Pan Tadeusz

An epic tale of country life among the Polish and Lithuanian gentry in the years 1811 and 1812, Pan Tadeusz is Poland's best known literary work and has been translated into every European language. Of the three English versions, Kenneth R. Mackenzie's is considered the best.

Although it has for its background the stirring period of history between the declaration of the Constitution of the Third of May and the launching of Napoleon's Russian campaign, it is not these events which are the subject of the poem. The plot has the typical elements of a romantic, historical novel: a feud between two ancient families, a love story crossed by the feud, a mysterious figure who dominates the action, and a number of eccentric supporting characters humorously depicted.

To Poles of all generations, the life, the scenes, and the characters embody the ideals, sentiments, and way of life of the whole nation. But Pan Tadeusz is not a poem in praise of Poland. It is about a corner of that heavenly country to which all men belong, and that is the basis of its universal and timeless appeal.

Publishing House: Hippocrene Books, New York 1992
Softcover book measuring 8.25" x 5.3"
553 pages
Bilingual Polish/English Language Version

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