Homo sapiens (novel)
Encyclopedia
Homo Sapiens is a trilogy by Polish author Stanisław Przybyszewski. The novels were originally published in German as Uber Bord (1896, "Overboard"), Unterwegs (1895, "Under Way") and Im Malstrom (1895, "In the Maelstrom"). It deals with the question of deviance
and sexuality
, and is counted among Przybyszewski's most important and best-known works. It was well received in Germany, but withdrawn from sale by its U.S. publisher
after being labelled obscene. It is associated with the decadent movement
of the late 19th century.
, residing in bohemian
Berlin
of the early 1890s. The plot of the first novel, Uber Bord, revolves around his attempt to steal a fiancée of a friend. In the second novel, Unterwegs, Falk attempts to seduce a pious sixteen-year-old. In the last novel, Im Maelstrom, Falk has to balance his official family and a mistress, both with his children. He also becomes increasingly involved with radical socialist and anarchist circles.
and eroticism
. The novel is believed to be a roman à clé, portraying the author's own experiences in Berlin and Munich. The book became widely known in Europe, was well-received upon its publication in Germany, and influenced many European youths who were caught up in the fashion of the 'decadent
'.
The book was originally written in German
. A Polish
translation
was published in 1901 in Lwow
, and an English
one, in 1915.
Homo Sapiens was originally published as a trilogy
: Overboard (Uber Bord, 1896), By the Way (Unterwegs, 1895) and In the Maelstrom (Im Malstrom, 1895). The second part was published first by Friedrich Fontane (son of Theodor Fontane
); the other two sections were published later by Hugo Storm. It has however been often republished in one volume.
In 1915 Homo Sapiens was published in the United States by Alfred A. Knopf
. It was initially praised (for example, by Alexander S. Kaun), but the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice
's resistance to the book, led by John S. Sumner
, resulted in it being labelled "obscene" and a court case to prevent its distribution. Sumner withdrew his legal complaint after Knopf undertook to melt down the plates used for printing Przybyszewski's book and to withdraw the novel from sale.
Late-20th century critic Martin Seymour-Smith
called the work notably Freudian in attitude, also saying Przybyszewski "overwrote badly, characters in his fiction are prone to break into satanic smiles and laughter, and to 'fling' themselves over-willingly into an unconvincingly delightful despair."
Deviance (sociology)
Deviance in a sociological context describes actions or behaviors that violate cultural norms including formally-enacted rules as well as informal violations of social norms...
and sexuality
Human sexuality
Human sexuality is the awareness of gender differences, and the capacity to have erotic experiences and responses. Human sexuality can also be described as the way someone is sexually attracted to another person whether it is to opposite sexes , to the same sex , to either sexes , or not being...
, and is counted among Przybyszewski's most important and best-known works. It was well received in Germany, but withdrawn from sale by its U.S. publisher
Censorship in the United States
In general, censorship in the United States, which involves the suppression of speech or other public communication, raises issues of freedom of speech, which is constitutionally protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution....
after being labelled obscene. It is associated with the decadent movement
Decadent movement
The Decadent movement was a late 19th century artistic and literary movement of Western Europe. It flourished in France, but also had devotees in England and throughout Europe, as well as in the United States.-Overview:...
of the late 19th century.
Plot
The protagonist is a writer, Erik Falk, an emigré from Congress PolandCongress Poland
The Kingdom of Poland , informally known as Congress Poland , created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna, was a personal union of the Russian parcel of Poland with the Russian Empire...
, residing in bohemian
Bohemian
A Bohemian is a resident of the former Kingdom of Bohemia, either in a narrow sense as the region of Bohemia proper or in a wider meaning as the whole country, now known as the Czech Republic. The word "Bohemian" was used to denote the Czech people as well as the Czech language before the word...
Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
of the early 1890s. The plot of the first novel, Uber Bord, revolves around his attempt to steal a fiancée of a friend. In the second novel, Unterwegs, Falk attempts to seduce a pious sixteen-year-old. In the last novel, Im Maelstrom, Falk has to balance his official family and a mistress, both with his children. He also becomes increasingly involved with radical socialist and anarchist circles.
Reception publication history and censorship controversy
The book, with ornate language, describes an individual's destruction through alcoholismAlcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
and eroticism
Eroticism
Eroticism is generally understood to refer to a state of sexual arousal or anticipation of such – an insistent sexual impulse, desire, or pattern of thoughts, as well as a philosophical contemplation concerning the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality and romantic love...
. The novel is believed to be a roman à clé, portraying the author's own experiences in Berlin and Munich. The book became widely known in Europe, was well-received upon its publication in Germany, and influenced many European youths who were caught up in the fashion of the 'decadent
Decadent movement
The Decadent movement was a late 19th century artistic and literary movement of Western Europe. It flourished in France, but also had devotees in England and throughout Europe, as well as in the United States.-Overview:...
'.
The book was originally written in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
. A Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
translation
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
was published in 1901 in Lwow
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
, and an English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
one, in 1915.
Homo Sapiens was originally published as a trilogy
Trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected, and that can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, or video games...
: Overboard (Uber Bord, 1896), By the Way (Unterwegs, 1895) and In the Maelstrom (Im Malstrom, 1895). The second part was published first by Friedrich Fontane (son of Theodor Fontane
Theodor Fontane
Theodor Fontane was a German novelist and poet, regarded by many as the most important 19th-century German-language realist writer.-Youth:Fontane was born in Neuruppin into a Huguenot family. At the age of sixteen he was apprenticed to an apothecary, his father's profession. He became an...
); the other two sections were published later by Hugo Storm. It has however been often republished in one volume.
In 1915 Homo Sapiens was published in the United States by Alfred A. Knopf
Alfred A. Knopf
Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. is a New York publishing house, founded by Alfred A. Knopf, Sr. in 1915. It was acquired by Random House in 1960 and is now part of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group at Random House. The publishing house is known for its borzoi trademark , which was designed by co-founder...
. It was initially praised (for example, by Alexander S. Kaun), but the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice
New York Society for the Suppression of Vice
The New York Society for the Suppression of Vice was an institution dedicated to supervising the morality of the public, founded in 1873. Its specific mission was to monitor compliance with state laws and work with the courts and district attorneys in bringing offenders to justice. It and its...
's resistance to the book, led by John S. Sumner
John S. Sumner
John Saxton Sumner headed the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice , a New York state censorship body empowered to recommend obscenity cases to the appropriate prosecutors. He served as Associate Secretary of the NYSSV for three years, succeeding founder Anthony Comstock as Executive...
, resulted in it being labelled "obscene" and a court case to prevent its distribution. Sumner withdrew his legal complaint after Knopf undertook to melt down the plates used for printing Przybyszewski's book and to withdraw the novel from sale.
Late-20th century critic Martin Seymour-Smith
Martin Seymour-Smith
Martin Roger Seymour-Smith was a British poet, literary critic, biographer and astrologer.Seymour-Smith was born in London and educated at Oxford University where he was editor of Isis...
called the work notably Freudian in attitude, also saying Przybyszewski "overwrote badly, characters in his fiction are prone to break into satanic smiles and laughter, and to 'fling' themselves over-willingly into an unconvincingly delightful despair."
External links
- Homo Sapiens at Google Books and Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
(scanned books original editions multi-language translations including English)