Wikipedia

Great, Greater, and Greatest

Wielka, większa i największa (Great, Greater, and Greatest) is a science fiction young adult novel by Jerzy Broszkiewicz, published in 1960 by Nasza Księgarnia.

Great, Greater, and Greatest
AuthorJerzy Broszkiewicz
LanguagePolish
Genrescience fiction
PublisherNasza Księgarnia
Publication date
1960
Publication place Poland
Media typenovel
Followed byDługi deszczowy tydzień [pl] 

The novel is divided into three parts. The protagonists, a pair of teenagers (Ika and Groszek), experience three titular adventures – rescuing a kidnapped child, saving survivors from a plane crash, and finally, meeting aliens and diplomatically defending humanity from them. In all their adventures, their guide is a talking car, an Opel Kapitän. The characters from this book also appear in another Broszkiewicz novel, Długi deszczowy tydzień [pl] (A Long Rainy Week).

The novel received acclaim from critics and literary scholars, who recognized it as a significant work in the development of Polish young adult literature.[1][2] It was adapted into a film in 1963.[3] In the Polish People's Republic, the novel was a compulsory reading for 5th grade (from 1970 onwards).[4]

Plot

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The protagonists, a pair of exceptionally intelligent teenagers, Ika (a diminutive of Irka, named after the author's daughter)[5][6] and Groszek (the author's alter ego, derived from his childhood nickname Broszka), embark on three adventures where they demonstrate ingenuity, bravery, and compassion. In all their adventures, they are guided by a talking Opel Kapitän car.[7]

In the first adventure, Ika and Groszek hear a radio announcement about the disappearance of a young boy, Jacek Kilar. They are unexpectedly asked to help find him by machines that have previously served humans passively. Their main helper is an old car deteriorating in the yard. Opel Kapitän is an extraordinary car; it drives itself, talks, and assists the children. The boy has been kidnapped by dangerous criminals. The young detectives, with the help of their mechanical friends, rescue the boy and lead to the capture of the kidnappers.[2][8]

In the second adventure, it soon becomes apparent that the pair's assistance is needed once again. Kapitän takes them to the airport, where they board a plane heading towards Africa. Old Yakovlev, like Opel, can communicate with the children, and they must find the missing crew of a Douglas 125 aircraft that crashed over the Sahara. The missing crew is at risk of death if help does not arrive soon. Fortunately, Ika and Groszek, with the help of intelligent machines, locate the survivors.[2][8]

The third adventure is indeed the greatest. This time, the young friends are appointed representatives of the entire planet Earth. Taken by an intergalactic ship to the planet Della in the Vega system, they must prove to its inhabitants that not all Earthlings have militaristic tendencies, that humans are not a warlike society threatening the cosmic community, and that observed nuclear explosions do not disqualify Earth's civilization from being capable of contact with other civilizations.[2][8][9][10][11]

History of editions, adaptations, and translations

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The novel was published in 1960 in the Nasza Księgarnia series Klub Siedmiu Przygód [pl] (The Club of Seven Adventures) with illustrations by Gabriel Rechowicz [pl].[6][10] The book had numerous reprints (about 15 editions by 1988).[12]

It also received theatrical adaptations (under the title Planeta Nadziei [Planet of Hope] in 1962 and under the original title in 1966), radio adaptations (under the title Pierwsza wielka przygoda [The First Great Adventure] in 1966 and 1975), a television adaptation (in 1963), and a film adaptation (also in 1963).[2][12]

Translations

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The book was translated into, among other languages:

  • Bulgarian[10]
  • Czech as Velkć, vćtśi, najvćtśi (1963)[12]
  • Estonian as Suur, suuram, köige suuram (1966)[12]
  • German[10]
  • Russian as Odno drugogo interesnej (1964 and 1987)[12]
  • Romanian[10]
  • Serbo-Croatian as Velika, veća i najveća (1964 and 1977)[12]
  • Slovak as Vel’kä vaćśia a najvaćśia (1962)[12]
  • Ukrainian as Velyka, bil'sa j najbil’sa (1966)[12]
  • Hungarian[10]

Reception

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In addition to the numerous reprints, adaptations, and translations, the novel was also a compulsory reading for 5th grade in the Polish People's Republic (from 1970).[4] In 1979, it was included on the Special Hans Christian Andersen Honor List 1979, a list created by the International Board on Books for Young People.[2] Even in the mid-2010s, it remained a recommended reading in Polish schools (for 6th grade).[13]

According to Krystyna Kuliczkowska's [pl] 1967 review, the work surprised critics with its quality and vision as a piece firmly rooted in the realities of the contemporary world, multi-layered, with underlying themes; she compared it to Porwanie w Tiutiurlistanie [pl] (The Abduction in Tiutiurlistan) by Wojciech Żukrowski from 1946. Similarly, Stanisław Frycie [pl] noted in 1983 that the work generated significant interest among both critics and readers, and was received favorably by the former and enthusiastically by the latter.

Reviews and analysis

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In 1960, Krystyna Kuliczkowska reviewed this novel in Nowe Książki. She identified the main theme of the book as the nobility of a child, which allows one to believe in the happy future of the world.[14] Her review was highly positive, praising the poetic mood of the novel, though she criticized the excessive "humanization" (anthropomorphization) of the car, Captain, as a minor flaw. Kuliczkowska commended the original, modern take on the subject and the large number of original and creatively assembled ideas. She especially praised the third part of the book, the "greatest adventure", calling it one of the most charming science fiction tales we've read recently.[14]

In the same year, a critic using the pseudonym "bem" reviewed the novel for Świat [pl].[6] He noted that it was a work long missing in Polish literature – a modern fairy tale adapted to contemporary times. According to the reviewer, due to its science fiction elements (such as replacing talking animals with talking machines), it could capture children's interest more effectively than traditional fairy tales. He praised the novel as charming and light, as well as the illustrations, which he described as lovely and light.[6] He also praised the book's poetics, aimed at children, and its educational value. The reviewer observed that the protagonists, Ika and Groszek, were modeled after the author and his daughter.[6]

That same year, Halina Bazarewska reviewed the novel for Nowa Kultura [pl]. She also gave the book a positive review, calling it an exceptionally original achievement in children's literature, with enormous educational value. The book promotes values of goodness and courage, criticizes conflict, and addresses important issues such as the success of technical sciences and the associated humanistic vision of future civilized societies. She noted that Broszkiewicz's animated machines successfully filled the role of traditional fairy tale props (like magical fairies or flying carpets). She viewed the society of the Vegans as illustrating the boldest dreams of an earthly paradise, where work was reduced solely to intellectual operations, as automation and robotics had eliminated the need for physical labor.[15]

In 1962, Jan Zygmunt Jakubowski [pl] described the novel as one of the most interesting titles published in recent years by Nasza Księgarnia. He praised it as an example of good literary craftsmanship.[16] Jakubowski found the structure of the novel intriguing, divided into three parts. He compared the first part to a suspense novel, the second to an adventure-travel story, and the third to a utopian science fiction tale. He particularly valued the book's intellectual and moral ambitions and its successful engagement with moral and ideological issues relevant to contemporary society. He identified the book's central theme as the individual responsibility of humans for the fate of others and the world.[16] In his analysis, Jakubowski concluded that while the pedagogical and artistic dimensions of the novel could be further debated, it was undoubtedly a very interesting and ambitious attempt at a modern book for young readers... combining elements of realism, science fiction, and philosophical-moral issues. He expressed hope that the book represented the creative development of young adult literature.[16]

In 1963, J. Słupska presented a plan for using the book in school lessons for Polonistyka [pl]. She suggested topics for discussion, including the dangers of using atomic weapons, the benefits of peaceful nuclear energy, youth's responsibility for the fate of the world, and the importance of ethical values such as kindness, nobility, and courage.[8]

In 1965, Wanda Krzemińska described the novel as an original, amusing, and educational blend of realism and science fiction.[17]

In 1968, Stefania Wortman [pl] referred to the novel as a combination of a "city fairy tale" and science fiction, where the role of "extraordinary helpers" from fairy tales was taken over by animated technical devices. She also highlighted the novel's educational value, emphasizing the moral virtues (courage, loyalty, sacrifice, nobility, bravery) represented by the child protagonists.[11] That same year, Krystyna Kuliczkowska acknowledged the novel's significance due to its innovative (for Polish literature) combination of realism (the contemporary world) with science fiction.[18] A year later, she described the novel as a poetic and engaging mix of realism and science fiction that addressed moral and philosophical problems.[19]

In 1979, Stanisław Frycie [pl] positively reviewed the "greatest adventure", writing that the author presented [it] poetically and thought-provokingly, expressing the concerns of our times and an exaltation of moral values: wisdom, kindness, and courage.[20] In 1983, Frycie identified the novel as the first noteworthy Polish science fiction work aimed at children. He described the novel as didactic and philosophical... formally innovative and containing various narrative techniques, diverse genres, and literary conventions. According to Frycie, Broszkiewicz innovatively simplified some science fiction elements, making the genre accessible to younger readers. This novel, he said, initiated Polish science fiction works with a poetic tinge.[10]

In 1983, Józef Zbigniew Białek [pl] noted that critics recognized the novel's blending of various genres, intellectual and moral ambitions, and convincing introduction of children to contemporary issues.[21]

In 1982, Tadeusz Patrzałek observed that the novel was more popular among girls than boys in a study of reading preferences among 11-year-olds.[22]

According to Andrzej Niewiadowski [pl] and Antoni Smuszkiewicz [pl], writing in 1990, the novel was a significant event in the post-war history of Polish science fiction. They interpreted the book as a warning to adults about the harmful direction of ethical and ideological evolution and also highlighted the frequent science fiction theme of contact with extraterrestrials.[23]

Writing in 1992, Andrzej Niewiadowski classified the book as part of educational science fiction, noting that it combined popular motifs like the genius invention and contact with aliens. He saw the book as a critique of the adult world, where children behaved better than adults, who responded aggressively to the unknown out of fear.[9]

Also in 1992, Halina Skrobiszewska classified the novel as the first allegorical fairy tale (a subgenre of literary fairy tales). She viewed this trend as a reaction to attempts to harness fantasy in the service of a specific ideological doctrine and as a discussion of contemporary problems, including a subtle critique of totalitarian regimes.[24]

In 1999, Antoni Smuszkiewicz noted that the uniqueness of the book at the time of its publication was linked to its fantastic elements and their blending with real-world elements, which was rare in Polish contemporary children's and youth literature in the mid-20th century.[7] According to Smuszkiewicz, this led some teachers and students to consider the book "difficult", which he attributed to a lack of understanding of the concept of fiction writing among readers (youth) due to the dominance of realistic and documentary works in the reading canon, as well as the simultaneous lack of experience in interpreting science fiction literature among both youth and educators.[7]

In the same year, Barbara Dyduch wrote about the book for Polonistyka. She noted that fifth-grade students preferred the adventurous "greater adventure", while eighth-grade students favored the "greatest adventure", intended for older readers (due to its philosophical sense and stimulation for reflection).[25] However, she observed that the book was no longer a popular read among youth, which she considered unfortunate because, in her view, the book represents more valuable material (charming, gentle, cheerful) compared to the "aggression" of newer works. She identified the core values of the book as kindness, selflessness, and courage, with the main theme being doing good selflessly and anonymously.[25] According to Dyduch, situated on multiple levels – realistic, fantastic, and futuristic – the parabolic novel by Broszkiewicz allows for unconventional analysis, serving the understanding of the modern novel, whose plot adheres to non-chronological orders. Analyzing the novel's narrative, she emphasized the importance of the travel motif, which stimulates children's imagination, focusing on positive, optimistic thinking about the future.[25]

According to Grzegorz Leszczyński [pl], writing in 2002, the novel combines various literary conventions – the genres of fairy tales, science fiction, and adventure fiction.[2] He views the three parts of the book (three adventures) as forming a connected reflective circle – the characters first help an individual, then a group, and finally, all of humanity; similarly, the scale of the depicted world increases (city, planet, cosmos), as do the props used by the characters (car, airplane, spaceship). Leszczyński considers the talking car to be anthropomorphized, as is common in traditional folk tales. He identifies the central themes of the book as: moral and existential anxiety of contemporary times, human solidarity, and moral responsibility (including the protection of the world from destruction).[2] He also notes that the novel operates with a variable mood and deepened reflectiveness, addressing important topics and science fiction elements. In summary, he writes that the novel was an anomaly after years of stagnation in literature for young readers and initiated a whole series of science fiction and experimental works in the following years.[2][26] Leszczyński also notes that the novel became a significant event in the development of Polish science fiction for young readers.[26]

According to Teresa Brzeska-Smerek, writing also in 2002, the novel initiated a new trend in Broszkiewicz’s work (science fiction-adventure with strongly emphasized ethical-moral values).[27]

In 2008, Maria Ostasz observed that the work was innovative in terms of the artistic conventions used and the boldness of its axiological message, noting that the author completely departed from the realistic convention and effectively combined the poetics of fairy tales with science fiction, giving the adventure-thriller novel a completely new character – a parable about humanity as responsible for the fate of the world.[28]

Maciej Wróblewski, writing in 2012, pointed out that while in many of Broszkiewicz’s works adults are positive role models for children, this novel reverses that pattern. Here, the adult world is tainted by evil (injustice, violence, lies), and the burden of saving humanity falls on the shoulders of innocent youth.[29]

In 2024, Piotr Konieczny in The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction noted that the novel can also be read as a critique of the Cold War and nuclear weapons.[30]

References

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  1. ^ Kuliczkowska, Krystyna (1967). "W świecie fantazji, marzeń i iluzji" [In the World of Fantasy, Dreams, and Illusions]. Miesięcznik Literacki (in Polish). 12 (16): 70.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Leszczyński, Grzegorz (2002). "Wielka, większa i największa" [Great, Greater, and Greatest]. In Baluch, Alicja; Leszczyński, Grzegorz; Tylicka, Barbara (eds.). Słownik literatury dziecięcej i młodzieżowej [Dictionary of Children's and Young Adult Literature] (in Polish). Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolinskich. pp. 412–413. ISBN 978-83-04-04606-1.
  3. ^ Kowalski, Tadeusz (17 March 1963). "Dobra gorsza i najgorsza" [Bad, Worse and the Worst]. Film (in Polish). 11 (756). Łódź: Film Polski: 5. ISSN 0137-463X.
  4. ^ a b Jędrych, Karolina (2014). Lektury w programach dla szkoły podstawowej z lat 1949-1989 [Required Reading in Primary School Curricula from 1949-1989] (in Polish). Katowice: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego. p. 217. ISBN 978-83-226-2209-4.
  5. ^ "Wielka, większa i największa" [Great, Greater, and Greatest]. Księgarnia Internetowa PWN (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Nareszcie współczesna bajka" [Finally a Modern Fairy Tale]. Świat (in Polish). 36: 23. 1960.
  7. ^ a b c Smuszkiewicz, Antoni (1999). "Poszukiwania płaszczyzny porozumienia w prozie dla dzieci" [Seeking Common Ground in Children's Literature]. In Judkowiak, Barbara (ed.). Barańczak - poeta lector [Barańczak - Poet and Reader] (in Polish). Poznań: Poznańskie Studia Polonistyczne. pp. 176–177. ISBN 978-83-88176-07-4.
  8. ^ a b c d Słupska, J. (1963). "Próby opracowania w zespołach książki "Wielka, większa i największa"" [Attempts to Develop the Book "Great, Greater, and Greatest" in Teams]. Polonistyka (in Polish). 4: 40–42.
  9. ^ a b Niewiadowski, Andrzej (1992). Literatura fantastycznonaukowa [Science Fiction Literature] (in Polish). Wydawn. Naukowe PWN. pp. 128–129. ISBN 978-83-01-10122-0.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g Frycie, Stanisław (1983). Literatura dla dzieci i młodzieży w latach 1945-1970: Proza [Children's and Young Adult Literature in 1945-1970: Prose] (in Polish). Wydawn. Szkolne i Pedagogiczne.
  11. ^ a b Wartman, Stefania (1968). "Od baśni ludowej do powieści fantastyczno-naukowej" [From Folk Tales to Science Fiction Novels]. In Aleksandrzak, Stanisław (ed.). Kim jesteś, Kopciuszku: czyli, o problemach współczesnej literatury dla dzieci i młodzieży [Who Are You, Cinderella: Or, About the Problems of Contemporary Children's and Young Adult Literature] (in Polish). Nasza Księgarnia. p. 144.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h Czachowska, Jadwiga; Szałagan, Alicja, eds. (2003). Współcześni polscy pisarze i badacze literatury. Słownik biobibliograficzny [Contemporary Polish Writers and Literary Scholars: A Biobibliographic Dictionary] (in Polish). p. 291.
  13. ^ "Lektury obowiązkowe i nadobowiązkowe IV–VI – Szkoła Podstawowa w Brzezince" [Mandatory and Supplementary Readings for Grades IV–VI – Primary School in Brzezinka]. sp.brzezinka.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  14. ^ a b Kuliczkowska, Krystyna (1960). "Planeta nadziei" [Planet of Hope]. Nowe Książki (in Polish). 18: 1121–1123.
  15. ^ Bazarewska, Halina (1960). "Wielka, większa, największa..." [Great, Greater, and Greatest...]. Nowa Kultura (in Polish) (41): 4.
  16. ^ a b c Jakubowski, Jan Zygmunt (1962). "O niektórych problemach literatury dla dzieci i młodzieży" [On Some Problems of Children's and Young Adult Literature] (PDF). Ruch Pedagogiczny (in Polish) (1): 12–14.
  17. ^ Krzemińska, Wanda (1965). Polish Perspectives. pp. 68–69.
  18. ^ Kuliczkowska, Krystyna (1968). "Drogi tematu współczesnego w prozie dla młodzieży (1945-1965)" [Paths of Contemporary Themes in Youth Prose (1945–1965)]. In Aleksandrzak, Stanisław (ed.). Kim jesteś, Kopciuszku: czyli, o problemach współczesnej literatury dla dzieci i młodzieży [Who Are You, Cinderella: On the Problems of Contemporary Children's and Young Adult Literature] (in Polish). Nasza Księgarnia. p. 12.
  19. ^ Kuliczkowska, Krystyna (1969). "A World of Fancy". Polish Literature: Littérature Polonaise (in French). Authors Agency. Agence des auteurs. pp. 15–16.
  20. ^ Frycie, Stanisław (1979). "Broszkiewicz, Jerzy". In Kuliczkowska, Krystyna; Tylicka, Barbara (eds.). Nowy słownik literatury dla dzieci i młodzieży: pisarze, książki, serie, ilustratorzy, przegląd bibliograficzny [New Dictionary of Literature for Children and Young Adults: Writers, Books, Series, Illustrators, Bibliographic Review] (in Polish). Wiedza Powszechna. p. 53. ISBN 978-83-214-0018-1.
  21. ^ Białek, Józef Zbigniew (1983). "Współczesna powieść dla dzieci i młodzieży na tle przemian prozy XX wieku" [Contemporary Novels for Children and Young Adults in the Context of Changes in 20th Century Prose]. In Frycie, Stanisław (ed.). Literatura dla dzieci i młodzieży w latach 1945-1970: Proza [Children's and Young Adult Literature in 1945-1970: Prose] (in Polish). Wydawn. Szkolne i Pedagogiczne. p. 411.
  22. ^ Patrzałek, Tadeusz (1982). "Postawy uczniów jedenastoletnich wobec lektury" [The Attitudes of Eleven-Year-Old Students Towards Reading]. Polonistyka (in Polish). 197 (3): 181.
  23. ^ Niewiadowski, Andrzej; Smuszkiewicz, Antoni (1990). Leksykon polskiej literatury fantastycznonaukowej [Lexicon of Polish Science Fiction Literature] (in Polish). Wydawn. Poznańskie. pp. 47–48. ISBN 978-83-210-0892-9.
  24. ^ Skrobiszewska, Halina (1992). "Literatura dla dzieci i młodzieży" [Literature for Children and Youth]. In Brodzka, Alina (ed.). Słownik literatury polskiej XX wieku [Dictionary of Polish Literature of the 20th Century] (in Polish). Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich. pp. 570–571. ISBN 978-83-04-03942-1.
  25. ^ a b c Dyduch, Barbara (1991). "Między prawdą a zmyśleniem – czyli "Wielka, większa i największa" gra wyobraźni" [Between Truth and Fiction – or "Greater, Greater, and Greatest": A Play of Imagination]. Polonistyka (in Polish). 8: 491–498.
  26. ^ a b Leszczyński, Grzegorz (2002). "Powieść historyczna" [Historical Novel]. In Baluch, Alicja; Leszczyński, Grzegorz; Tylicka, Barbara (eds.). Słownik literatury dziecięcej i młodzieżowej [Dictionary of Children's and Young Adult Literature] (in Polish). Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolinskich. p. 316. ISBN 978-83-04-04606-1.
  27. ^ Brzeska-Smerek, Teresa (2002). "Broszkiewicz, Jerzy" [Great, Greater, and Greatest]. In Baluch, Alicja; Leszczyński, Grzegorz; Tylicka, Barbara (eds.). Słownik literatury dziecięcej i młodzieżowej (in Polish). Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolinskich. pp. 50–51. ISBN 978-83-04-04606-1.
  28. ^ Ostasz, Maria (30 March 2008). "Proza dziecięco-młodzieżowa w drugiej połowie XX stulecia" [Children's and Young Adult Prose in the Second Half of the 20th Century]. AUPC Studia ad Bibliothecarum Scientiam Pertinentia (in Polish). 6: 89–104. ISSN 2300-3057.
  29. ^ Wróblewski, Maciej (2012). "Obraz Kosmosu w powieściach science fiction Jerzego Broszkiewicza" [The Image of the Cosmos in Jerzy Broszkiewicz's Science Fiction Novels]. In Kochanowicz, Rafał; Mrozek, Dorota; Stefaniak, Beata (eds.). Fantastyka w obliczu przemian [Science Fiction in the Face of Change] (in Polish). Wydawnictwo Poznańskiego Towarzystwa Przyjaciół Nauk. p. 122. ISBN 978-83-7654-142-6.
  30. ^ Konieczny, Piotr. "SFE: Broszkiewicz, Jerzy". sf-encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
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