In the age of access to television and the Internet, fewer and fewer people reach for movies, which were the main source of entertainment for Poles just a few decades ago. In the times of the Polish People’s Republic, genres such as crime stories, social novels or novels with a militia plot, as well as historical fiction, were extremely popular. Which of them are worth reaching for today? We present the 6 most popular titles.
Book hits of the Polish People’s Republic. Poles were most likely to reach for these titles
The first post-war publication was the 600-page crime novel “Zły” by Leopold Tyrmand, which appeared on the publishing market in the mid-1950s. The story of a mysterious avenger who fights against representatives of the capital’s underworld quickly gained popularity, which is why sales were limited to one copy per buyer. . Tadeusz Kostecki’s “Zaułek mroków” also quickly disappeared from bookstore shelves. This is one of the most popular crime novels with a spy thread in the background, the plot of which focuses on finding the perpetrator of a series of brutal crimes.
We cannot also forget that they were, in a sense, a tool of propagandists. Although the plots of novels in this genre did not usually captivate the crowds, there were some noteworthy exceptions. One of them is undoubtedly “Black Mercedes” by Zygmunt Zeydler-Zborowski, whose main character is a real-life policeman who, wanting to bring the investigation to its conclusion, gives up his long-awaited vacation.
Their works were a hit among readers. Some also conquered the foreign market
It is also impossible not to mention Edmund Niziurski. Although he became famous for writing mainly for young people, his books aimed at adult readers once enjoyed unflagging popularity. Without a doubt, his greatest bestseller was the militia novel “Five Mannequins”, the plot of which focuses on the activities of militiamen whose task is to unmask the killer of the painter Postur.
Irena Kuhn, writing under the pseudonym Joanna Chmielewska, was also among the most widely read authors in the Polish People’s Republic. All her books sold in Poland with a total circulation of over 6 million copies and were equally popular in the East, including: in Russia, where they sold 8 million pieces. Her biggest bestseller is “We’re All Suspects”, which started an outstanding series that new generations still come back to. In turn, in the category of social novels, Stanisława Fleszarowa-Muskat was in the lead. She gained popularity by creating radio plays, but this went down in history. Her undisputed classic is “The Visit”, the last part of the trilogy about the fate of Magdalena, sent to forced labor in Germany, which sold 370,000 copies. copies.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
