Sztuka życia czy sztuczne życie? Andrzeja Sapkowskiego strategie stawania się sobą

Abstract

Not being an autobiography writer in the explicit meaning of the word, Andrzej Sapkows- ki uses literary and journalistic work for the particular purpose of creating his own image, of anticipating biography. Such a way of writing is generally perceived as a marketing strategy, however, if considered from the perspective of theoretical approach to pop culture, understood as the culture postulating the unity of art and life, it turns out to be a sort of experience aimed at achieving realistic aims in life which, beyond economic satisfaction, brings personal realisation and audience satisfaction as well. Sapkowski’s means of creative writing, various fantasy characters delegated to contact with the world (as in the role-playing game) exhibit paradoxical effects. Autobiography turns to “auto-bio-play”. In the last resort what really represents the author is “re-creating” (P. de Man) mask or “fiction life personality” which appears mainly, though not exceptionally, in Sapkowski’s non-literary statements. A key characteristic of the fiction is expressiveness in style tending towards opposing of two so different culture categories: popular and high. In the circumstances of growing superiority of popular discourse, the writer takes on the role of the fantasy classic (namely the classic of historical fantasy). He is an authority among Polish fantasy writers; to develop the authority Sapkowski uses a particular literary “aristocracism” which expresses itself in erudition and intertextual play. In such a way, he reanimates a traditional role of a writer - auctoritas, and satisfies the readers’ need for the fiction postulated by a pragmatic approach to the unity of art and life, aesthetics and ethics, a work of fiction called autobiography.