How popular are TW books in Poland?

[octavian123]

How popular are TW books in Poland?

So I know that the books are popular in Poland but just how much? I am also very interested what the literary elite think of them. Do they appreciate it, do they deem it as more fantasy trash? Do students study it at high school/university? Do you think they might in the future? Just how important are they for Polish culture?

 

[Aver]

They are very popular, pretty much everyone (with exception of old people) know about them.

From what Sapkowski said in interview, literary elite despise him and he despise them.

I don't think that students study them at high school, maybe at university, but I don't know that for sure.

Even tho books are well known, they don't have any heavy impact on culture. You won't see any pop cultural references to TW books and you won't see Geralt in commercials.

 

[sfinx]

I am not from Poland, but I believe there are very popular, also mr Sapkowski (please don't take me wrong) sometimes acts as he knows well how popular in (I think Central, Northern and Eastern) Europe he is.

In my country he is very popular. (http://www.legie.info/autor - list of best authors of Fantasy and Sci-fi)

 

[octavian123]

They are very popular, pretty much everyone (with exception of old people) know about them.

From what Sapkowski said in interview, literary elite despise him and he despise them.

I don't think that students study them at high school, maybe at university, but I don't know that for sure.

Even tho books are well known, they don't have any heavy impact on culture. You won't see any pop cultural references to TW books and you won't see Geralt in commercials. />

Why exactly do critics dislike them? (other than being fantasy)

 

[FoggyFishburne]

Why exactly do critics dislike them? (other than being fantasy)

Aye, I wonder this as well.

 

[Darth_Orzech.794]

Well...everyone at my home read The Witcher saga. Including my parents and my grandma. Most of my friends read it, some of their parents read it as well. I don't believe there are many people in Poland that never heard of Geralt of Rivia.
At high school finals we can choose our own topic for oral exam in native language classes. Mine was about racism in the witcher universe in comprison to the real world history. Every examiner knew source material very well.
Too bad that i can't find any info about how many book were sold to date... but i assume that a healthy percentage of Polish population have read it

 

[addar]

cormacolindor,its matter of taste , its not like "all specialists" saying they (books) are total garbage, many ( young and with open mind ) appreciate it and see sapokowski as "polish tolkien" but this elite-snobs, who think the oly one fantasy writer being worth mentioned in university lecture is "master tolkien", always saying bullshit about him being derivate and etc. Everyone, even haters must admit he is great in writing style-full of ironic and humor, dialogues some of the best in history of polish literature.Its sad You cant joy it by yourself(translating issues).

I also think its only matter of time ( dying old professors-grumps) he will get proper recognition in "science world" too( its quite "young" author after all -since 1986).About books in high school-they are not cannon in teaching process but if teacher or students want to "made" him, there is green light for that...I, by myself was passing my mature exam on topic: " Fairytales, legends and myths and their connect to modern fantasy literature", where i was making comparison, tolkien ( Anglo-saxon /German/celtic roots) and sapkowski( Slavic culture)

 

[gregski]

I actually read some articles lately following the release of "Season of Storms" where Polish critics were praising Sapkowski's style. So I guess there's no one average critics' opinion, as usual.

And I agree that knowledge of Sapkowski's work - even if just theoretical - is pretty widely spread over here.

 

[username_3657432]

"The Sword of Destiny" is mendatory reading in Polish schools.

 

[gregski]

"The Sword of Destiny" is mendatory reading in Polish schools.

What? It wasn't in my times apparently.

 

[Aver]

Why exactly do critics dislike them? (other than being fantasy)

Well, I don't read reviews by literature critics, so I don't know what they write about him. I know what Sapkowski was saying about literature elites. He was saying that main stream writers and critics don't like fantasy and that they consider it as an inferior genre.

 

[unclejoe.480]

From what I checked there`s no information on how many copies of Sapokowskis books was sold in Poland. The only concrete information I stumbled upon was that SuperNOVA ( publisher of all Sapkowski`s books in Poland) revealed that they sold 1 million of his books(all of his books not only TW related) in Poland up to 2005. After this date I was unable to find any concrete information.

"The Sword of Destiny" is mendatory reading in Polish schools.

Well I finnished my secondary 7 years ago but I have a much younger brother. He did not have any of Sapkowski`s book in his curriculum. But I could see it possible, because I know that all polish literature teachers in secondaries are allowed to introduce a book of thier pick outside the national curriculum per one academic year(my mother is a teacher thus how I know it form). Sowhat you say could be true only for a certian amount of polish pupils. It means TW books are not mandatory, rather voluntary in fact.

As to question of popularity. I believe Sapkowskis` books are not as univesally known as people here claim them to be. I for a fact know a lot of people, who are unfamilliar with polish fantasy literature(including Sapkowskis` books) at all(mostly polish women). Additionaly, I would like to remind that reading is a long dying pastitme in Poland. Every year fewer people read less books than a year prior. Young kids, like my brothers friends(8 year difference) they DO play computer games, but reading? Man, it`s not giving them a kick.

Concluding, I would agree many poles might know who Sapkowski is but are they familiar with his books? Not necessarly in my opinion. I would say, the demographic here would be mostly men aged 15-30+,fantasy or sci-fi geeks. To prove this assesment let`s take the selling figures I quoted in this post. Let`s say a 600 to 800k copies of the TW Saga was sold in all. It`s not much in possible market environment of let say 20 milion possible readers.

 

[Sirnaq]

So I know that the books are popular in Poland but just how much? I am also very interested what the literary elite think of them. Do they appreciate it, do they deem it as more fantasy trash? Do students study it at high school/university? Do you think they might in the future? Just how important are they for Polish culture?

Why would they study it in the high school? That's just silly. In polish schools you study books from the era like "pan tadeusz", not modern fantasy. I am not so sure about university though but it appears highly unlikely. The books are rather popular, most people that are interested in fantasy and are under 35 years old read them. Others might heard about them one way or the other. Sapkowski might think that he is king of the world but polish literature and especially fantasy is saturated with really great books. He is out there but there are also tons of great polish authors.

What? It wasn't in my times apparently.

And it isn't still

http://gwo.pl/wykaz-lektur-obowiazujacych-w-roku-szkolnym-m302

 

[Garrison72]

If the literary elite are anything like the artistic elite, they ignore all 'low' art. That includes comic books, illustration, figurative art, concept art to the wholesale elimination of certain genres. The only thing that earns the coveted title of 'high' or relevant art, is the right amount of obfuscation and mucking around in the right circles. Yes, I'm bitter.

 

[wisielec]

If the literary elite are anything like the artistic elite, they ignore all 'low' art. That includes comic books, illustration, figurative art, concept art to the wholesale elimination of certain genres. The only thing that earns the coveted title of 'high' or relevant art, is the right amount of obfuscation and mucking around in the right circles. Yes, I'm bitter.

Some years ago my friends book (Spod ciemnej gwiazdy) was nominated to Zajdel award. He went to congratulate other "famous" writers like Dukaj, Ziemkiewicz and Kres. It ended with an unpleasant aftertaste - they were like -who the fuck are you and why are you talking to me? Well, I was nominated for the award too, you prick he thought to himself...

There's the elite for you

 

[octavian123]

Some years ago my friends book (Spod ciemnej gwiazdy) was nominated to Zajdel award. He went to congratulate other "famous" writers like Dukaj, Ziemkiewicz and Kres. It ended with an unpleasant aftertaste - they were like -who the fuck are you and why are you talking to me? Well, I was nominated for the award too, you prick he thought to himself...

There's the elite for you />/>/>

Yeah, I know the type. I am a Romanian - English student and let me tell you, my Romanian Literature professors (who are unsurprisingly critics) are some of the most stuck-up boors I have ever met. They have this "I am smarter than you will ever be so shut up" attitude that I deplore. One of them cannot help himself not to subtly make fun of students whenever one asks a question (any question) and until recently, didn't even bother to say hello when he got in class. I will never understand these kinds of people.

The English professors on the other hand are quite a breath of fresh air.

 

[purikura]

Is there somewhere I can read these books online in English?
I'd buy one to try it out but I'm in Japan right now and I don't think they'll sell them in my book stores.

 

[username_3657432]

What? It wasn't in my times apparently.

A ja miałem Miecz Przeznaczenia na liście lektur będąc w trzeciej klasie Gimnazjum.
Było to 3 lata temu, więc możliwe, że już nie jest obowiązkowa.

 

[jaabaa]

I found a list of lectures in gimnazjum from 2011/2012 and Sword of Destiny figures there.

http://www.gimpac.eu/uploads/dokumenty/wykaz_lektur_2011_2012.pdf

 

[octavian123]

Oh my goodness this is awesome! They study TOLKIEN as well?! I wish I had studied interesting stuff at school...