Five great options to get to know the Witcher universe - in Polish and more
On January 31, our famous conversation will take place in the Krakow branch of the Polish language school Together. At it, we will discuss almost the main (and certainly the most famous abroad) cultural phenomenon of Polish fantasy - the novel "The Witcher" by Andrzej Sapkowski. Well, so that you come up to classes fully prepared and prepared, we have put together five different ways for you to quickly make friends with the stories of Jennifer, Ciri, and, of course, Geralt of Rivia.
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But to begin with, it’s worth saying a few words about the world of The Witcher - a world where there is no black and white, good and bad, and the choice of a lesser evil can sometimes lead to much greater evil. In fact, that’s why “The Witcher” has gained immense popularity (and continues to do so until now): Sapkowski’s fictional world is very similar to the real one, with all its flaws, small but so important joys and the search for its destiny.
Books
The most logical and long way is to master all the books of the Sapkowski cycle. There were wrote eight volumes in total, during the writing of which pan Andrzej gradually moved from small sketches about the witcher to large-scale battles and political intrigues. It’s worth starting with the very first book of the cycle, “Last Wish”, but we immediately warn you: it will be quite difficult to break away from reading. The only possible problem: Sapkowski writes quite monumental, so to understand the book in the original, you need a level of language skills somewhere between B2 and C1. Another, much less complicated option is to simply read books in your own language: Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian or English. In which order, we will tell you now.
The series in Polish
The cult mini-series Wiedźmin of 2002 is a great way to not only get acquainted with the history of Geralt from Rivia, but also to improve your Polish. The series itself is based on the first two books of the cycle - “Last Wish” and “The Sword of Destiny”, and the number of episodes - only 13 pieces - is unlikely to scare anyone away. The only negative: everything that happens is a bit caricatured. The series, which at the time of filming had a rather modest budget, recently turned 17 years old. And it is visible. On the other hand, you have the opportunity to personally enjoy the game starring Michal Zhebrovsky, who, thanks to The Witcher, has become not only a popular favorite, but also a meme man.
Trilogy of games Wiedźmin
It is incredible, but true: in the world, The Witcher became famous not thanks to books, but because of the trilogy of games from the Polish company CD Projekt Red. The cycle of games continues the story from Sapkowski's books, moreover, it does this almost more convincingly than the original source. The third part of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which collected almost all possible awards, became the game of the year according to the huge number of publications and made CD Projekt Red one of the main gaming studios around the world. Therefore, if you suddenly wanted to play The Witcher, but delayed this moment, now is the time to start! When else will you have the opportunity to sit at a computer at night, run around the streets of Novigrad and curse your own horse named Roach, and do it not just like that, but for the sake of preparing for our literary club?
Comics
If you are afraid of books in Polish, because you study at levels A1 and A2, we have a way for you. Comics! Bright, colorful and informative, but with a minimum of words in Polish - they can easily help you not only prepare for classes, but also learn the history of The Witcher as quickly as possible. Comics can be found with good conscience on the Internet or in bookstores in Krakow.
Netfilx Wiedźmin Series
Immediately after the end of the Game of Thrones, people began to look for a replacement for their favorite series. The choice of many fell precisely on the adaptation of The Witcher, which was shot with a truly Hollywood scale. The role of Geralt of Rivia was played by the brutal Henry Cavill (who had previously played Superman in DC films and starred in the last "Mission Impossible"). The series, the first season of which has already been released, is based on Sapkovsky’s books, and he has only one minus - the second season of Wiedźmin will have to wait a long time. According to rumors, its premiere is scheduled for next year, so you will have to watch the second season after our book club. To consolidate the effect, so to speak.
Conversation will be held on January 31, at 17.00
