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Witold Gombrowicz (1904-1969), novelist, essayist, and playwright, was one of the most important Polish writers of the twentieth century. A candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1968, he was described by Milan Kundera as “one of the great novelists of our century” and by John Updike as “one of the profoundest of the late moderns.” Gombrowicz’s works were considered scandalous and subversive by the ruling powers in Poland and were banned for nearly forty years. He spent his last years in France teaching philosophy; this book is a series of reflections based on his lectures. Gombrowicz discusses Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Kierkegaard, Sartre, and Heidegger in six “one-hour” essays and addresses Marxism in a shorter “fifteen-minute” piece. The text—a small literary gem full of sardonic wit, brilliant insights, and provocative criticism—constructs the philosophical lineage of his work.… (more)
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But I can't get any insight into his novels from this; it's apparently intended to be whimsical, but for me, at least, there isn't much whimsy here. And I would not read it for information about these philosophers. Not philosophy. Not a guide. Gombrowicz is spectacular, but this book has far, far, far, far, far, far, far less interest than, say, 'How I Wrote Certain of My Books,' Enzensberger's book on math, or David Foster Wallace's book on infinity. It's trite, fragmentary, and careless about philosophy.
But if someone out there can make the connection between his novels and this book, I'd be happy to hear about it.