Dziennik czasu umierania. O Trzech miesiącach Józefa Narzymskiego

Abstract

The novel Trzy miesiące (The Three Months) written by Józef Narzymski in 1873 is notable for two reasons. First, it is a unique biographical document. The author - whose place in the history of Poland was firmly established when he became a much distinguished and celebrated member of the national government during the January Uprising - had been suffering from terminal tuberculosis before the illness ultimately claimed his life at the tender age of 33. The Three Months, written by Narzymski on his deathbed, is a true and compelling reflection of the afterthoughts and introspection of a human being consciously awaiting the life’s end. The other reason why this long-forgotten piece of work is worth of a second mention lies in its purely literary value. Narzymski ventured to present his personal drama through an innovative approach to the application of the literary convention in a sensation novel, whereby the protagonist is an ordinary young man who finds himself in a dire situation. The literary form of his rediscovered intimate diary allowed for conducting subtle psychological observations.