he knew what she was like and tries to get them back together. Her take on love is similar to many of the men as she loves frequently but never seriously and she has more independence than even some of the men who are trapped by love, obligations or money. Perhaps like Wokulski, she’s between almost everything – not a wife, not unmarried; not in love but not forbidden from having relationships; not bound by ties but not coldly rejecting the people in her circle. But Mrs. Wasowska’s situation can hardly be an ideal solution though it suggests one direction of greater independence and choice for women. The question of a woman’s status though changing is left open but there is a much evidence in the book that it needs to be addressed.
Other larger societal issues are also examined. Sometimes Prus seems to refrain from any judgment. Rzecki, still romanticizing the Napoleonic era, wars fought for noble causes, and a firmer class division, is a relic of the past though he is clearly a good man as well. Wokulski is caught between the old and the new, still idealizing the aristocracy but maintaining a pragmatic business-like approach to everything else. His divisions are shown in a number of ways – his back-and-forth relationship with Izabela, his frequent class-crossing, the changing attitudes of almost all the characters towards him. Ochocki represents the future, idealizing technology, an aristocrat who is somewhat outside the typical class divisions due to his obsession. Prus provides some criticism of this mindset through another dedicated scientist. The 20th century would be full of scientific advances that both improved lives and were abused for grotesque purposes, exemplified in the ambiguous portrayal of technology and science as a new form of class. The question of Jews in society is also raised but not answered, with some sympathetic characters and others more stereotypical. A range of options available to Jews is shown though – some trying to assimilate as much as possible, others sticking to their community and the stereotypical Jewish occupations, one, Wokulski’s friend Dr. Szuman, criticizing the Jews, still praising the community and noting that anyone who converted would be rejected by both Christians and Jews. The growing conflicts with Russia, socialist underground groups and Siberian exiles also anticipate 20th century convulsions. A number of other issues are also raised in this lengthy book but it is also quite engrossing and entertaining. Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member DRFP
A truly wonderful 19th century epic that holds its own against other titans of the time such as War and Peace and Anna Karenina.
If anything, I'd venture to say I prefer The Doll to both of those comparable novels. Setting aside the weaknesses I perceive in those two books The Doll features a more
'Respect!' cried Wokulski, laughing. 'Do you suppose that I didn't know what it was based on, and what sort of position it assured me among you all? Mr Stawalski, Mr Niwinski, even... Mr Starski, who never did anything and got his money Heaven knows where, stood ten storeys higher than I in your estimation. What am I saying? Any foreign vagabond could get into your drawing rooms, which I had to conquer with fifteen per cent interest on capital entrusted to me. It is these people, not I who had your respect. Bah! They even had far wider-reaching privileges... Although each of these respected men is worth less than the doorman in my store, for he does something, and at least doesn't infect the community.'
Prus's writing style is wonderful too - clear and easy to read. For a book this long there is, surprisingly, no filler. Every chapter is truly revealing about the novels characters and moves along the overall plot. So many books of this era are padded out unnecessarily but, thankfully, The Doll is not one of them.
If there's to be one criticism of the novel it is perhaps an event near the end that, given what has come before, seems a little sudden. Perhaps I should dock half-a-star for that but it's not far out in the realms of human behaviour and I so enjoyed everything else in the book that I can't find it in my heart to do so. Suffice to say that perhaps not everyone will be totally convinced by the final chapters but I doubt they will spoil the enjoyment of the rest of the story.
If anything, I'd venture to say I prefer The Doll to both of those comparable novels. Setting aside the weaknesses I perceive in those two books The Doll features a more
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penetrating, scathing attack on the aristocracy of the time and that is what sets it apart for me. Prus is as insightful about love and writes his characters as well as Tolstoy but it's his focus on the double standards of the nobility that adds another layer to this story.'Respect!' cried Wokulski, laughing. 'Do you suppose that I didn't know what it was based on, and what sort of position it assured me among you all? Mr Stawalski, Mr Niwinski, even... Mr Starski, who never did anything and got his money Heaven knows where, stood ten storeys higher than I in your estimation. What am I saying? Any foreign vagabond could get into your drawing rooms, which I had to conquer with fifteen per cent interest on capital entrusted to me. It is these people, not I who had your respect. Bah! They even had far wider-reaching privileges... Although each of these respected men is worth less than the doorman in my store, for he does something, and at least doesn't infect the community.'
Prus's writing style is wonderful too - clear and easy to read. For a book this long there is, surprisingly, no filler. Every chapter is truly revealing about the novels characters and moves along the overall plot. So many books of this era are padded out unnecessarily but, thankfully, The Doll is not one of them.
If there's to be one criticism of the novel it is perhaps an event near the end that, given what has come before, seems a little sudden. Perhaps I should dock half-a-star for that but it's not far out in the realms of human behaviour and I so enjoyed everything else in the book that I can't find it in my heart to do so. Suffice to say that perhaps not everyone will be totally convinced by the final chapters but I doubt they will spoil the enjoyment of the rest of the story.
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LibraryThing member mthelibrarian
Five-star book, four-star ending which was apparently censored. My friend, who taught the book to Polish 11th grade students, says that she assigned students to write a final chapter due to open ending.
LibraryThing member mattresslessness
When the supporting cast are head and shoulders above the main interest, you've got a problem. If it weren't 800 pages I might find that easier to forgive.
LibraryThing member xuebi
In The Doll, Bolesław Prus has created an intimate yet epic, extremely detailed portrayal of late-nineteenth century Warsaw seen through the lives of a varied cast, but most of all focusing on three men whose Romantic ideals drive them and the novel forward. Stanisław Wokulski is a wealthy
Ultimately, though, all three of these men meet with failure. Everything Wokulski does to improve his standing with the aristocracy is misinterpreted as a parvenu’s attempt to impress, as greed, and as petty-mindedness. Rzecki and Ochocki also suffer short-term failure as the former waits for the Messianic Bonaparte to return to save Poland and the world while all around life goes on and Romanticism decays; while Ochocki realises that no-one cares for science for sake of knowledge, rather he bemoans that Warsaw’s businessmen only seek to cheat each other and their customers.
Prus’ novel is extensively coloured by his own experiences during the January Uprising of 1863 and the great influence that had on Polish thought for decades afterwards. The novel takes place approximately fifteen years after that but its shadow looms across the protagonists and all their actions. Rzecki, particularly, idealises the revolutions of 1868, and his chapters titled The Journal of the Old Clerk are tinged with nostalgia and reminiscences of the past, as well as giving a first-hand though naïve interpretation of Wokulski’s actions. These chapters especially demonstrate the effect the past can have on an individual and indeed society’s attitude to the present and future.
The Doll then is not primarily a historical novel though it deals greatly with history and its effects on its characters. At its heart though, it is a love story that chronicles the downfall of a tragically doomed man, alongside the decay of Romanticism in the face of historical change. The novel recreates life in nineteenth-century Warsaw expertly and shows too the nascent beginnings of ideologies that would drastically change Europe in the twentieth century: nationalism, anti-Semitism, and imperialism. This a true classic not only of Polish literature (where it has long held a position as one of the greatest Polish novels) but also of nineteenth-century realist literature, posing throughout the question, as Stanisław Barańczak reiterates in his introduction to this edition, how can we “continue in the belief that we can become something better than we are, while almost all available evidence points to the contrary?”
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tradesman who, driven by his love for the aristocratic Izabela Łęcka, attempts to obtain recognition and respect from the aristocracy who constantly remain cold towards his approaches. Ignacy Rzecki is Wokulski’s friend and long-serving employee at the store; he is hopelessly enamoured by the revolutions of 1848 and the restoration of the Bonapartes, who will bring about an end to the injustices of the world. Lastly, there is the young scientist Ochocki who dreams of a new era replete with scientific advances and flying machines. Ultimately, though, all three of these men meet with failure. Everything Wokulski does to improve his standing with the aristocracy is misinterpreted as a parvenu’s attempt to impress, as greed, and as petty-mindedness. Rzecki and Ochocki also suffer short-term failure as the former waits for the Messianic Bonaparte to return to save Poland and the world while all around life goes on and Romanticism decays; while Ochocki realises that no-one cares for science for sake of knowledge, rather he bemoans that Warsaw’s businessmen only seek to cheat each other and their customers.
Prus’ novel is extensively coloured by his own experiences during the January Uprising of 1863 and the great influence that had on Polish thought for decades afterwards. The novel takes place approximately fifteen years after that but its shadow looms across the protagonists and all their actions. Rzecki, particularly, idealises the revolutions of 1868, and his chapters titled The Journal of the Old Clerk are tinged with nostalgia and reminiscences of the past, as well as giving a first-hand though naïve interpretation of Wokulski’s actions. These chapters especially demonstrate the effect the past can have on an individual and indeed society’s attitude to the present and future.
The Doll then is not primarily a historical novel though it deals greatly with history and its effects on its characters. At its heart though, it is a love story that chronicles the downfall of a tragically doomed man, alongside the decay of Romanticism in the face of historical change. The novel recreates life in nineteenth-century Warsaw expertly and shows too the nascent beginnings of ideologies that would drastically change Europe in the twentieth century: nationalism, anti-Semitism, and imperialism. This a true classic not only of Polish literature (where it has long held a position as one of the greatest Polish novels) but also of nineteenth-century realist literature, posing throughout the question, as Stanisław Barańczak reiterates in his introduction to this edition, how can we “continue in the belief that we can become something better than we are, while almost all available evidence points to the contrary?”
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LibraryThing member JohnJGaynard
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
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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. Show Less
Awards
Language
Original language
Polish
Original publication date
1889 (original Polish)
1972 (English translation)
Physical description
704 p.; 4.98 inches
ISBN
159017383X / 9781590173831