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Slawomir Mrozek. L'arbre. Andre Kozimor, tr. Montricher, Switz. Noir sur Blanc. 1996. 187 pages. ISBN 2-88250-058-0.
. CEuvres completes. 6: Theatre 3. Therese Douchy et al., trs. Montricher, Switz. Noir sur Blanc. 1996. 394 pages. 180 F. ISBN 2-88250-057-2.
The name Slawomir Mrozek is synonymous with humor. Like a virtuoso, Mrozek plays all its registers. In his short stories, as in his plays, logical absurdity mixes with and uses historical or political humor and literary parody to portray the human condition. From the bittersweet decadence of L'amour en Crimee's postcommunist society to the short stories published in L'arbre, in plays written over a thirty-year career, Mrozek's repertoire is impressive.
With the two volumes under review, Noir sur Blanc has significantly advanced the integral publication of Mrozek's works, a project that began in 1990. This initiative is largely due to the indefatigable efforts of the firm's literary director, Andre Kozimor. Widely published in the 1960s, Mrozek's works have not been retranslated or republished in France since. Theatre 3 is the sixth installment in the complete-works series. L'arbre is due entirely to the translation work of Kozimor, who also rendered several of the plays into French. Other distinguished translators include Therese Douchy, Gabriel Meretik, and...