Czarodziejski okręt (The Magic Ship) is an adventure novel (a nautical Robinsonade and science fiction) for young readers by Władysław Umiński, published in 1914 (in serialized form; book edition in 1916).
| Author | Władysław Umiński |
|---|---|
| Language | Polish |
| Genre | adventure fiction, nautical fiction, science fiction |
Publication date | 1914 |
| Publication place |  Poland |
The novel tells the story of a millionaire who spends her vacation on a deserted island, and her husband, who embarks on a quest using the titular technologically advanced ship to find her.
Publication history
editThe novel was first serialized in the illustrated magazine Przyjaciel Dzieci from 1914 to 1915 (issues from 27 to 52 in 1914 and issues from 1 to 28 in 1915),[1] and was later published as a book in 1916 by Gebethner and Wolff. Subsequent editions were released in 1925 and 1933.[2]
Plot
editA young American aristocrat and millionaire, bored with civilization, resides on a supposedly deserted island. Her husband sets out to find her using the titular "magic ship", which is not magical but very modern, equipped with advanced communication systems and a seaplane.[1][3][4]
Analysis
editThe novel is classified as a robinsonade[4][5] (a genre of adventure stories featuring castaways) and nautical fiction.[6] Like many of Umiński's works, it is also considered to be inspired by Jules Verne's writings, repeating ideas such as the mystification of a deserted island and the grotesque treatment of the robinsonade (Verne's influence).[7] The novel has been described as atypical for Umiński due to its lightly ironic tone and complete absence of Polish themes.[1]
The novel can also be categorized as science fiction because Umiński describes advanced wireless telegraphy with a range of 5,000 km and a radio he calls a metatelephone.[8][9]
In 1953, Krystyna Kuliczkowska noted the sharp criticism aimed at the spoiled millionaire, though she criticized the novel for its positive portrayal of her husband.[10] She also found the depiction of the expulsion of the island's inhabitants to provide the millionaire with space for solitary hunting and contemplation to be shocking.[10]
From a contemporary perspective, the novel has been criticized for its racist portrayal of colored natives from the Comoro Islands.[1]
Jadwiga Ruszała highlights the unusual variant of the robinsonade in this novel – the stay on the deserted island is usually the result of chance and perceived as something negative; however, in this story, it is a planned escape from civilization.[4] The millionaire heroine is not left to fend for herself; more difficult or unpleasant tasks are carried out by the crew of her nearby ship.[4]
Reception
editIn 1925, a reviewer from Przegląd Biblioteczny positively assessed the book, writing: The book is written with the usual fluency and ease of the author, and is richly and beautifully illustrated, and about the author: a great popularizer of scientific achievements and an excellent storyteller of adventures.[11]
A 1957 reviewer categorized this book as one of the weaker works of Umiński.[12]
Despite the passage of time, in a 2021 scholarly work, the novel was praised for its brisk action and humor.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Woźniakowski, Krzysztof (10 June 2021). "Po podziale czasopisma: „Przyjaciel Młodzieży" i „Przyjaciel Dzieci" w ostatnich miesiącach przedwojennych (styczeń – lipiec 1914)" [After the Division of the Magazine: "Przyjaciel Młodzieży" and "Przyjaciel Dzieci" in the Last Months Before the War (January – July 1914)]. Rocznik Towarzystwa Naukowego Płockiego (in Polish). 12. doi:10.19251/rtnp/2020.12(20).
- ^ Czachowska, Jadwiga; Szałagan, Alicja, eds. (2003). Współcześni polscy pisarze i badacze literatury. Słownik biobibliograficzny [Contemporary Polish Writers and Literary Scholars: A Biobibliographic Dictionary] (in Polish). pp. 437–438.
- ^ "Czarodziejski Okręt | Władysław Umiński" [The Magic Ship | Władysław Umiński]. Lubimyczytać.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-09-15.
- ^ a b c d Ruszała, Jadwiga (2000). Robinsonada w literaturze polskiej: teoria, typologia, bohater, natura [Robinsonade in Polish Literature: Theory, Typology, Hero, Nature] (in Polish). Pomorska Akademia Pedagogiczna. pp. 34–35, 71, 137. ISBN 978-83-87006-89-1.
- ^ Kuliczkowska, Krystyna (1959). Literatura dla dzieci i młodzieży w latach 1864-1914: zarys rozwoju, materiały [Children's and Young Adult Literature from 1864-1914: Outline of Development, Materials] (in Polish). Państwowe Zakłady Wydawn. Szkolnych. p. 46.
- ^ "Rozmowy z polskimi marynistami (XX) Czarodziejski okręt czyli o twórczości Władysława Umińskiego" [Conversations with Polish Marine Writers (XX) The Magic Ship or About the Works of Władysław Umiński] (PDF). Tygodnik Odra (in Polish). 20 (182). 1949.
- ^ Literatura okresu Młodej Polski [Literature of the Young Poland Period] (in Polish). Państwowe Wydawn. Naukowe. 1973. p. 591.
- ^ Konieczny, Piotr. "SFE: Umiński, Władysław". sf-encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2024-09-15.
- ^ Niewiadowski, Andrzej (1992). Literatura fantastycznonaukowa [Science Fiction Literature] (in Polish). Wydawn. Naukowe PWN. p. 106. ISBN 978-83-01-10122-0.
- ^ a b Kuliczkowska, Krystyna (1953). "O twórczości Władysława Umińskiego" [On the Works of Władysław Umiński]. Twórczość (in Polish). 8: 176.
- ^ Wolff, Adam; Gebethner, Jan Stanisław (15 December 1925). Przegląd Bibljograficzny: wydawnictwo księgarni Gebethnera i Wolffa [Bibliographic Review: The Publishing House of Gebethner and Wolff Bookstore] (in Polish). Gebethner i Wolf.
- ^ Z literatury lat 1863-1918: studia i szkice [From the Literature of 1863-1918: Studies and Sketches] (in Polish). Zakład im. Ossolińskich. 1957. p. 324.