Polish Literature-Czeslaw Milosz

I am interested in familiarizing myself with some Polish Literature, especially by Czeslaw Milosz (in English at this point).

Could anyone recommend a particular title as a good starting point? I think I would like to try some fiction, first, then some history. I understand that his writing covers several genres.

I appreciate any suggestions

Oops, I spelled last name wrong....should be Milosc!

Doesn't anybody read classic literature?

Czeslaw Milosz

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His works

.Kompozycja (1930)
Podróż (1930)
Poemat o czasie zastygłym (1933)
Trzy zimy / Three Winters (1936)
Obrachunki
Wiersze / Verses (1940)
Pieśń niepodległa (1942)
Ocalenie / Rescue (1945)
Traktat moralny / A Moral Treatise (1947)
Zniewolony umysł / The Captive Mind (1953)
Zdobycie władzy / The Seizure of Power (1953)
Światło dzienne / The Light of Day (1953)
Dolina Issy / The Issa Valley (1955)
Traktat poetycki / A Poetical Treatise (1957)
Rodzinna Europa / Native Realm (1958)
Kontynenty (1958)
Człowiek wśród skorpionów (1961)
Król Popiel i inne wiersze / King Popiel and Other Poems (1961)
Gucio zaczarowany / Gucio Enchanted (1965)
Widzenia nad Zatoką San Francisco / Visions of San Francisco Bay (1969)
Miasto bez imienia / City Without a Name (1969)
The History of Polish Literature (1969)
Prywatne obowiązki / Private Obligations (1972)
Gdzie słońce wschodzi i kiedy zapada / Where the Sun Rises and Where It Sets (1974)
Ziemia Ulro / The Land of Ulro (1977)
Ogród nauk / The Garden of Learning (1979)
Hymn o perle / The Poem of the Pearl (1982)
The Witness of Poetry (1983)
Nieobjęta ziemio / The Unencompassed Earth (1984)
Kroniki / Chronicles (1987)
Dalsze okolice / Farther Surroundings (1991)
Zaczynając od moich ulic / Starting from My Streets (1985)
Metafizyczna pauza / The Metaphysical Pause (1989)
Poszukiwanie ojczyzny (1991)
Rok myśliwego (1991)
Na brzegu rzeki / Facing the River (1994)
Szukanie ojczyzny / In Search of a Homeland (1992)
Legendy nowoczesności / Modern Legends (1996)
Życie na wyspach / Life on Islands (1997)
Piesek przydrożny / Roadside Dog (1997)
Abecadlo Miłosza / Milosz's Alphabet (1997)
Inne Abecadło / A Further Alphabet (1998)
Wyprawa w dwudziestolecie / An Excursion through the Twenties and Thirties (1999)
To / It (2000)
Orfeusz i Eurydyka (2003)
O podróżach w czasie / On Time Travel (2004)
Wiersze ostatnie / The Last Poems (2006)

Thanks for the list Witek!
Can you recommend a work of fiction from this list, please!

I have read 2 - I can recommend Milosz's alphabet. As a casual read, The Captive Mind seems dull and dated. Read in the political context of the 50s it is powerful though.

nice job where is the best place to find this in ireland??? anyone?

The captive mind

Check on Amazon.com

here is a link
amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/102-3924542-1498522?url=search-alias%3Daps&f ield-keywords=czeslaw+milosz

captive_mind.jpg

thanks Witek

Anyone seen the movie "Under the Tuscan Sun" with Diane Lane? (one of my very favorite movies )
She buys a old run-down villa in Italy and renovates it. The construction work is done by three Polish men, one of whom is an uncommunicative literatura professor. Diane's character, Frances, tries to intiate a conversation with them, by showing him a book by CM.

One of my my favorite lines in the film, something like "the fact that I am trying to learn Polish, in Italy, is just one of the many ironies"

I think the only true Polish actor is the young man who plays "Pawel".

If you have not seen this, go get it and watch it, and think about me
My heart is in this film. I need a whole box of Kleenex to get through it. Yeah, I know...Chick Flick!

Daffy, if you haven't seen this, watch it with your gf the next time you are together!
Cheers!

sounds like a date is it Polish literature? ive never heard of it

Have you read the the Book? It was written by Frances Mayes and is different then the movie. I also love the book. Being an American of Polish descent, I very much enjoyed the Polish builders. In the book, they did not have as prominent of role. The Poles were portrayed as very, very strong men, who moved mountains for Frances Mayes as her home was rennovated.

No I haven't read the book. The Polish bulders were my favorite part of the movie, too!