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Wspomnienia polskie. Wędrówki po Argentynie
Wspomnienia polskie należą do mniej znanych utworów Witolda Gombrowicza. Ogłoszone zostały dopiero po śmierci pisarza, utrzymane są w formie swobodnej, pełnej anegdot i dygresji gawędy o czasach przedwojennych, o życiu artystycznym Warszawy i spotykanych ludziach. Książka posiada walor duchowej autobiografii pisarza i jest najważniejsza dla zrozumienia innych jego dzieł.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1990
2 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
About the author
Witold Gombrowicz
113 books1,034 followersGombrowicz was born in Małoszyce, in Congress Poland, Russian Empire to a wealthy gentry family. He was the youngest of four children of Jan and Antonina (née Kotkowska.) In 1911 his family moved to Warsaw. After completing his education at Saint Stanislaus Kostka's Gymnasium in 1922, he studied law at Warsaw University (in 1927 he obtained a master’s degree in law.) Gombrowicz spent a year in Paris where he studied at the Institut des Hautes Etudes Internationales; although he was less than diligent in his studies his time in France brought him in constant contact with other young intellectuals. He also visited the Mediterranean.
When he returned to Poland he began applying for legal positions with little success. In the 1920s he started writing, but soon rejected the legendary novel, whose form and subject matter were supposed to manifest his 'worse' and darker side of nature. Similarly, his attempt to write a popular novel in collaboration with Tadeusz Kępiński turned out to be a failure. At the turn of the 20's and 30's he started to write short stories, which were later printed under the title Memoirs Of A Time Of Immaturity. From the moment of this literary debut, his reviews and columns started appearing in the press, mainly in the Kurier Poranny (Morning Courier). He met with other young writers and intellectuals forming an artistic café society in Zodiak and Ziemiańska, both in Warsaw. The publication of Ferdydurke, his first novel, brought him acclaim in literary circles.
Just before the outbreak of the Second World War, Gombrowicz took part in the maiden voyage of the Polish cruise liner, Chrobry, to South America. When he found out about the outbreak of war in Europe, he decided to wait in Buenos Aires till the war was over, but was actually to stay there until 1963 — often, especially during the war, in great poverty.
At the end of the 1940s Gombrowicz was trying to gain a position among Argentine literary circles by publishing articles, giving lectures in Fray Mocho café, and finally, by publishing in 1947 a Spanish translation of Ferdydurke written with the help of Gombrowicz’s friends, among them Virgilio Piñera. Today, this version of the novel is considered to be a significant literary event in the history of Argentine literature; however, when published it did not bring any great renown to the author, nor did the publication of Gombrowicz’s drama Ślub in Spanish (The Wedding, El Casamiento) in 1948. From December 1947 to May 1955 Gombrowicz worked as a bank clerk in Banco Polaco, the Argentine branch of PeKaO SA Bank. In 1950 he started exchanging letters with Jerzy Giedroyc and from 1951 he started having works published in the Parisian journal Culture, where, in 1953, fragments of Dziennik (Diaries) appeared. In the same year he published a volume of work which included the drama Ślub (The Wedding) and the novel Trans-Atlantyk, where the subject of national identity on emigration was controversially raised. After October 1956 four books written by Gombrowicz appeared in Poland and they brought him great renown despite the fact that the authorities did not allow the publication of Dziennik (Diaries), and later organized
When he returned to Poland he began applying for legal positions with little success. In the 1920s he started writing, but soon rejected the legendary novel, whose form and subject matter were supposed to manifest his 'worse' and darker side of nature. Similarly, his attempt to write a popular novel in collaboration with Tadeusz Kępiński turned out to be a failure. At the turn of the 20's and 30's he started to write short stories, which were later printed under the title Memoirs Of A Time Of Immaturity. From the moment of this literary debut, his reviews and columns started appearing in the press, mainly in the Kurier Poranny (Morning Courier). He met with other young writers and intellectuals forming an artistic café society in Zodiak and Ziemiańska, both in Warsaw. The publication of Ferdydurke, his first novel, brought him acclaim in literary circles.
Just before the outbreak of the Second World War, Gombrowicz took part in the maiden voyage of the Polish cruise liner, Chrobry, to South America. When he found out about the outbreak of war in Europe, he decided to wait in Buenos Aires till the war was over, but was actually to stay there until 1963 — often, especially during the war, in great poverty.
At the end of the 1940s Gombrowicz was trying to gain a position among Argentine literary circles by publishing articles, giving lectures in Fray Mocho café, and finally, by publishing in 1947 a Spanish translation of Ferdydurke written with the help of Gombrowicz’s friends, among them Virgilio Piñera. Today, this version of the novel is considered to be a significant literary event in the history of Argentine literature; however, when published it did not bring any great renown to the author, nor did the publication of Gombrowicz’s drama Ślub in Spanish (The Wedding, El Casamiento) in 1948. From December 1947 to May 1955 Gombrowicz worked as a bank clerk in Banco Polaco, the Argentine branch of PeKaO SA Bank. In 1950 he started exchanging letters with Jerzy Giedroyc and from 1951 he started having works published in the Parisian journal Culture, where, in 1953, fragments of Dziennik (Diaries) appeared. In the same year he published a volume of work which included the drama Ślub (The Wedding) and the novel Trans-Atlantyk, where the subject of national identity on emigration was controversially raised. After October 1956 four books written by Gombrowicz appeared in Poland and they brought him great renown despite the fact that the authorities did not allow the publication of Dziennik (Diaries), and later organized
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 28, 2021
Wonderful book, written by geniuses. He writes about Stefan Żeromski, Józef Piłsudski, Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz commonly know as Witkacy.
About Żeromski he has written:
Probably deeper and more lofty than Sienkiewicz. (...) Żeromski is all gender, love, instinct, he was formed by Eros, this is his land, here he is at home, the most tender, the most delicate, the most eloquent. But the lover has become a citizen, the hunter of love tremors transforms into a teacher, the tracker of passionate passion becomes a social activist - a patriot, and the undulating, bitter, flickering lyricism begins to bustle with filial concern around Poland. (...) But in Żeromski the feeling of love is final and tragic. And the feeling of the motherland is secondary and rather didactic. " I do not object.
About Piłsudski, he has written:
Pilsudski-ites, supporters of Piłsudski first and foremost has been soldiers, loving their "grandad", also they has been Romantics, saturated with the vapor of Polish tradition and Polish art.
And that was the hardest to get along with, for Gombrowicz.
... Piłsudski also was romantic declamatory of Słowacki, who spoke about himself.
"I am needed in the time of the storm " - mysticism that to Gombrowicz, author was rather dangerous and suspicious .
And about Witkacy he has written that he is pseudo- madman, with sly face of schizophrenic (Witkacy was Painter, draftsman and photographer, playwright and novelist, philosopher, theorist and art critic. He was born on February 24, 1885 in Warsaw, died by suicide - on the news of an armed attack by the Red Army on Poland - on September 18, 1939 in the village of Jeziory in Polesie (today Ukraine).
Witold Gombrowicz lived in times of change for man, his father once left all his beard and mustache in barber shop, and he wrote that his mother screamed in horror more and louder than if he would come home naked. Gombrowicz was yearning for western civilization, despising of that that knows only East and even Polish history although only, not knowing truths from west, civilization.
When in Poland Literary realism was best know - Literary realism is a literary movement that represents reality by portraying mundane, everyday experiences as they are in real life. It depicts familiar people, places, and stories, primarily about the middle and lower classes of society.
Gombrowicz also visited Tomb of Napoleon while in Paris, not knowing back then it was his. He was supposed to study there but didn't really attend any lectures, rather just learning from walks.
In '38 he visited Italy, through Vienna, Rome to Venice. And back. In Rome he has stayed in vittorio veneto hotel, stunned by sensation that People cheered for Mussolini, it was not known who tells the truth.
He was there for best book of the year 1937, that he could get, in the end it was given to Marysieńka Sobieska by Tadeusz Boy-Żeleński
On way back to Vienna it was Anschluss, Hitler entered to Austria.
While showing V sign, victory sign. People spoked actually Salve! -hi from Latin.
Like with Salve! amice - Hi! friend
About Żeromski he has written:
Probably deeper and more lofty than Sienkiewicz. (...) Żeromski is all gender, love, instinct, he was formed by Eros, this is his land, here he is at home, the most tender, the most delicate, the most eloquent. But the lover has become a citizen, the hunter of love tremors transforms into a teacher, the tracker of passionate passion becomes a social activist - a patriot, and the undulating, bitter, flickering lyricism begins to bustle with filial concern around Poland. (...) But in Żeromski the feeling of love is final and tragic. And the feeling of the motherland is secondary and rather didactic. " I do not object.
About Piłsudski, he has written:
Pilsudski-ites, supporters of Piłsudski first and foremost has been soldiers, loving their "grandad", also they has been Romantics, saturated with the vapor of Polish tradition and Polish art.
And that was the hardest to get along with, for Gombrowicz.
... Piłsudski also was romantic declamatory of Słowacki, who spoke about himself.
"I am needed in the time of the storm " - mysticism that to Gombrowicz, author was rather dangerous and suspicious .
And about Witkacy he has written that he is pseudo- madman, with sly face of schizophrenic (Witkacy was Painter, draftsman and photographer, playwright and novelist, philosopher, theorist and art critic. He was born on February 24, 1885 in Warsaw, died by suicide - on the news of an armed attack by the Red Army on Poland - on September 18, 1939 in the village of Jeziory in Polesie (today Ukraine).
Witold Gombrowicz lived in times of change for man, his father once left all his beard and mustache in barber shop, and he wrote that his mother screamed in horror more and louder than if he would come home naked. Gombrowicz was yearning for western civilization, despising of that that knows only East and even Polish history although only, not knowing truths from west, civilization.
When in Poland Literary realism was best know - Literary realism is a literary movement that represents reality by portraying mundane, everyday experiences as they are in real life. It depicts familiar people, places, and stories, primarily about the middle and lower classes of society.
Gombrowicz also visited Tomb of Napoleon while in Paris, not knowing back then it was his. He was supposed to study there but didn't really attend any lectures, rather just learning from walks.
In '38 he visited Italy, through Vienna, Rome to Venice. And back. In Rome he has stayed in vittorio veneto hotel, stunned by sensation that People cheered for Mussolini, it was not known who tells the truth.
He was there for best book of the year 1937, that he could get, in the end it was given to Marysieńka Sobieska by Tadeusz Boy-Żeleński
On way back to Vienna it was Anschluss, Hitler entered to Austria.
While showing V sign, victory sign. People spoked actually Salve! -hi from Latin.
Like with Salve! amice - Hi! friend
December 14, 2024
Daję 5 gwiazdek, ale nie oceniam tu samych, często kontrowersyjnych, przemyśleń Gombrowicza, tylko fakt, jak dobrze została opracowana ta książka i jak bardzo pomaga zrozumieć twórczość samego Gombrowicza, który wreszcie pozwala sobie tutaj na odrobinę swobody. Podoba mi się też bardzo sama końcówka, która dodaje sporo kontekstu. Zdecydowanie najciekawszy był początek, wspomnienia z Polski, spojrzenie na ten okres jego (krytycznymi) oczami. Czas na emigracji był już dla mnie o wiele mniej interesujący.
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June 9, 2025😝👍
October 20, 2025
Po "Trans-Atlantyku", "Pornografii" i "Kosmosie" oraz trzech tomach "Dziennika" te dwie pośmiertnie wydane książki odsłoniły mi "normalnego" Gombrowicza. Nie ma tu groteski, neologizmów, słów pisanych wielką literą w środku zdania, ani w ogóle nic dziwnego. "Wspomnienia polskie" są wspaniałe: przystępne, chronologiczne, pełne anegdot, smaczków i po prostu ciekawych historii. Smakowałem sobie te historyjki bez większego ciężaru gatunkowego prawie trzy miesiące, i zżyłem się z Witkiem, polubiłem, bo fajny to gość. "Wędrówki po Argentynie" trochę nudnawe, ale to nuda na skalę Gombrowicza! Na początek przygody z tym pisarzem nie polecam, ale jako wzbogacenie kontekstów do jego twórczości: obowiązkowo!
December 15, 2017
Ne tik sunkiai skaityta knyga, bet ir turbūt ne savo laiku, nors viešų nuomonių, kad tai nuostabus tekstas, buvo apstu. Gal tikslesnis vertinimas būtų net 2,5 balai, jeigu tokį apskritai galima būtų skirti, nes keliavimas tekstu prilygo totaliam bangavimui, kuomet tarpais vyravo visiškas štilis, o tarpais tekstas ir mintys nešdavo ir sviesdavo.
February 5, 2024
to powinno byc lektura zamiast ferdydurki imo, chociaz pewnie i tak nikt by nie czytal
January 5, 2025
Gdy przeczytałem w wspomnieniach pisarza za którego mógłbym sprzedać wszystkich innych, że on, jak to określił, "zdawał z klasy do klasy psim swędem" uzasadniając to tym, że wolał w tym czasie wchodzić w interakcje z dziełami kultury łzy napłynęły mi do oczu. To dosłownie ja, pomyślałem i uśmiechnąłem się. Druga część książki już nieco odstaje.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews