Henryk Sienkiewicz
Polish writer, 1846-1916
"Henryk Adam Aleksander Pius Sienkiewicz, also known by the pseudonym Litwos, was a Polish journalist, novelist and Nobel Prize laureate. He is best remembered for his historical novels, especially for his internationally known best-seller ""Quo Vadis"" (1896). In Poland he is best known for his ""Trilogy"" of historical novels – ""With Fire and Sword"", ""The Deluge"", and ""Sir Michael"" – set in the 17th-century Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth; internationally he is best known for ""Quo Vadis"", set in Nero's Rome. ""The Trilogy"" and ""Quo Vadis"" have been filmed, the latter several times, with Hollywood's 1951 version receiving the most international recognition."
Source: Wikipedia
Polish writer and Nobel laureate (1846-1916). Autograph letter signed. Warsaw. ⅔ p. 8vo. With original envelope preserved.
$ 8,807 / 7.500 €
(103535)
To the Marquis d’Éguilles. An elegant and rare letter from the Nobel Prize-winning novelist (1905), written shortly after his international recognition. Responding to an inquiry about a supposed work devoted to a French heroine, Sienkiewicz politely denies ever having written on the subject: “My prolonged stay abroad prevented me from replying earlier to your letter. I hasten to inform you now that I have never published any work devoted to your sublime national heroine. Except for Quo Vadis, set in the time of Nero, I have dealt in my historical novels only with the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries in Poland...” A fine letter reflecting Sienkiewicz’s courteous tone, literary self-awareness, and the international reach of his reputation following the success of Quo Vadis (1896; French translation, 1900).
The striking quotation “Je transformerai la tragédie de la vie en farce de rêve” (“I shall transform the tragedy of life into the farce of a dream...”) captures his humanistic view of art as the transmutation of suffering into imagination..
poln. Schriftsteller und Literatur-Nobelpreisträger 1905 (1864-1916). TLS in French. Paris. 3 SS. in 4to auf Doppelblättern.
$ 2,936 / 2.500 €
(47535)
Untranslated statement calling for an autonomous kingdom of Poland. In fine condition, with mild toning and a rusty paperclip mark to upper left corner.