"We do not wish to torment Sienkiewicz" : the reception of Wiry in the Polish press between 1909 and 1916

The article is a reconstruction of the literary criticisms that appeared in the publication of Wiry, the novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz. It presents both the acclamatory and radically critical reviews. The last part reconstructs the portrait of the author himself, which emerges from the polarized oppositions of a patriot, provocateur and sage-fool