The Adventures of Mr. Nicholas Wisdom

The Adventures of Mr. Nicholas Wisdom (Polish: Mikołaja Doświadczyńskiego przypadki; in English, more accurately, The Adventures of Nicholas Empiricus), written in Polish in 1776 by Ignacy Krasicki, is the first novel composed in the Polish language, and a milestone in Polish literature.[1]

The Adventures of Mr. Nicholas Empiricus
AuthorIgnacy Krasicki
Original titleMikołaja Doświadczyńskiego przypadki
LanguagePolish
GenreNovel
Publication date
1776
Publication placePoland
Media typePrint (Hardback)

Plot

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Krasicki's novel is the tale of Nicholas Experience (Mikołaj Doświadczyński), a Polish nobleman. During sojourns in Warsaw, Paris, and the fictional island of Nipu (a utopian society[2]), the protagonist gathers numerous experiences that lead him to a rationalist outlook and teach him how to become a good man, and thus a good citizen.

This rationalist outlook, often emphasized in Krasicki's writings, constitutes an apologia for the Enlightenment and physiocratism. The Adventures of Nicholas Experience offers a portrayal both of the 18th-century Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and of the broader European culture of the time.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Ignacy Krasicki". Univ.gda.pl. Retrieved 2012-06-09.
  2. ^ Bartoszyńska, Katarzyna. "Persuasive ironies: utopian readings of Swift and Krasicki." Comparative Literature Studies 50.4 (2013): 618-642.

Further reading

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  • The Adventures of Mr. Nicholas Wisdom, Northwestern University Press, 1992, 148 pp., ISBN 0-8101-1014-8
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