The Troubles of a Gnome (Polish: Kłopoty Kacperka góreckiego skrzata) is a children's book by Zofia Kossak-Szczucka. First published in 1926, the novel is set in Cieszyn Silesia and features the titular gnome, Kacperek. According to some literary scholars, it is considered "one of the most beautiful Polish fairy tales". It has been included in compulsory reading lists for younger children since 2021.
 Title page of the first edition | |
| Author | Zofia Kossak-Szczucka |
|---|---|
| Language | Polish |
| Genre | children's and young adult literature |
| Publisher | Krakowska Spółka Wydawnicza |
Publication date | 1926 |
| Publication place | Poland |
Editions and translations
editThis was Zofia Kossak's third book and the only work she wrote for children.[1] The author wrote the book for her children, Julka and Tadzio, who also appear in the story.[2]
The first edition was published in 1926 by Krakowska Spółka Wydawnicza. Subsequent editions appeared in 1938 (dated 1937), 1946, 1958, 1968, 1985 (twice), 1996, 2004 (twice), 2008, and 2019. In 1928, the book was translated into English by A & C Black in London.[3][4][5] The book has been illustrated by various artists over the years; the first edition featured illustrations by Karol Kossak,[6] and other illustrators included Adam Kilian (1958), Antoni Boratyński (1968), Krystyna Gorecka-Wencel (1985), Krzysztof Marcinek (1985), Katarzyna Słowiańska (1986), Joanna Ciombor (2004, 2008), Feliks Matyjaszkiewicz (2004), and Bartłomiej Grudzień (2019).[a][5]
References and other versions
editThe author considered writing a sequel to the novel, but this plan was not realized.[7]
The work was adapted for the stage,[1] including productions in 1998 (Lalka Theatre) and 2016 (Gry i Ludzie Theatre).[8]
In the early 2000s, Se-ma-for worked on a puppet film based on the book titled Maru – Tajemniczy Talizman (Maru – The Mysterious Talisman), directed by Jacek Łechtański. The film was described in the media as a Polish animated superproduction with over 50 puppet characters, but it was never completed.[9][10][11]
The book is also available as an audiobook (2017, read by Anna Polony).[12]
Plot
editThe action of the novel is set in the Cieszyn Silesia. The titular gnome, Kacperek, is the "good spirit" of the manor in Górki Wielkie (where the author herself had moved at that time), where he has lived since its establishment (around the 17th century; during the novel, he is 314 years old).[13] Kacperek frequently battles with the demon Sato, who resides on a nearby hill (Zebrzydka). The story features other fantastical characters, such as Hlacz Chlustacz, the ruler of the Brennica river, and lesser gnomes and sprites invented by the author (e.g., kanapony, which collect useful objects in the worn-out sides of sofas). At one point, Sato steals Kacperek's magical earring and then kidnaps him; his friends come to his rescue.[1][2]
Reception and analysis
editEven before the war, after the publication of the English edition, Austrian literary historian Otto Forst de Battaglia praised the book, writing that "it is one of the most beautiful fairy tales in the world".[14]
In 2004, philologist Jolanta Ługowska described the book as "one of the most beautiful Polish fairy tales".[15] That same year, a book titled Wokół „Kłopotów Kacperka góreckiego skrzata” Zofii Kossak: materiały dla nauczycieli przedszkoli i szkół podstawowych (Around "The Troubles of a Gnome" by Zofia Kossak: Materials for Preschool and Primary School Teachers) was published.[16] Referring to this, Barbara Pytlos wrote in the journal Guliwer that the book, combined with educational materials, could teach children history, geography, and mathematics. Pytlos also positively evaluated the graphic aspect of the 2004 edition, praising Joanna Ciombor's illustrations. She also referred to the analysis by literary scholar Krystyna Heska-Kwaśniewicz, included in the preface to this edition. Heska-Kwaśniewicz also considered this book to be the most beautiful Polish fairy tale, calling it a "masterpiece of its genre" and praised the book as a "lesson in honesty and patriotism and an unforgettable adventure" and described its language as a "model of beauty, correctness, and simplicity".[14]
In 2015, literary scholar Michał Borodo analyzed the English translation of the book (translated by Monica Mary Gardner; illustrated by Charles Folkard), which he considered a "truly Polish fairy tale, with a deeply religious undertone, written in beautiful, occasionally slightly archaic Polish".[4] He noted the importance that the main character – the titular gnome Kacperek – attaches to Polishness (especially the Polish language) and God. Borodo also observed that for some unexplained reasons, the English translation removed the character's name, turning him into an "anonymous gnome".[b] Borodo emphasized that the book contains numerous and positive references to Poland and its history, and "is an example of a text that could potentially contribute to a positive image of Poland in English-speaking countries" if it had been published in more than one edition.[4]
In 2020, Krystyna Heska-Kwaśniewicz presented an analysis of the work in her book Zmysły i literatura dla dzieci i młodzieży (Senses and Literature for Children and Youth). According to the literary scholar, it is a fairy tale containing features of both folk and literary fairy tales. She praised the "masterful" descriptive passages of nature and characters, and the book's language (its "onomatopoeic and semantic qualities"), noting the emphasis on colors, hues, and scents, as well as the inventive names of the fantastic creatures created by the author.[2] She also noted, however, that certain parts of the book are meant to evoke horror and disgust in the reader (such as the descriptions of antagonists and their fates, like the death of the owl – the demon's helper). The struggle between Kacperek and Sato is seen as a classic motif of the battle between good and evil.[2] Heska-Kwaśniewicz also pointed out the religious layer of the work ("assurances of divine protection" and other references to Christianity). She included the book's educational value in her assessment, noting its regional description of the Cieszyn Silesia area, writing that the book "can still serve as an excellent guide to Cieszyn Silesia".[2]
In the same year, Wojciech Gołąbowski reviewed the book for the zine Esensja, considering it a "beautifully illustrated story... about the struggle between good and evil", as well as "about overcoming one's own weaknesses. About the importance of not serving evil. About the futility of pretending that evil does not concern us, will not affect us, or leave us alone. About the value of having friends, being kind to others. About how even the greatest coward can find courage within himself".[1]
The book was included as required reading for grades 1–3 of primary school in 2021[c][17][18] and remained so in 2024/2025.[19] Referring to the inclusion of the book on the reading list, the author's grandson, literary scholar François Rosset, considered the book "wonderful", but at the same time, "difficult for most children today due to its complex, though beautiful, language", and considered the recent addition of several of Kossak-Szczucka's works to the reading list as an "ideological-political operation".[20] Journalist Wojciech Szot also criticized the inclusion of the book on the reading list, calling it outdated and anti-German, as well as anti-Silesian (according to Szot, Germans are depicted as "terribly evil", and Silesians do not appear because they "would spoil the Polish idyll with their appearance and language").[21] At the same time, according to Anna Józefowicz, the Ministry of National Education justified the inclusion of the book on the reading list as a work intended to "strengthen regional identity".[22]
According to Zofia Ozaist-Zgodzińska, writing in 2022, the book is intended for younger children (around 8–10 years old) and those raised before World War II.[23]
In 2023, Jacek Podsiadło criticized the book, considering the fantasy novel The Ruins of Gorlan by Australian writer John Flanagan as a more valuable work. He ironically described Kossak-Szczucka's works as "perfectly suited by the Minister of Education to the interests of the modern student", such as "the carrying capacity of hens or the richness of plant cover".[24]
Notes
edit- ^ In the English translation, the Polish term skrzat was translated as gnome (Borodo, 2015); however, Kossak also refers to the main character using the term podciepek.
- ^ In some sources, there are incorrect claims that this book was not published during the Polish People's Republic period. The book had several editions during this time, although most were in independent Catholic publishers (e.g., Instytut Wydawniczy Pax).
- ^ In 2017, it was listed in a parliamentary interpellation as a candidate for the list of compulsory readings for primary schools.
References
edit- ^ a b c d Gołąbowski, Wojciech (29 January 2020). "U Was też żyją kanapony?" [Are there also couch potatoes among you?]. Esensja.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- ^ a b c d e Heska-Kwaśniewicz, Krystyna (2020). "Opowieść o barwie, zapachu i dźwięku, czyli Zofii Kossak Kłopoty Kacperka, góreckiego skrzata" [The Tale of Color, Scent, and Sound, or Zofia Kossak’s The Troubles of a Gnome]. In Niesporek-Szamburska, B.; Wójcik-Dudek, M. (eds.). Zmysły i literatura dla dzieci i młodzieży [Senses and Literature for Children and Youth] (PDF) (in Polish). Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego. pp. 75–88.
- ^ 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). p. 275.
- ^ a b c Borodo, Michał (2015). "Billy and Casp: Rediscovering forgotten translations in Polish- English cultural exchanges". In Jasiakiewicz, Wojciech; Lipski, Jakub (eds.). John Bull and the Continent. English literature and culture in context. Frankfurt am Main: Lang-Ed. pp. 75–88. ISBN 978-3-631-65320-3.
- ^ a b "Prosto do informacji - katalog zbiorów polskich bibliotek naukowych" [Straight to the Information – Catalogue of Collections of Polish Scientific Libraries]. katalog.nukat.edu.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- ^ "Kossak Karol". encyklopediakrakowa.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- ^ Ǵłowińska, Danuta; Szczygieł, Adam (1996). Zofii Kossak-Szczuckiej-Szatkowskiej życie i twórczość [Zofia Kossak-Szczucka-Szatkowska: Life and Works] (in Polish). Dankos. p. 9. ISBN 978-83-906477-0-8.
- ^ "Kłopoty Kacperka Góreckiego Skrzata" [The Troubles of a Gnome]. Encyklopedia teatru polskiego (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- ^ "Powstaje polska superprodukcja animowana" [A Polish Animated Superproduction is in the Works]. Filmweb (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- ^ "Maru - Tajemniczy Talizman" [Maru – The Mysterious Talisman]. Wprost (in Polish). 2 January 2002. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- ^ "Se-Ma-For otrzyma dofinansowanie z programu Media" [Se-Ma-For Will Receive Funding from the Media Program]. film.wp.pl (in Polish). 24 October 2002. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- ^ ""Kłopoty Kacperka góreckiego skrzata" w interpretacji Anny Polony" [The Troubles of a Gnome in Anna Polony's Interpretation]. www.radiokrakow.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- ^ Wydobyte z zapomnienia: propozycje lektur dla szkoly podstawowej i gimnazjum [Unearthed from Oblivion: Reading Suggestions for Primary and Secondary Schools] (in Polish). Wydawn. Naukowe Akademii Pedagogicznej. 2006. p. 187. ISBN 978-83-7271-382-7.
- ^ a b Pytlos, Barbara (2004). "Kacperek, skrzat górecki, idzie do przedszkola" [Kacperek the Gnome Goes to Preschool] (PDF). Guliwer. Czasopismo o książce dla dziecka (in Polish) (2): 33–35.
- ^ Ługowska, Jolanta (2004). Anioł w literaturze i w kulturze [Angel in Literature and Culture] (in Polish). Oficyna Wydawnicza ATUT. p. 251. ISBN 978-83-7432-139-6.
- ^ Cichoń, Danuta, ed. (2004). Wokół "Kłopotów Kacperka góreckiego skrzata" Zofii Kossak: materiały dla nauczycieli przedszkoli i szkół podstawowych [Around "The Troubles of a Gnome" by Zofia Kossak: Materials for Preschool and Primary School Teachers] (in Polish). Częstochowa: Edycja Świętego Pawła. ISBN 978-83-7168-867-6.
- ^ "Minister Edukacji i Nauki zatwierdził nowe lektury. Jakie tytuły zniknęły z listy, a które się na niej pojawiły?" [The Minister of Education and Science approved new compulsory readings. Which titles were removed from the list, and which ones were added?]. dziendobry.tvn.pl (in Polish). 21 August 2021. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- ^ Sewastianowicz, Monika (30 August 2021). "Od 1 września zmiany na liście lektur" [Changes to the Reading List as of September 1]. Prawo.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- ^ "Lista lektur szkolnych 2024/2025 – Lektury do szkoły podstawowej 2024/2025 i lektury do liceum 2024/2025" [Reading List for the 2024/2025 School Year – Elementary School and High School Reading Lists for 2024/2025]. listalektur.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- ^ Szot, Wojciech (23 June 2021). "Wnuk wpisanej na listy lektur Zofii Kossak-Szczuckiej: Mamy do czynienia z operacją ideowo-polityczną" [Grandson of Zofia Kossak-Szczucka on the Reading Lists: We Are Dealing with an Ideological-Political Operation]. wyborcza.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- ^ Szot, Wojciech (14 June 2021). "Bez trudnych pytań. Jacy są Polacy i świat wokół nich według nowych lektur z listy ministra Czarnka" [Without Difficult Questions: What the New Books on Minister Czarnek's List Reveal About Poles and the World Around Them]. wyborcza.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- ^ Józefowicz, Anna (2022). "What about this change? – opinions of teachers of early school education about school reading". Podstawy Edukacji. 15: 285–305. doi:10.16926/pe.2022.15.19.
- ^ Ozaist-Zgodzińska, Zofia (31 December 2022). "Służba kobiety. Dariusz Kulesza, Zofia Kossak-Szczucka" [The Service of a Woman: Dariusz Kulesza, Zofia Kossak-Szczucka]. Annales Universitatis Paedagogicae Cracoviensis | Studia Historicolitteraria (in Polish). 22: 384–386. doi:10.24917/20811853.22.27. ISSN 2300-5831.
- ^ Podsiadło, Jacek (27 June 2023). "Serce nie sługa, krew nie woda, pecunia nie omlet. Jak Sapieha Matkę Boską uprowadził" [The Heart is Not a Servant, Blood is Not Water, Money is Not an Omelet: How Sapieha Abducted the Mother of God]. wyborcza.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-09-12.