Record Number: 29393
Reading Experience:
Evidence:
'On his arrival in Poland Conrad knew from our contemporary literature only "Popioly" and "Panna Mery". During his two-month stay he devoured almost all that was worth reading in fiction and drama. "Devoured" is the right word, for he read with unusual, unbelievable speed. I was constantly bringing him new books; he used to get impatient when on finishing one, there was not another at hand. In every case his judgement was correct — in respect both of the book as a whole and of the particular style of each author. Wyspianski and Zeromski made the greatest impression on him. "Oh, how I would like to translate it!" he said about "Warszawianska".[...] His favorite books by Zeromski were "Popioly" and "Syzyfowy prace". I should mention Prus. The first work of Prus I gave Conrad was "Emancypantki", one of my favorite books.[...] I warned him "Perhaps the first volume will not be up to your expectations, but don't give up [...]" (In the case of "Chlopi" I could not persuade him to read further volumes; "I know already what's coming" he said.) [...] When he had finished the entire novel ["Emancypatki"], he remarked with amazement, "Ma chère, c'est mieux que Dickens!". [...] First I gave him "Lalka " to read, then "Faraon". [...] Conrad kept asking for more books by Prus [...]. He read with passion "Palac i rudera" and "Powracajaca fala", books which I confess left me thoroughly bored.'
Century:1900-1945
Date:Between 2 Aug 1914 and 2 Oct 1914
Country:Poland
Timen/a
Place:Zakopane
Villa Konstantynowka, Jagiellonska Street
(Reader):
silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
(Listener):
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
Reader / Listener / Reading Group:
Reader: Age:Adult (18-100+)
Gender:Male
Date of Birth:3 Dec 1857
Socio-Economic Group:Gentry
'szlachta' Polish landed gentry
master mariner and author
Religion:Catholic
Country of Origin:Poland
Country of Experience:Poland
Listeners present if any:e.g family, servants, friends
n/a
Additional Comments:
n/a
Text Being Read:
Author: Title:Palac i rudera
Genre:Fiction
Form of Text:Print: Book
Publication Details1875
Provenanceborrowed (private library)
Source Information:
Record ID:29393
Source:Aniela Zagorska
Editor:Zdzislaw Najder trans. Halina Carroll-Najder
Title:A Few Reminiscences of Conrad (repr. in Conrad Under Familial Eyes)
Place of Publication:Cambridge
Date of Publication:1983
Vol:n/a
Page:214-215
Additional Comments:
n/a
Citation:
Aniela Zagorska, Zdzislaw Najder trans. Halina Carroll-Najder (ed.), A Few Reminiscences of Conrad (repr. in Conrad Under Familial Eyes) , (Cambridge, 1983), p. 214-215, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=29393, accessed: 18 July 2024
Additional Comments:
None