Bolesław Prus

Dariusz Tolczyk (University of Virginia)
Download PDF Add to Bookshelf Report an Error

Bolesław Prus (1845–1912) is considered by many to be the greatest Polish realist writer of the nineteenth century, and by some the best Polish novelist of all time. He was born Aleksander Głowacki in (or near) the town of Hrubieszów, southeast of Warsaw. His father was an estate manager. Despite modest means, the family was proud of its noble ancestry. Prus's childhood was not a happy one: his mother died when he was three years old and his father lived only six years longer. He was raised in a series of provincial towns; first, by his maternal grandmother, then by an aunt and, when he reached the age of thirteen, by his older brother Leon who took him under his care and enrolled him in school in Kielce. Leon was involved in clandestine political activities aimed at reclaiming…

2123 words

Citation: Tolczyk, Dariusz. "Bolesław Prus". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 28 August 2009 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=12581, accessed 19 March 2024.]

12581 Bolesław Prus 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

Save this article

If you need to create a new bookshelf to save this article in, please make sure that you are logged in, then go to your 'Account' here

Leave Feedback

The Literary Encyclopedia is a living community of scholars. We welcome comments which will help us improve.