Yeah, this was my thought as well. 1939 would be a very late date for books to become affordable for the first time.
Virtually all the 19th century novels on the Polish school curriculum first appeared in chapters published in newspapers, appealing to mass reader and yet still managing to touch important social and political issues, often under disguise.
Here in Germany where I live now, the situation is different because of protectionist policies towards publishing (it's illegal to sell a book below the asking price of the publisher). There are publishers specializing in affordable editions of classics (Reclam, Nikol) and some publishers run their titles in multiple paperback editions with different prices, but obtaining any recent work is a costly endeavor.
Virtually all the 19th century novels on the Polish school curriculum first appeared in chapters published in newspapers, appealing to mass reader and yet still managing to touch important social and political issues, often under disguise.
Here in Germany where I live now, the situation is different because of protectionist policies towards publishing (it's illegal to sell a book below the asking price of the publisher). There are publishers specializing in affordable editions of classics (Reclam, Nikol) and some publishers run their titles in multiple paperback editions with different prices, but obtaining any recent work is a costly endeavor.