Pamiętniki

by Jan Chryzostom Pasek

Caution! No English version! Polish release.

Genres: History, Polish Literature, School, Classics, Poland, Nonfiction, Memoir

164 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1836

About the author

Jan Chryzostom Pasek was a Polish nobleman and writer in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. He is best remembered for his memoirs (Pamietniki), which are a valuable historical source about Baroque sarmatian culture and events in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
Born in 1636 in Węgrzynowice near Rawa Mazowiecka in a minor szlachta family. He attended a Jesuit school. He enlisted in the army at age 19 and for 11 years he was a soldier in a Polish military, where he fought in the campaigns under hetman Stefan Czarniecki against Sweden, in the Denmark campaign, took part in the war and negotiations with Moscow (where he was member of the diplomatic mission), fought the rokoszans of Lubomirski and Turks. In 1667 he married and retired to his estate in Małopolska (south Poland). Lawsuits that arose from his various excesses and conflicts with neighbours eventually resulted in his sentence to exile, but the sentence was never enforced.
Near the end of his life (likely around 1690-1695) he wrote an autobiographical diary, a copy of which was found in 18th century and |printed in 1821, making Pasek posthumously famous. In his memoirs, he depicts in vivid language the everyday life of szlachcic, both during wartime and peace, with valuable batallistic scenes. He relates the tales of the 17th-century Swedish and Muscovite wars, the catastrophic last years of the reign of King John II Casimir (1648-68), the incompetent rule of King Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki (1669-73), and he concludes his narrative with the splendid reign of King Jan III Sobieski (1674-96). In the first part of the diary (1656 - 66), Pasek depicts the military life, showing soldiers primary motivations, like curiosity, desire of fame and loot, and disregard for deep religious messages. In describing peacetime life (1667-88), he sees nothing wrong with serfdom and peasant social class oppression. Representing late sarmatism culture, he views only szlachta social class as the only real representative of Poland.
Pasek died on 1 August 1701 in Niedzieliszki village.

Reviews

[Jan-Maat]

This book, the reminiscences of a Polish gentlemen during the second half of the seventeenth century, is one that I discovered many years ago on a library bookshelf when I was young and a student. It has a place in the bibliography of Europe Unfolding where it is described as "curious", but was then only available in Polish and French, with the passage of time this curious book has pushed its way into the English language too.

What I remember distinctly is Pasek's part in a rebellion against the King during the ongoing war with Russia. He and a few others representing their army meet with representatives of the Russian army who invite them to feast on "neck of swan and arse of bear" (or possibly the other way round, I'm not sure any more not that arse of swan and neck of bear is particularly enticing as meals go ) as a gesture of good will much to the amusement of the Poles.

Later in life Pasek settles down and marries a widow. He calculates this will guarantee him an heir and when it turns out that she doesn't become pregnant he writes out his bitter complaints in his memoirs, blaming the gossipy women that his wife brought with her who he believes have conspired somehow to prevent him from becoming a father. The contraceptive effects of gossip are still not something perfectly understood.

From what I can recall of the style and content of the book it would have limited appeal. On the other hand if you are looking for something to give you insight in the mindset of the gentry in rural Poland in the late seventeenth century it might be just the thing.

[Ola]

Tragiczne to było 😭 podobał mi się jedynie fragment o wydrze haha

[julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

fireeeeee

[Nika ;) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jakieś takie perypetie Polaków i w sumie niewiele więcej, chociaz czasem było zabawnie. Kojarzyło mi się z "Lalką".

[Kisiel · Rating 2 out of 5]

chciałabym, żeby ktoś mówił o mnie tak, jak pasek o swoim koniu na początku. to chyba była tego najbardziej emocjonalna część btw.

also fragment z wydrą mi się podobał.

[antisia · Rating 1 out of 5]

blagam nic nie rozumiem

[Zaczytana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nigdy nie przeczytałam nic gorszego

[Kasiczka:) · Rating 3 out of 5]

trudno się czyta paska, ale wtedy musiała to być fascynująca lektura ((sienkiewicz przeniósł dosłownie postacie z paska do trylogii 🤯🤯🤯))

[e · Rating 2 out of 5]

dlaczego.

[Konrad Godlewski · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. Klasyka, z której czerpią wszyscy polscy klasycy, od Gombrowicza po Lema. Wstyd nie znać, jeżeli chce się cokolwiek powiedzieć o polskiej literaturze. 2. Wgląd w umysł przedromantycznego polskiego szlachcica; pozwala zrozumieć, do jakiego stopnia zabory, kontrreformacja i romantyzm wykoślawiły polską duszę. 3. Makaronizacja jest nieodłączną częścią polszczyzny; dziś te same słowa, które Pasek zapożyczał z łaciny, wracają do nas przez angielski. 4. Kopalnia informacji o epoce i ciekawe dygresje. 5. Momentami nudno, ale historia wydry czesze ryje beret.

[Grazyna Nawrocka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jakbym znowu czytala "Trylogie" Sienkiewicza! Jest tu Kmicic i Skrzetuski, chociaz ich losy sa inne. Jest tez "nic to" Wolodyjowskiego. Opisane osoby tetnia zyciem. Jakze ciekawy portret czasow i krolow; prawdziwa uczta intelektualna. Jedynym problemem jest jezyk przesycony lacinskimi wyrazeniami. Zalecam ta ksiazke kazdemu kto moze przebrnac przez skomplikowany jezyk.

[Szlachcic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Z tego byłaby dobra powieść. Niech sie ktoś za to weźmie bo to aż żal...

[Wiktoria · Rating 1 out of 5]

Typ ma ego top lol

[Kaja · Rating 1 out of 5]

*vomiting image*

[Oliwia · Rating 2 out of 5]

mega nudne nie polecam

[nikola · Rating 1 out of 5]

he thought he ate💀

[Paula · Rating 2 out of 5]

żenujące ale śmieszne

[Aleksandra Pokropińska · Rating 3 out of 5]

WYDRA 3 reszta idk nic nie zapamiętałam