Sława i fortuna / Fame and Fortune is a collection of letters Stanisław Lem wrote to his U.S. translator Michael Kandel. It will be published in October.
"In no other place does the writer so explicitly analyse his work”, remarks Wydawnictwo Literackie (WL) the publisher of the book.
From the years 1972 to 1987, Stanisław Lem wrote books including Golem XIV, Maska / The Mask, Fiasko / Fiasco and Pokój na Ziemi / Peace on Earth. In WL's estimation,
Stanisław Lem managed to gain success outside of the Soviet Bloc in thanks to the increasing demand for his works to be translated. Step by step he invaded the west. The main topic covered in the letters written to Michael Kandel is success. Lem provides detailed coverage, while wavering between serious and light tones, of his struggles with not-so-honest publishers and also reveals some secrets that had previously not seen the light of day".
Prof. Jerzy Jarzębski is a leading authority on the works of Lem and believes that these letters tell a story of success where "the intellectual integrity and artistic excellence of the work was never contradicted, the bar kept being raised higher, millions of customers were attracted even from elite crowds and money was made in satisfactory amounts over time.”
However, Jarzębski adds words of caution in declaring that Lem’s story is not a happy one: “His work deals with the life of the individual and is filled with illness, disappointment and a gradual weakening of the motivation to work. At the same time, individuals and whole societies expose their worst qualities, the story fails expectations, the riddles of the world have no definitive solutions and emptiness replaces the search made in vain for a God that is meant to protect mankind.”
Lem explains to his translator Kandel the main ideas of his works in many places throughout the collection of letters. The depth of his analysis cannot be compared to any other resource. WL observes that,
Of course Lem would not be being himself if in his letters he didn’t play with words and forms. A large part of the texts are absolute treasures and display a literary artistry without which he wouldn’t have been able to break past Poland’s censorship. In this way he managed to explain to his translator in more detail than would have officially been permitted. His language reaches a form of scientific lectures at times, while other time he enjoys the benefits of genres like short story, anecdote and even reportage. All these components make the letters between Lem and Kandel as rich as those he wrote to Sławomir Mrożek.
Lem’s secretary, Wojciech Zemek, believes that the correspondence with Kandel represents an essence of the author:
Kandel fulfils the role as the attentive listener and serves as an excellent receiver and catalyst. As a result, they form a rich and multi-layered relationship that reads like a great realistic novel. The readers has access to a comprehensive compendium that from one side provides commentary and key insights into Lem’s work, and on the other serves as a profound resource for information about the author.”
The book Sława i fortuna. Listy do Michaela Kandla 1972 – 1987 / Fame and Fortune. Letters to Michael Kandel 1972 – 1987 will be released on the 17th of October, just before the annual Book Fair in Kraków.
Sources: PAP, author: mg, 29/08/2013
Translation: SMG 29/08/2013