Pan Tadeusz

Mickiewicz, Adam, 1798-1855Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.9

Word count: 640K words
Chapters: 65

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Pan Tadeusz by Adam MickiewiczAuthor: Mickiewicz, Adam, 1798-1855,Language: English, Class: PG: Language and Literatures: Slavic (including Russian), Languages and Literature, Release Date: Mar 2, 2009

Editor's review

Pan Tadeusz is the signature long narrative poem by the Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz. Set against the life of the Lithuanian gentry, it tells in verse of feuds and reconciliation between noble families, interwoven with hunting, feasting, love and country customs, and is celebrated as a Polish national epic. This English electronic edition from Project Gutenberg is a public-domain resource, making a classic of Polish literature accessible at little cost. Its value lies in the rhythm of its verse narrative and its delicate portrayal of an old rural society; it serves well as an entry point to nineteenth-century Eastern European literature and national narrative. Read it slowly and attend to scene changes and the unfolding of relationships; with some background on Polish history, its emotional weight comes through more fully. The electronic edition has no modern notes, so readers unfamiliar with verse narrative will need some patience.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Polish literature or Eastern European national epics
Students of nineteenth-century European narrative poetry and Romantic literature
Readers seeking to broaden their classics reading through public-domain electronic resources
Literature lovers who enjoy rural customs and pastoral scenes

Not a good fit for

Readers of popular fiction who prefer fast plots and strong dramatic conflict
Beginners unused to verse narrative who need extensive modern annotation
Those who want only a concise history of Poland and have no interest in literary works

Reading tips

Read the background and a summary of the characters first, then the text, so the verse narrative does not put you off.
Read chapter by chapter and review the scenes and characters after each, keeping the threads clear.
Read alongside Polish historical and geographical material to understand the gentry society and national context.
If the English verse proves difficult, read a prose synopsis first and then return to the original, lowering the barrier to entry.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this English edition suitable for readers with no background in Polish literature?

It can be read, but some preparation helps. The work is a verse narrative with many scenes and characters, and the English electronic edition has no modern notes, so it is best to learn the broad historical background and relationships first, then read slowly in sections; otherwise you may lose the threads midway.

What are the features of the Project Gutenberg edition?

It is a free public-domain ebook from Project Gutenberg, in English, classified under Slavic languages and literature. It is easy to obtain and search, but generally comes without modern scholarly notes or an introduction, so readers need to supply background material themselves.

What should I pay attention to when reading this verse work?

Attend to shifts in narrative perspective and to the setting of scenes; do not chase the plot alone. Much of the work depicts gentry life, hunting and feasting, and these passages are both genre pictures and carriers of relationships and emotional change; reading slowly makes the rhythm of the verse easier to appreciate.

Comments

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About the author

Mickiewicz, Adam, 1798-1855 Author

Adam Mickiewicz (Mickiewicz, Adam, 1798-1855) is a poet of central importance in the history of Polish literature. Public information about him is limited, but the general background of his life and work can be established: he lived in the era of Poland's partitions, spent much of his life in exile, and his works are often bound up with the fate of the nation and with memories of his homeland. The library holds 11 of his works, including the long poem Pan Tadeusz, the narrative poem Konrad Wallenrod, the collection of poems Balady i romanse, Sonety Adama Mickiewicza, and Sonnets from the Crimea. These works mostly draw on the historical legends and natural scenery of Lithuania and Poland; their language is concise and musical, combining Romantic passion with a deep concern for reality, and they have had a profound influence on later Polish poetry.