Pornografia
Encyclopedia
Pornografia is a 1960 novel by the Polish writer Witold Gombrowicz
. The narrative revolves around two middle-aged Warsawian intellectuals, who during a trip to the countryside construct a scheme to make two teenagers fall in love.
. In 2009 Grove Press published an English translation by Danuta Borchardt, from the original Polish.
wrote in The Washington Post
that Pornografia "seems as sick, as pathologically creepy a novel as one is ever likely to read. In some ways, it resembles a rather more polymorphously perverse version of Les Liaisons Dangereuses
or one of those disturbing fictions by European intellectuals that blend the philosophical with the erotic: Think of Georges Bataille
's The Story of the Eye or Pierre Klossowski
's Roberte Ce Soir. ... Through its sado-masochistic material and its almost Henry James
ian analyses of human motives, Pornografia underscores Gombrowicz's lifelong philosophical obsession: the quest for authenticity." Dirda continued: "Certainly, most readers will find Pornografia perturbing, or worse: repulsive, confusing, ugly. As Milosz once said of Gombrowicz: 'He had no reverence whatsoever for literature. He derided it as a snobbish ritual, and if he practiced it, he attempted to get rid of all its accepted rules.'"
and titled Pornografia
.
Witold Gombrowicz
Witold Marian Gombrowicz was a Polish novelist and dramatist. His works are characterized by deep psychological analysis, a certain sense of paradox and an absurd, anti-nationalist flavor...
. The narrative revolves around two middle-aged Warsawian intellectuals, who during a trip to the countryside construct a scheme to make two teenagers fall in love.
Publication
The book was originally published in 1960. In 1966, an English translation from French was published in the United Kingdom through Calder and Boyars, and the United States through Grove PressGrove Press
Grove Press is an American publishing imprint that was founded in 1951. Imprints include: Black Cat, Evergreen, Venus Library, Zebra. Barney Rosset purchased the company in 1951 and turned it into an alternative book press in the United States. The Atlantic Monthly Press, under the aegis of its...
. In 2009 Grove Press published an English translation by Danuta Borchardt, from the original Polish.
Critical response
Upon the 2009 American release, Michael DirdaMichael Dirda
Michael Dirda , a Fulbright Fellowship recipient, is a Pulitzer Prize–winning book critic for the Washington Post.-Career:Having studied at Oberlin College for his undergraduate degree, Dirda took a Ph.D. from Cornell University in comparative literature. In 1978 Dirda started writing for the...
wrote in The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
that Pornografia "seems as sick, as pathologically creepy a novel as one is ever likely to read. In some ways, it resembles a rather more polymorphously perverse version of Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Les Liaisons dangereuses
Les Liaisons dangereuses is a French epistolary novel by Choderlos de Laclos, first published in four volumes by Durand Neveu from March 23, 1782....
or one of those disturbing fictions by European intellectuals that blend the philosophical with the erotic: Think of Georges Bataille
Georges Bataille
Georges Bataille was a French writer. His multifaceted work is linked to the domains of literature, anthropology, philosophy, economy, sociology and history of art...
's The Story of the Eye or Pierre Klossowski
Pierre Klossowski
Pierre Klossowski was a French writer, translator and artist. He was the eldest son of the artists Erich Klossowski and Baladine Klossowska, and his younger brother was the painter Balthus.-Life:...
's Roberte Ce Soir. ... Through its sado-masochistic material and its almost Henry James
Henry James
Henry James, OM was an American-born writer, regarded as one of the key figures of 19th-century literary realism. He was the son of Henry James, Sr., a clergyman, and the brother of philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James....
ian analyses of human motives, Pornografia underscores Gombrowicz's lifelong philosophical obsession: the quest for authenticity." Dirda continued: "Certainly, most readers will find Pornografia perturbing, or worse: repulsive, confusing, ugly. As Milosz once said of Gombrowicz: 'He had no reverence whatsoever for literature. He derided it as a snobbish ritual, and if he practiced it, he attempted to get rid of all its accepted rules.'"
Adaptation
A Polish film adaptation was released in 2003. It was directed by Jan Jakub KolskiJan Jakub Kolski
Jan Jakub Kolski is a Polish film director, cinematographer, and writer.-Early life and career:Kolski comes from a family closely connected to cinema. His father, Roman Kolski, and his sister, Ewa Pakulska were film editors. His brother, Włodzimierz Kolski, is a production manager. His paternal...
and titled Pornografia
Pornografia (film)
Pornografia is the name of a number of films, with the 2003 version being the best known one. In 1992, a short film with the same name was made in Brazil. The 2003 version was a collaboration of the Polish and French film industries.-2003 version:...
.