Emigranci czytają Sienkiewicza. Garść refleksji, a może rekonesans

Abstract

T he article concerns the reception of works by Henryk Sienkiewicz and the impact he had in the emigration circles. The author proposes to divide the reception into two types. The first of them, the emotional/identity one, is bipolar: it embraces both the apologists of Sienkiewicz and the resolved opponents of his writing. The second type is called aestheticising reception. It refers to professional or quasi-professional reflection on different aspects of his writing and the long-term influence, unknown biographical facts, world reception etc. The conclusion of the article includes the analysis of emigration writers' responses given in a famous survey organised by "Wiadomości Literackie" (1961), clearly predicting the decline of Sienkiewicz's popularity.