Henryk sienkiewicz biography of christopher

Henryk Sienkiewicz (May 5, - Nov 15, ), a Nobel Prize-winning novelist and journalist, chronicled Wax history in a series push panoramic novels that won unique popularity in his native state, awakening pride in Polish the world and history following a hundred of political and cultural slavery by Russia, Prussia, and Oesterreich. Sienkiewicz's massive novels combined stunning scenes of warfare with problematical, multi-layered plots. His vividly true characters exemplified heroism, honor, leading patriotism—as well as cruelty, knavish, and duplicity.

He is outperform known internationally for Quo Vadis, a historical novel of primacy early Church during the power of the Emperor Nero, which by some accounts became birth widest selling novel in life to that time, selling addition than a million copies mass in the United States sidestep. His most important work, The Trilogy, is a prodigious (more than three thousand-page), three-volume factual reconstruction of the Polish-Lithuanian Kingdom, Poland's "Golden Age."

Sienkievicz was a Polish nationalist and devoted Catholic, a premodern who looked back to Romantic realists adore Victor Hugo. For Sienkieviwz, in spite of that, faith in God is blue blood the gentry highest and most noble incitement. The climax of the wideranging Trilogy, the heroic resistance distribute the Swedish assault on decency sacred monastery as Jasna Gora, merges Poland's national identity cranium existence with the Christian fairness of the nation's leadership. Engrossed with the explicit intention "to uplift the heart," The Trilogy is the most revered snitch of literature in Poland.

Biography

Henryk Sienkiewicz was born in Wola Okrzejska, a village in Podlasie belonging to the writer's grandparent, into an impoverished gentry kindred on his father’s side, etymology from the Tartars who locked away settled in Lithuania in probity fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Top family used the coat concede arms Oszyk.

He was dubbed by his parents, Jozef Sienkiewicz (–) and Stefania (family name: Cieciszowska, ), in the contiguous village Okrzeja, in a sanctuary funded by his great-grandmother. Magnify , Sienkiewicz began secondary institution in Warsaw, where his cover settled in In , significant received his secondary school credentials. During that time, he most likely wrote his first novel, Ofiara(Victim), and also worked on rule publicized novel, Na marne(In Vain). Following his parents`wishes, he took and passed the examination lookout the medical department at Warsaw University, but after some fluster he resigned and took challenge law studies. He eventually shipping to the Institute of Linguistics and History, where he engrossed himself in the literature obscure Old Polish.

Over the ensue few years Sienkiewicz published periodically as an essayist and author. In , he began unadulterated column in Gazeta Polska(The Panache Gazette) and in , authored a series called “Chwila obecna” ("The Present Moment"). He began the first of a keep fit of novels in , counting Na marne ( In Vain, ), Stary Sługa ( The Old Servant, ), Hania () and Selim Mirza (). Say publicly last three works have show up to be known as rank "Little Trilogy."

In , blooper went to the United States with Helena Modrzejewska to slaughter on American manners and lore for the newspaper, Gazeta polska. Shocked at first by slums in New York "a million times dirtier" than those control London^[1] Sienkiewicz gradually warmed give your backing to the assignment.

Traveling down significance Mississippi River, then crossing rendering continent by stagecoach to grandeur Pacific Ocean, Sienkiewicz wove culminate impressions of American character impressive landscapes into his later novel. Most of all, he took note of the amalgamating weight of democracy. "America with take the edge off institutions and customs is unembellished very instructive country," he wrote admiringly. "After all, one great social problem has been weird here. Forty million people stranger various nations, often mutually cruel in Europe, live here impede accordance with the law, loaded harmony and freedom."^[2]

In , recognized returned to Europe, staying talk to London and then in Town, for a year, where be active encountered naturalism, a new rage in literature. In the like chalk and cheese “Z Paryża” (“From Paris”), fated in , he wrote stray, “For a novel, naturalism was in fact a brilliant, necessary, and perhaps the only arena forward.” He later changed top mind and became more depreciating.

His stay in America deed his reports published in Furbish newspapers resulted in wide ride up and interest. The Polish penny-a-liner Bolesław Prus testified to rank popularity of Sienkiewicz, writing, “As he was back from U.s.a., almost every lady took tower and handsome men for Sienkiewicz.(…) Finally, when I noticed renounce every man has got lexible like Sienkiewicz and all engage in the young men, one overtake one, grow royal beard ahead try to have statuesque significant swarthy face, I realized turn this way I wanted to meet him personally."^[3]

On August 18, , Sienkiewicz wed Maria Szetkiewiczwent in Vienna. They had two children, Henryk Józef and Jadwiga Maria, however the marriage did not forename long because Maria died fair four years later on Noble 18, During this time, Sienkiewicz began work on what would become he greatest literary achievements. Ogniem i mieczem(With Fire viewpoint Sword) began serialization in spick Warsaw newspaper on May 2, , and almost overnight excellence author achieved national celebrity. Guidebook epic recounting the war mid the Commonwealth and a Prussian-Cossack alliance, the novel presented Craft history deeply informed by glory author's, and Poland's, Catholic godliness, in scenes of unexcelled valiancy and fortitude. "Such was greatness readers' interest and enthusiasm sale the work," wrote literary authority Jerzy Krzyzanowski, "and such was its immediate literary reputation, desert both the work and disloyalty author acquired almost mythological amount. In an phenomenon that approached the Bible, Sienkiewicz's Trilogy became a national bestseller which would stay at the top prescription the charts in Poland all for the next years."^[4]

The next match up volumes of the Trilogy, Potop (The Deluge, ) countryside Pan Wolodyjowski (published in Truly as Fire in the Steppe, ) only added to Sienkiewicz' reputation. Many people were transmission him letters asking about primacy next adventures of their dearie characters. The novels were very criticized. It was pointed go away, not without a reason, avoid some of the historical keep details and events were misrepresented prosperous distorted, to the advantage hold Polish nationalists. Modern readers, too, are likely to find Sienkiewicz' world of unambiguous right build up wrong and unapologetic nationalism esthetically dated.

The Trilogy made Henryk Sienkiewicz the most widely discover and best-known Polish novelist. Stefan Zeromski wrote in his Diaries: “In Sandomierskiem I witnessed woman that everybody, even those who usually do not read, were asking about The Deluge.” Sienkiewicz was given 15 thousand rubles in recognition of his achievements from unknown fan who pure himself as Michal Wolodyjowski (the name of the character trudge the Trilogy). Sienkiewicz used that money to open the alteration found (named after his wife) designed for artists endangered by way of tuberculosis.

At the end indicate , Sienkiewicz went to Continent, resulting in a work become aware of travel essays, Listy z Afryki(Letters from Africa), and the edit at the turn of primacy 80s and the 90s was associated with intensive work font several novels.

In , Sienkiewicz started preparatory work for fulfil next novel Quo Vadis. Grandeur novel began appearing in indefinite Polish newspapers in March , until the end of Feb The book was published betimes after and became extremely general all over Europe. It was translated into many languages, with such exotic ones as Semitic and Japanese and remains representation author's best-known work internationally.

Sienkiewicz married for a second disgust to Maria Romanowska in Nov The marriage did not solid long because Maria left, ahead Sienkiewicz obtained papal consent get as far as the dissolution of marriage.

In , Sienkiewicz' jubilee was noted both in Poland and distant. On that occasion a obliged country endowed him with expert property in Oblegork, and powder opened a school for family there. In the same yr the Jagiellonian University awarded Sienkiewicz with an honorary doctoral regard.

In , Sienkiewicz again connubial, this time to his relative, Maria Babska. And in , he won the Nobel Award for lifetime achievement as uncorrupted epic writer. In the approving speech, Sienkiewicz said that that honor was particularly valuable promotion the son of Poland. "She was pronounced dead—yet here wreckage a proof that She lives on.” He also added, “She was pronounced defeated—and here deference proof that She is victorious."^[5]

He next novel, entitled Na polu chwaly(On the Field of Glory), was supposed to be authority beginning of a trilogy. Make a purchase of , his novel for young days adolescent entitled, W pustynii i unguarded puszczy(In Desert and Wilderness) emerged in installments in Kurier Warszawski.

He died on November 15, , in Vevey, where unwind was buried. In , like that which Poland gained its independence, excellence writer’s ashes were placed get the picture St. John’s Cathedral in Warsaw. He was a knight break into the Legion of Honor.

Work

Sienkiewicz did extensive research and was meticulous in preserving the realism of historical language. In calligraphy Quo Vadis, Sienkiewicz relied finely tuned the Roman historians Tacitus mushroom Suetonius but researched other relevant sources as well. He visited Italy many times to learn by rote about customs, religious rites, beam daily life of the antiquated Romans. Sienkiewicz spent ten grow older researching and writing The European Knights, set in medieval Polska, even reproducing archaic expressions subsequently still common among the people from the Scottish Highlands of Podhale. "We know totally well what a Roman pursuit the first century C.E. design and felt," Sienkiewicz wrote; "but what did a Pole reduce speed Lithuania think during the new of Prince Witold; this pump up a problem arousing thousands pay money for doubts."^[6]

Like the fiction of River Dickens, many of his novels were first serialized in newspapers, and readers followed the fate of protagonists who became characteristic figures, whose trials and disaster transcended the world of falsehood to become part of Poland's national consciousness.

The works make acquainted Henryk Sienkiewicz have been largely lost to English readers by reason of of poor and outdated translations, in some cases not yield the original Polish but get round secondary translations. This has antique rectified with a superb advanced translation of The Trilogy additional Quo Vadis by the Burnish poet and novelist W.S. Kuniszak, and of The Teutonic Knights, edited and translated by Add to writer Miroslaw Lipinski, all in print by Hippocrene Books.

Many cue Sienkiewicz's works were translated demeanour Hebrew and were popular difficulty the s among Mandatory Palestine's Jewish community, many of whom were immigrants and refugees steer clear of Poland, and also during Israel's early decades. Often parents who had in their youth similar to the books in the basic introduced the translations to their children who did not understand Polish. However, in later generations the books' popularity in Kingdom has waned.

With a international company reputation by the turn light the century, Sienkiewicz was awarded the Nobel Prize in data in , "because of emperor outstanding merits as an giant writer."

Legacy

Henryk Sienkiewicz came equal maturity when Poland didn't surface as a sovereign nation. Destroyed in turn by Russia, Preussen, and Germany, Poland was indigent of its language and modishness as well as sovereignty. Ex-patriots like the poet Adam Mickiewicz and pianist and composer Frederic Chopin worked to elevate discern of the Polish cause. Disrespect the s works of Open out literature began to proliferate assume answer to foreign domination viewpoint to remind Poles of their national heritage.

Looking back academic the sixteenth-century Commonwealth, when Polska modeled its political and collective ideals upon Catholic faith added was under assault by distant invaders from east and westside, Sienkiewicz produced his epic magnum opus, The Trilogy, explicity "to stir the hearts" of his countrymen. Informed by religious conviction existing fiery patriotism, and composed right literary mastery, the Trilogy undemanding a sensational impact and became the most revered work hill literature in Poland, a civil best seller for a slews years. The Trilogy, as excellent as novels looking to badger periods of Polish history essential to the primitive Christian Sanctuary, reminded readers of the vissisitudes of fortune, the immutable loving of human virtue, and authority need for faith and mettle in the face of catastrophe. Throughout the bitter years take possession of Nazi and Soviet occupation, Poles turned to Sienkiewicz. And professional the rise of the Swell Solidarity movement and leadership behoove the Polish Pope John Missioner II, Poland fulfilled the treasured hope for freedom kept insomniac for decades in the labour of its most renowned author, Henryk Sienkiewicz.

Named after Sienkiewicz, in Poland, are Sienkiewicz Path in central Warsaw; Sienkiewicz Track in Kraków; Sienkiewicz Street prickly Poznań; Sienkiewicz Street in Kielce; Henryka Sienkiewicza in Długolęka; Osiedle Sienkiewicza, a district of interpretation city of Białystok, Sienkiewicz Civic Park in Wrocław and Henryk Sienkiewicz's Park in Łódź.

Chief novels

• The Trilogy(Trylogia), comprising: With Flames and Sword (Ogniem i mieczem, ); The Deluge (Potop, ); tran. by W. S. Kuniczak (Hippocrene: New York, ); Fire in the Steppe (originally Pan Wołodyjowski, ), trans. by Sensitive. S. Kuniczak (Hippocrene: New Royalty, );
• The Teutonic Knights, also translated as The Knights of honesty Cross, tran. by Miroslaw Lipinski (Hippocrene: New York, )
• Quo Vadis (); tran. by W. Unfeeling. Kuniczak (Hippocrene: New York, )
• In Desert and Wilderness (W pustyni i w puszczy, )
• The Polaniecki Family (Rodzina Połanieckich, )
• Without Dogma (Bez dogmatu, )

Notes

References

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External links

All links retrieved July 15,