Summary of The Polish ComplexÂ
In Tadeusz Konwicki’s novel “The Polish Complex”, the narrator finds himself standing in line with others outside a jewellery store in Warsaw on Christmas Eve, hoping to buy wedding rings. With the wait lasting all day, the narrator has plenty of time to talk to other people in line – including secret police officers and informers – discussing life under Communist rule in Poland and reflecting on past failed uprisings against Russian oppression.
Reasons to read The Polish ComplexÂ
Set in 1970s Warsaw, “The Polish Complex” offers an interesting and sometimes comical insight into the daily lives and mindsets of Polish people living under communism. Tadeusz Konwicki, a Polish writer and film director, published this novel in 1977 through the Polish underground press after being banned from publishing by the Polish Communist Party.
Setting: Warsaw (Poland)
Original title: Kompleks polski
Year of publication: 1977
Nr of pages: 211
