Józef Ignacy Kraszewski’s Critical View on the Literature in Vilnius in the Early Nineteenth Century

Artykuł poświęcony jest omówieniu jednego z pierwszych krytycznych tekstów autorstwa Józefa Ignacego Kraszewskiego, pt. Literatura w Wilnie w początku XIX wieku. Stanowi on fragment Pamiętników ogłaszanych przez bardzo jeszcze podówczas młodego, bo zaledwie 25-letniego, przyszłego powieściopisarza na łamach „Tygodnika Petersburskiego” w 1837 r. Biorąc pod uwagę wiek autora, w prezentowanej wypowiedzi uderza przede wszystkim dojrzałość oraz bezkompromisowość formułowanych ocen i opinii. Tylko bowiem taki rodzaj krytyki miał w przekonaniu Kraszewskiego rację bytu. The article presents one of the first critical texts by Józef Ignacy Kraszewski entitled Literature in Vilnius at the beginning of the 19th century (Literatura w Wilnie w początku XIX wieku). The text is a part of Memoires which were being published in the Petersburg weekly Tygodnik Petersburski in 1837 by the very young at that time (twenty-five-year-old) future writer. Bearing in mind the young age of the author, what is amazing in this work is his maturity but also the intransigence of his assessments and opinions, for he was sure that these features of literary criticism were its raison d’être.The article presents one of the first critical texts by Józef Ignacy Kraszewski entitled Literature in Vilnius at the beginning of the 19th century (Literatura w Wilnie w początku XIX wieku). The text is a part of Memoires which were being published in the Petersburg weekly Tygodnik Petersburski in 1837 by the very young at that time (twenty-five-year-old) future writer. Bearing in mind the young age of the author, what is amazing in this work is his maturity but also the intransigence of his assessments and opinions, for he was sure that these features of literary criticism were its raison d’être