Prus’ prose is one of the greatest achievements of Polish literature. His writing style is often compared to that of Charles Dickens or Anton Chekhov. Devoid of any unnecessary frills, even today Prus’ style recognizes objectivity. The author manages to maintain a relationship with the characters while maintaining a healthy distance through the use of personalized dialogue, adapted to each characters' psyche and well-anchored in the specific situation.
Prus carved the path for one of the main currents in Polish literature – realism. This direction is often sensitive to social injustice. Prus encouraged Stefan Żeromski, Władysław Reymont and Maria Dąbrowska.
There are around 110 works of small narrative by the Polish author, all highly rated by his contemporaries and modern readers. This volume contains texts from different periods of the writer's work, beginning with Staś's Little Adventure (1879) – a novella, Prus’ first. The collection also includes translations of: Michałko, The Barrel Organ, Antek, Him, The Waistcoat, The Sins of Childhood, The Funghi of Third World, Shadows, In the Mountains, From the Legend of Ancient Egypt and A Dream.
Three quarters of the works come from the first half of the 1880s. According to literary historians, these works are among the most brilliant. The stories have been arranged in chronological order so that the reader can follow the evolution of the writer’s style through the years.
One of the strengths of his writing is the insightful psychological outlines of the characters of humble social standing, including children. Their adventures don’t follow the traditional format nor do they amaze us with their extraordinary circumstances. The issues of morality, and idea of an inner life, are carefully explored.
Prus manages to retain a sense of humour while describing everyday Polish life.
"Prócz tego posiada on kołyskę pomalowaną w czarne i zielone kwiaty na żółtym tle tudzież wózek, którego jedyną wadę stanowi to, że każde koło zdaje się toczyć w innym kierunku."
[Przygoda Stasia]
"In addition, he possesses a yellow cradle painted with black and green flowers, and a cart whose only defect is that each wheel seems to run in a different direction."
[Staś's Litlle Adventure, translation: Bill Johnston]
The translator, as you can see, follows the author in the right direction, perfectly conserving the moral tone of the passage. In special cases however, such as when referring to a Jewish street merchant, the translation proves to be – so to speak – 'politically correct'.
"Rzucił na ziemię kamizelkę, otrząsnął śnieg z kołnierza i z wielką usilnością począł otwierać wielki parasol.
– A fajn mebel!… – mówił. Na taki śnieg to tylko taki parasol…"
[Kamizelka]
"He threw the wastcoat on the ground, shook the snow his collar, and set about strenuosly opening the umbrella.
'Nice job!' he said. 'Just the thing for this snow'."
[Waistcoat]
Nice job? This is another example that the translation can never replace the original. However, any attempt to acquaint foreign readers with Polish classics should be applauded.
Bill Johnston - a professor of comparative literature at Indiana University in Bloomingston, a member of ALTA (American Literary Translators Association). He translates Polish literature from different periods and genres such as Magdalena Tulli, Tadeusz Różewicz, Wiesław Myśliwski, Witold Gombrowicz, Stefan Żeromski, Jan Kochanowski and Juliusz Slowacki.
Detailed information on books translated by Johnston can be found here
Author: Janusz R. Kowalczyk, July 2014
Translated by Alexander Sikorski, July 2014
Bolesław Prus
Short Stories
Translated by Bill Johnston
Dimensions: 125 x 190
Number of pages: 258
Binding: paperback
ISBN: 9788379820023
Publisher: National Center for Culture, Warsaw 2013