A review by llythia
With Fire and Sword, by Henryk Sienkiewicz
5.0
I first picked this book up nearly 20 years ago, for the sole reason of it was one of the fattest books I could find in the library. I did not expect to find a beautifully written sweeping epic, that would open my eyes to the broader history of the world and change the direction of my life.
When I read this book the first time, it was as if I was reading a fantasy novel - I didn't understand the italicized snippets of Polish or Ukranian. I had no idea that the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth had really existed, nor that the Hmyelnitzki Rebellion was an actual historical event. When I looked it up on the internet and discovered that the book was based on actual historical events, it blew my mind. I realized that my "Western Civ" history class was really just the history of France and England - and only a very small piece of their history at that. I realized there was a whole universe of major historical events that I knew nothing about, so I started trying to learn on my own.
Eventually this book inspired me to take an entire course on Polish literature, and set me on the path that would lead to me learning Russian, and spending a year in Siberia. When I had the chance to visit Warsaw I was beyond excited to see the statue of Sienkiewicz and heartbroken that the Polish Literature Museum was closed while I was there.
But after nearly 20 years would the book hold up?
Yes.
It was definitely a different experience this time around, being able to understand the snippets of Ukranian, knowing the larger history of the region, and just being able to better understand what was going on. The book is certainly told from the perspective of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and it's obvious which side the reader is meant to cheer for, but at the same time, it also does spend a significant amount of time humanizing the enemies, so that the complexities of the rebellion are clear.
If you're going to read this book, it's critical that you read Kuniczak's translation - it's beautifully and poetically written - the settings are vivid, and it's not difficult to follow what is happening in the battles. It's a major investment of time. You're not going to finish it in a weekend. But it's still definitely worth the time, effort, and tired wrists from holding up a 1000+ page book. And when you finish, you'll be left wanting more. Which is why we're lucky that Sienkiewicz wrote a trilogy!
When I read this book the first time, it was as if I was reading a fantasy novel - I didn't understand the italicized snippets of Polish or Ukranian. I had no idea that the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth had really existed, nor that the Hmyelnitzki Rebellion was an actual historical event. When I looked it up on the internet and discovered that the book was based on actual historical events, it blew my mind. I realized that my "Western Civ" history class was really just the history of France and England - and only a very small piece of their history at that. I realized there was a whole universe of major historical events that I knew nothing about, so I started trying to learn on my own.
Eventually this book inspired me to take an entire course on Polish literature, and set me on the path that would lead to me learning Russian, and spending a year in Siberia. When I had the chance to visit Warsaw I was beyond excited to see the statue of Sienkiewicz and heartbroken that the Polish Literature Museum was closed while I was there.
But after nearly 20 years would the book hold up?
Yes.
It was definitely a different experience this time around, being able to understand the snippets of Ukranian, knowing the larger history of the region, and just being able to better understand what was going on. The book is certainly told from the perspective of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and it's obvious which side the reader is meant to cheer for, but at the same time, it also does spend a significant amount of time humanizing the enemies, so that the complexities of the rebellion are clear.
If you're going to read this book, it's critical that you read Kuniczak's translation - it's beautifully and poetically written - the settings are vivid, and it's not difficult to follow what is happening in the battles. It's a major investment of time. You're not going to finish it in a weekend. But it's still definitely worth the time, effort, and tired wrists from holding up a 1000+ page book. And when you finish, you'll be left wanting more. Which is why we're lucky that Sienkiewicz wrote a trilogy!