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The page of Prus, Bolesław, English biography

Image of Prus, Bolesław
Prus, Bolesław
(1847–1912)

Biography

Bolesław Prus (Hrubieszów, August 20, 1847 – May 19, 1912, Warsaw), born Aleksander Głowacki, was a Polish journalist and novelist known especially for his novels The Doll and Pharaoh.
An indelible mark was left on Prus by his experiences as a 15-year-old soldier in the 1863 Uprising, in which he suffered severe battle contusions, followed by imprisonment at Lublin by Tsarist Russian authorities.
At age 25, in Warsaw, he settled into a distinguished 40-year journalistic career that helped prepare his compatriots to be competitive in a modern world increasingly dominated by science and technology. As a sideline, in an effort to appeal to Poles through their aesthetic sensibilities, he began writing short stories.
Achieving success with the short stories, Prus decided to employ a broader canvas. Between 1886 and 1895, he completed four major novels on great societal questions. Perennial favorites with his countrymen are The Doll (Lalka) and Pharaoh (Faraon). The Doll describes the romantic infatuation of a man of action who is frustrated by the backwardness of his society. Pharaoh, Prus' only historical novel, is a study of political power; and while reflecting the Polish national experience of the previous century, it also offers a unique vision of ancient Egypt at the fall of its 20th Dynasty and New Kingdom.
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