THE DOLL

by Boleslaw Prus ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 19, 1996

Prus's major novel, originally published in 1890 and now available in a revised English translation, offers a richly detailed panoramic portrait of Warsaw under Russian domination in the 1870s, as well as a Balzacian plot that centers in the wealthy businessman Wokulski's unrequited passion for the aristocratic, emotionless Izabela Lecka (the ""doll""--though not the only one--of Prus's cunning title). Wokulski's downward progression is counterpointed memorably against the expressions of optimism and idealism trumpeted by a brilliantly realized host of secondary characters--one of whom, the elderly clerk Rzecki, comes to life on the page with a positively Dickensian vitality. One of the greatest novels of the 19th century.

Pub Date: Dec. 19, 1996

ISBN: 159017383X

Page Count: 704

Publisher: Oxford Univ.

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 1996

Categories: FICTION