''Possessed'' () is a 1939 novel by the Polish writer
Witold Gombrowicz
Witold Marian Gombrowicz (August 4, 1904 – July 24, 1969) was a Polish writer and playwright. His works are characterised by deep psychological analysis, a certain sense of paradox and absurd, anti-nationalism, anti-nationalist flavor. In 1937, ...
, published under the pseudonym Zdzisław Niewieski. It is a pastiche of
gothic and serial novels in the vein of
Horace Walpole
Horatio Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford (; 24 September 1717 – 2 March 1797), better known as Horace Walpole, was an English Whig politician, writer, historian and antiquarian.
He had Strawberry Hill House built in Twickenham, southwest London ...
and
Eugène Sue
Marie-Joseph "Eugène" Sue (; 26 January 18043 August 1857) was a French novelist. He was one of several authors who popularized the genre of the serial novel in France with his very popular and widely imitated '' The Mysteries of Paris'', whi ...
.
Plot
Publication
The novel was serialised in the summer 1939 in two Polish daily newspapers, under the pseudonym Zdzisław Niewieski.
Only the first two parts were published before the outbreak of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Witold Gombrowicz never claimed authorship of the work until a few days before his death in 1969. It was first published in book form in 1973 and translated from a French translation into English in 1980 by J. A. Underwood. In 1986, the three final parts of the novel were discovered. The full version was published in 1990 and a new English complete translation by Antonia Lloyd-Jones was published in 2023.
See also
*
1939 in literature
This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1939.
Events
*Early – The Pocket Books mass-market paperback imprint is launched in the United States. The first of the nationally distributed titles is James ...
*
Polish literature
Polish literature is the literary tradition of Poland. Most Polish literature has been written in the Polish language, though other languages used in Poland over the centuries have also contributed to Polish literary traditions, including Latin, ...
References
1939 novels
1930s Gothic novels
Novels first published in serial form
Polish novels
Polish-language novels
Works by Witold Gombrowicz
Novels by Witold Gombrowicz
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