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The Journal of Countess Françoise Krasinska
The journal of the Francoise Krasinksa begins with her as a young girl living comfortably with her parents in the court of Maleszow in southern Poland. She is happy and innocent and nurses a crush on Prince Charles, potential heir to the Polish throne. Francoise was related to nearly all the noblest families in Poland. Eminently beautiful, intelligent and witty, her escapades and her fate set tongues wagging in every court in Europe.
182 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1825
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September 3, 2019
An utterly charming romantic novella about a young Polish countess who makes her society début in 1759-1761 (but written in the early 19th century, hence the cover picture for this edition - although the narrative mentions hoops and powdered wigs). The appeal of the Journal rests on its voice - in this Onesuch Press English edition that is thanks largely to a sadly anonymous, and evidently talented, translator from 1837. (It was also translated in 1895, and this contains a few interpolations from the later version.) It has similarities with the best of Jane Austen's juvenilia, although greater sincerity; Françoise's (Franciszka's) voice is practically the definition of artless. The giddiness (she slides down bannisters!), the anxieties, the strivings to be good, and the partial, though still limited, awareness of her own privilege, are all so convincing that one can understand why the novel has sometimes been mistaken for a real historical document. (Krasińska was a real person, although a few details and dates have been slightly changed in the novel.)
Especially in the first half, it is a goldmine of social history (the second half is predominantly romance). There are details of folk customs at weddings, and aristocratic protocols at various social occasions, some of which can seem exotically archaic as compared with Britain of the same era. The extent of the deference expected from the young ladies, and their ready willingness to obey, was a reminder of Aunt Western's assertions in Tom Jones (1749) about the greater freedoms of Englishwomen compared with ladies on the Continent. (However, the Polish noble girls seem to defer on the understanding that when they get older, they can become formidable dragons like Françoise's Aunt Lubomirska - and chances to exercise agency in the present, via assisting in household management, are eagerly taken up.)
It's possible that if you tend to dislike 18th-19th century heroines who are very good by the standards of their day that you may have reservations about Françoise, as she is very concerned with being good, and she often manages it well. But her general sweetness and self-awareness, especially in how she observes her fluctuating emotions towards the Royal Prince, may make up for this. Nonetheless, I find it intriguing to see how people moulded themselves and the narratives they created to fit themselves to ideals and customs that are no longer accepted. It is a shame there is so little in English about this book, to get some idea how much Tańska invented whimsically and semi-satirically - such as the men who are grateful for having been beaten harshly as youths - and how much might have been drawn from people she met. (Her father was a minor noble who worked for families of the rank of Françoise's, and Françoise and her sisters are from the author's grandparents' generation.)
Unlike the typical Austen heroine, Françoise thinks and writes about politics quite a lot in the early diary entries. I liked that she had this awareness, although it does mean these pages may be less interesting for people who don't know and have no interest in Polish history. (Being aware of the ranks of families in accounts of Polish history can depend on pre-existing knowledge of their surnames, as there is not the same clearly-defined set of ranked titles as in Britain; if you read of a Sir or Lord or Earl or Duke, it doesn't matter that you haven't heard of his surname or seat, the title gives you plenty of information. Not so if someone simply mentions a Czartoryski without the word Prince. In Poland as in Russia, 'Prince' and 'Princess' were more widely used as titles than in England.)
High politics are more relevant to Françoise than to many heroines of English 19th century novels, who are usually comfortably off compared with most of the population, therefore insulated from what would affect the poor, whilst their families are not most powerful magnates as Françoise's are. This was also a particularly precarious time in Polish history, the tail end of the "Saxon Night" named after the rule of two successive kings from Saxony who are traditionally considered to have been absentee monarchs who allowed the country to fall into rack and ruin and decline, while other great powers took advantage of the vacuum. However, this is not something that comes across in the Journal; on a day-to-day basis nothing appears to be particularly bad compared with general pre-Industrial Revolution conditions in Europe. There is simply a lot of concern about the fate of the country and who might succeed the ageing Augustus III. And that was more justified than people knew, as less than 35 years later Poland-Lithuania, once one of Renaissance Europe's great powers, would be partitioned between neighbouring countries and disappear from the map. One of the roots of the instability was Poland's system of elected monarchy which left the nobility with greater power than their Western European counterparts had had since the Middle Ages: this aristocratic power is visible in the novel through Françoise's parents keeping their own court (with jester and dwarf), and some of their peers having private armies.
There is also, arguably, evidence of the decadent form of Sarmatianism prevalent at this time: one prince, for a special hunting event, has a Lithuanian forest recreated in what is now Warsaw's Lazienki Park, with whole trees transported and dug into the ground, and dozens of animals such as deer, wolves and bears released for the day. Though this doesn't necessarily differ in scope from the wasteful spectacles that the super-rich have put on throughout history.
The other big difference for readers used to English classics - and even French - is the centrality of Catholicism and religious observance (which I also noticed in what I've read of major late-19th century Polish classic The Doll by Bolesław Prus). For example, for eight days before Maundy Thursday, a group of ladies customarily go on a retreat to a convent. Religious feasts, which are very important, seem to create a continual conflict between true piety and social expectation of ostentatiously displaying one's rank and status - each seemingly an important obligation.
This post is mostly about the historical aspects of the novel that interest me most (and which I find most to say about) - but a lot of the Journal is also a story about a girl who has a crush on a young prince and thinks her dreams are coming true. It has both the benefits of joyous gushy emotion, and realist cynicism.
It is sad that this little book doesn't seem to be better known even in Poland - something which seems to reflect the state of literary media and mainstream scholarship there. The literary world is male-dominated in Poland to an extent which Anglo-American media would never get away with now. Here, for example, is a 2018 list of 100 greatest Polish books chosen by a panel for a major Polish radio station, for the 100th anniversary of Polish independence, on which there are only nine books by female writers; it also omits some authors who are widely taught in schools, such as Gabriela Zapolska and Eliza Orzeszkowa.(A Twitter search reveals that people also took umbrage at some well-known male authors being omitted.) The Journal of Francoise Krasinska is exactly the sort of text, which, in the English speaking world, feminist scholars have revived, seeing that its focus on romance and its brevity are no reason why it should not be enjoyed today. (This edition was also only £1.66 when I got it, which helped, though it's currently quite a bit more.)
Read for Women in Translation month, August 2019.
Especially in the first half, it is a goldmine of social history (the second half is predominantly romance). There are details of folk customs at weddings, and aristocratic protocols at various social occasions, some of which can seem exotically archaic as compared with Britain of the same era. The extent of the deference expected from the young ladies, and their ready willingness to obey, was a reminder of Aunt Western's assertions in Tom Jones (1749) about the greater freedoms of Englishwomen compared with ladies on the Continent. (However, the Polish noble girls seem to defer on the understanding that when they get older, they can become formidable dragons like Françoise's Aunt Lubomirska - and chances to exercise agency in the present, via assisting in household management, are eagerly taken up.)
It's possible that if you tend to dislike 18th-19th century heroines who are very good by the standards of their day that you may have reservations about Françoise, as she is very concerned with being good, and she often manages it well. But her general sweetness and self-awareness, especially in how she observes her fluctuating emotions towards the Royal Prince, may make up for this. Nonetheless, I find it intriguing to see how people moulded themselves and the narratives they created to fit themselves to ideals and customs that are no longer accepted. It is a shame there is so little in English about this book, to get some idea how much Tańska invented whimsically and semi-satirically - such as the men who are grateful for having been beaten harshly as youths - and how much might have been drawn from people she met. (Her father was a minor noble who worked for families of the rank of Françoise's, and Françoise and her sisters are from the author's grandparents' generation.)
Unlike the typical Austen heroine, Françoise thinks and writes about politics quite a lot in the early diary entries. I liked that she had this awareness, although it does mean these pages may be less interesting for people who don't know and have no interest in Polish history. (Being aware of the ranks of families in accounts of Polish history can depend on pre-existing knowledge of their surnames, as there is not the same clearly-defined set of ranked titles as in Britain; if you read of a Sir or Lord or Earl or Duke, it doesn't matter that you haven't heard of his surname or seat, the title gives you plenty of information. Not so if someone simply mentions a Czartoryski without the word Prince. In Poland as in Russia, 'Prince' and 'Princess' were more widely used as titles than in England.)
High politics are more relevant to Françoise than to many heroines of English 19th century novels, who are usually comfortably off compared with most of the population, therefore insulated from what would affect the poor, whilst their families are not most powerful magnates as Françoise's are. This was also a particularly precarious time in Polish history, the tail end of the "Saxon Night" named after the rule of two successive kings from Saxony who are traditionally considered to have been absentee monarchs who allowed the country to fall into rack and ruin and decline, while other great powers took advantage of the vacuum. However, this is not something that comes across in the Journal; on a day-to-day basis nothing appears to be particularly bad compared with general pre-Industrial Revolution conditions in Europe. There is simply a lot of concern about the fate of the country and who might succeed the ageing Augustus III. And that was more justified than people knew, as less than 35 years later Poland-Lithuania, once one of Renaissance Europe's great powers, would be partitioned between neighbouring countries and disappear from the map. One of the roots of the instability was Poland's system of elected monarchy which left the nobility with greater power than their Western European counterparts had had since the Middle Ages: this aristocratic power is visible in the novel through Françoise's parents keeping their own court (with jester and dwarf), and some of their peers having private armies.
There is also, arguably, evidence of the decadent form of Sarmatianism prevalent at this time: one prince, for a special hunting event, has a Lithuanian forest recreated in what is now Warsaw's Lazienki Park, with whole trees transported and dug into the ground, and dozens of animals such as deer, wolves and bears released for the day. Though this doesn't necessarily differ in scope from the wasteful spectacles that the super-rich have put on throughout history.
The other big difference for readers used to English classics - and even French - is the centrality of Catholicism and religious observance (which I also noticed in what I've read of major late-19th century Polish classic The Doll by Bolesław Prus). For example, for eight days before Maundy Thursday, a group of ladies customarily go on a retreat to a convent. Religious feasts, which are very important, seem to create a continual conflict between true piety and social expectation of ostentatiously displaying one's rank and status - each seemingly an important obligation.
This post is mostly about the historical aspects of the novel that interest me most (and which I find most to say about) - but a lot of the Journal is also a story about a girl who has a crush on a young prince and thinks her dreams are coming true. It has both the benefits of joyous gushy emotion, and realist cynicism.
It is sad that this little book doesn't seem to be better known even in Poland - something which seems to reflect the state of literary media and mainstream scholarship there. The literary world is male-dominated in Poland to an extent which Anglo-American media would never get away with now. Here, for example, is a 2018 list of 100 greatest Polish books chosen by a panel for a major Polish radio station, for the 100th anniversary of Polish independence, on which there are only nine books by female writers; it also omits some authors who are widely taught in schools, such as Gabriela Zapolska and Eliza Orzeszkowa.(A Twitter search reveals that people also took umbrage at some well-known male authors being omitted.) The Journal of Francoise Krasinska is exactly the sort of text, which, in the English speaking world, feminist scholars have revived, seeing that its focus on romance and its brevity are no reason why it should not be enjoyed today. (This edition was also only £1.66 when I got it, which helped, though it's currently quite a bit more.)
Read for Women in Translation month, August 2019.
February 27, 2023
Dull. Like a more boring Jane Austen. Like Pride and Prejudice where the main character is the insipid sister Jane.
If you like tedious descriptions of embroidery, costumes and balls and you've solemnly vowed to not get out more then this is the book for you. Like the dresses of the time where you are sure there is a beating heart somewhere beneath the layers of fluff and frill, this book has something to say about the gilded cages of the aristocracy's women but it is buried beneath so much inconsequential drivel that, like the women in the journal, the mere thought of reaching for the shovel is just too tiresome for me.
If you like tedious descriptions of embroidery, costumes and balls and you've solemnly vowed to not get out more then this is the book for you. Like the dresses of the time where you are sure there is a beating heart somewhere beneath the layers of fluff and frill, this book has something to say about the gilded cages of the aristocracy's women but it is buried beneath so much inconsequential drivel that, like the women in the journal, the mere thought of reaching for the shovel is just too tiresome for me.
May 30, 2012
Onesuch Press has brought back to life this forgotten Polish classic and adorned it with new introductions. It's a fictionalised diary of real Countess Francoise Krasinska written by Klementyna Tanska-Hoffman (or we would say in Polish 'Klementyna Hoffmanowa z Tanskich') and published originally in 1825 - twenty-five years after Krasinska's death.
It is actually possible that she managed to fool some publishers into believing they were dealing with the real thing, such a crafty maiden she was.
The story of Countess Francoise Krasinksa is a real-life Cinderella story with real-life consequences and Hoffmanowa recreates it with emotional authenticity and historical veracity. We meet Francoise when she is just a young a girl living comfortably with her parents in the court of Maleszow in southern Poland, far away from the glitz of the capital. She is a happy and innocent girl who nurses a bit of a celebrity crush on Prince Charles, a pretender to the Polish throne.
It would be nothing but an idyllic pastoral about the simple pleasure of the country life if Francoise didn't move to Warsaw where, with the help of her aunt, she enters the society and takes it by storm. Hoffmanowa does a good job of creating a three-dimensional portrait of a woman who gets corrupted by the glamour she is suddenly surrounded with but at heart remains the same naive girl. The narrator is believable, witty and feisty, even if occasionally vain.
There are passages that smuggle in some sharp observations like this one:
"Our old butler, Peter, was muttering to himself this morning that around the church in Piotrowice there are said to be ever so many coaches and curricles. Poor man! He is expecting more work, so he grumbles but I am unable to conceal my delight at the prospect of the agreeable evening we shall have. Thus is ever in this world of ours ; our pleasures must be purchased by the pains of the class which toils for us!"
or this:
“I feel conscious that I should find no reason to regret abandoning so pleasant a manner of life and such valuable privileges to become a wife of anyone. Beside, marriag is not in my opinion, so exceedingly desirable as some persons think. A woman's career is over when she marries. Once married, all is fixed - certainty takes the place of all her pleasant dreams. For her, no more hopes, no more doubts, no more suspense, no more possibility of anything better. She knows what she is and will be until death. For my part, I like to give free scope to my thoughts.”
As you can see it is elegantly written but it also gives an invaluable insight into the life of Polish aristocracy in 18th century, so it's recommended to historians and researchers. If say, you want to write a historical romance set in 18th century Poland, this little book is all you need.
I wish we had read more things like that at school rather than endless texts about another failed insurrection.
It is actually possible that she managed to fool some publishers into believing they were dealing with the real thing, such a crafty maiden she was.
The story of Countess Francoise Krasinksa is a real-life Cinderella story with real-life consequences and Hoffmanowa recreates it with emotional authenticity and historical veracity. We meet Francoise when she is just a young a girl living comfortably with her parents in the court of Maleszow in southern Poland, far away from the glitz of the capital. She is a happy and innocent girl who nurses a bit of a celebrity crush on Prince Charles, a pretender to the Polish throne.
It would be nothing but an idyllic pastoral about the simple pleasure of the country life if Francoise didn't move to Warsaw where, with the help of her aunt, she enters the society and takes it by storm. Hoffmanowa does a good job of creating a three-dimensional portrait of a woman who gets corrupted by the glamour she is suddenly surrounded with but at heart remains the same naive girl. The narrator is believable, witty and feisty, even if occasionally vain.
There are passages that smuggle in some sharp observations like this one:
"Our old butler, Peter, was muttering to himself this morning that around the church in Piotrowice there are said to be ever so many coaches and curricles. Poor man! He is expecting more work, so he grumbles but I am unable to conceal my delight at the prospect of the agreeable evening we shall have. Thus is ever in this world of ours ; our pleasures must be purchased by the pains of the class which toils for us!"
or this:
“I feel conscious that I should find no reason to regret abandoning so pleasant a manner of life and such valuable privileges to become a wife of anyone. Beside, marriag is not in my opinion, so exceedingly desirable as some persons think. A woman's career is over when she marries. Once married, all is fixed - certainty takes the place of all her pleasant dreams. For her, no more hopes, no more doubts, no more suspense, no more possibility of anything better. She knows what she is and will be until death. For my part, I like to give free scope to my thoughts.”
As you can see it is elegantly written but it also gives an invaluable insight into the life of Polish aristocracy in 18th century, so it's recommended to historians and researchers. If say, you want to write a historical romance set in 18th century Poland, this little book is all you need.
I wish we had read more things like that at school rather than endless texts about another failed insurrection.
November 23, 2017
Nigdy nie słyszałam wcześniej o Klementynie z Tańskich Hoffmanowej, która nota bene, dziś obchodziłaby urodziny. Ta wszechstronna kobieta prowadziła, jak na ówczesne czasy, bardzo światowe życie. Nigdy nie słyszałam o pisanych przez nią książkach dla dzieci, a była przecież prekursorką na tym polu. Co więcej wydawała nawet czasopismo dla dzieci!
Dziennik Franciszki Krasińskiej opisuje dzieje prawdziwej postaci historycznej, polskiej szlachcianki, która potajemnie zawarła małżeństwo z synem króla Augusta II Sasa. Autorka stworzyła jej fikcyjny dziennik, pragnąc ukazać życie młodych kobiet, szlachcianek, w XVII wieku. Udało jej się to wspaniale. Poznajemy Franciszkę jako nastolatkę, kochającą głęboko rodziców, cieszącą się każdym dniem na zamku. Jej oczyma obserwujemy polowania, uczty, święta oraz przygotowania i ślub jej starszej siostry. Franciszka jest pełna oczekiwań, mam ogromny apetyt na życie, jest pełna energii i entuzjazmu, a zarazem darzy rodziców pełnym zaufaniem i żyje całkowicie według ich i boskiej woli.
Cezurę w życiu dziewczyny stanowi wyjazd do Warszawy, gdzie rozpoczyna naukę na najlepszej pensji dla dziewcząt, a potem zamieszkuje u księżnej wojewodziny, z którą jest spokrewniona. To właśnie wtedy poznaje warszawski świat, bale, spotkania, stroje. I oczywiście Karola, królewskiego syna.
Ciąg dalszy: https://przeczytalamksiazke.blogspot....
Dziennik Franciszki Krasińskiej opisuje dzieje prawdziwej postaci historycznej, polskiej szlachcianki, która potajemnie zawarła małżeństwo z synem króla Augusta II Sasa. Autorka stworzyła jej fikcyjny dziennik, pragnąc ukazać życie młodych kobiet, szlachcianek, w XVII wieku. Udało jej się to wspaniale. Poznajemy Franciszkę jako nastolatkę, kochającą głęboko rodziców, cieszącą się każdym dniem na zamku. Jej oczyma obserwujemy polowania, uczty, święta oraz przygotowania i ślub jej starszej siostry. Franciszka jest pełna oczekiwań, mam ogromny apetyt na życie, jest pełna energii i entuzjazmu, a zarazem darzy rodziców pełnym zaufaniem i żyje całkowicie według ich i boskiej woli.
Cezurę w życiu dziewczyny stanowi wyjazd do Warszawy, gdzie rozpoczyna naukę na najlepszej pensji dla dziewcząt, a potem zamieszkuje u księżnej wojewodziny, z którą jest spokrewniona. To właśnie wtedy poznaje warszawski świat, bale, spotkania, stroje. I oczywiście Karola, królewskiego syna.
Ciąg dalszy: https://przeczytalamksiazke.blogspot....
Want to read
June 20, 2012Kinga June 2012 says;
"Onesuch Press has brought back to life this forgotten Polish classic and adorned it with new introductions. It's a fictionalised diary of real Countess Francoise Krasinska written by Klementyna Tanska-Hoffman (or we would say in Polish 'Klementyna Hoffmanowa z Tanskich') and published originally in 1825 - twenty-five years after Krasinska's death.
It is actually possible that she managed to fool some publishers into believing they were dealing with the real thing, such a crafty maiden she was.
The story of Countess Francoise Krasinksa is a real-life Cinderella story with real-life consequences and Hoffmanowa recreates it with emotional authenticity and historical veracity. We meet Francoise when she is just a young a girl living comfortably with her parents in the court of Maleszow in southern Poland, far away from the glitz of the capital. She is a happy and innocent girl who nurses a bit of a celebrity crush on Prince Charles, a pretender to the Polish throne.
It would be nothing but an idyllic pastoral about the simple pleasure of the country life if Francoise didn't move to Warsaw where, with the help of her aunt, she enters the society and takes it by storm. Hoffmanowa does a good job of creating a three-dimensional portrait of a woman who gets corrupted by the glamour she is suddenly surrounded with but at heart remains the same naive girl. The narrator is believable, witty and feisty, even if occasionally vain.
There are passages that smuggle in some sharp observations like this one:
"Our old butler, Peter, was muttering to himself this morning that around the church in Piotrowice there are said to be ever so many coaches and curricles. Poor man! He is expecting more work, so he grumbles but I am unable to conceal my delight at the prospect of the agreeable evening we shall have. Thus is ever in this world of ours ; our pleasures must be purchased by the pains of the class which toils for us!"
or this:
“I feel conscious that I should find no reason to regret abandoning so pleasant a manner of life and such valuable privileges to become a wife of anyone. Beside, marriag is not in my opinion, so exceedingly desirable as some persons think. A woman's career is over when she marries. Once married, all is fixed - certainty takes the place of all her pleasant dreams. For her, no more hopes, no more doubts, no more suspense, no more possibility of anything better. She knows what she is and will be until death. For my part, I like to give free scope to my thoughts.”
As you can see it is elegantly written but it also gives an invaluable insight into the life of Polish aristocracy in 18th century, so it's recommended to historians and researchers. If say, you want to write a historical romance set in 18th century Poland, this little book is all you need.
I wish we had read more things like that at school rather than endless texts about another failed insurrection."
-- Kinga
"Onesuch Press has brought back to life this forgotten Polish classic and adorned it with new introductions. It's a fictionalised diary of real Countess Francoise Krasinska written by Klementyna Tanska-Hoffman (or we would say in Polish 'Klementyna Hoffmanowa z Tanskich') and published originally in 1825 - twenty-five years after Krasinska's death.
It is actually possible that she managed to fool some publishers into believing they were dealing with the real thing, such a crafty maiden she was.
The story of Countess Francoise Krasinksa is a real-life Cinderella story with real-life consequences and Hoffmanowa recreates it with emotional authenticity and historical veracity. We meet Francoise when she is just a young a girl living comfortably with her parents in the court of Maleszow in southern Poland, far away from the glitz of the capital. She is a happy and innocent girl who nurses a bit of a celebrity crush on Prince Charles, a pretender to the Polish throne.
It would be nothing but an idyllic pastoral about the simple pleasure of the country life if Francoise didn't move to Warsaw where, with the help of her aunt, she enters the society and takes it by storm. Hoffmanowa does a good job of creating a three-dimensional portrait of a woman who gets corrupted by the glamour she is suddenly surrounded with but at heart remains the same naive girl. The narrator is believable, witty and feisty, even if occasionally vain.
There are passages that smuggle in some sharp observations like this one:
"Our old butler, Peter, was muttering to himself this morning that around the church in Piotrowice there are said to be ever so many coaches and curricles. Poor man! He is expecting more work, so he grumbles but I am unable to conceal my delight at the prospect of the agreeable evening we shall have. Thus is ever in this world of ours ; our pleasures must be purchased by the pains of the class which toils for us!"
or this:
“I feel conscious that I should find no reason to regret abandoning so pleasant a manner of life and such valuable privileges to become a wife of anyone. Beside, marriag is not in my opinion, so exceedingly desirable as some persons think. A woman's career is over when she marries. Once married, all is fixed - certainty takes the place of all her pleasant dreams. For her, no more hopes, no more doubts, no more suspense, no more possibility of anything better. She knows what she is and will be until death. For my part, I like to give free scope to my thoughts.”
As you can see it is elegantly written but it also gives an invaluable insight into the life of Polish aristocracy in 18th century, so it's recommended to historians and researchers. If say, you want to write a historical romance set in 18th century Poland, this little book is all you need.
I wish we had read more things like that at school rather than endless texts about another failed insurrection."
-- Kinga
May 1, 2012
One of the delights of the e-publishing revolution is finding long out of print books now available for the click of a button.
"The Journal of Countess Francoise Krasinska" is one such gem. Originally published in the 1830s and then reworked in the 1890s, the journal is actually a work of fiction, albeit based on the real life Countess's letters and other contemporary reports. Francoise was born in the 1740s to a wealthy, titled Polish family. The journal follows her life, from a naive sixteen year old living at home with her parents (albeit in a castle and in a society that sounds almost feudal) to a young adult who becomes the belle of Warsaw society and catches the eye of the Prince Royal himself.
"The Journal" is fascinating for its glimpse into 18th century high society Poland. And Francoise is a charming narrator. The book is very easy to read, unlike some 19th works that can read as if they were written in a foreign language. While her story has all trappings of Cinderella, it does veer off that familar course, and I was engrossed enough to keep flipping pages. Recommended, especially for 18th century buffs and people who enjoy reading about the historical lifestyles of the rich and famous.
"The Journal of Countess Francoise Krasinska" is one such gem. Originally published in the 1830s and then reworked in the 1890s, the journal is actually a work of fiction, albeit based on the real life Countess's letters and other contemporary reports. Francoise was born in the 1740s to a wealthy, titled Polish family. The journal follows her life, from a naive sixteen year old living at home with her parents (albeit in a castle and in a society that sounds almost feudal) to a young adult who becomes the belle of Warsaw society and catches the eye of the Prince Royal himself.
"The Journal" is fascinating for its glimpse into 18th century high society Poland. And Francoise is a charming narrator. The book is very easy to read, unlike some 19th works that can read as if they were written in a foreign language. While her story has all trappings of Cinderella, it does veer off that familar course, and I was engrossed enough to keep flipping pages. Recommended, especially for 18th century buffs and people who enjoy reading about the historical lifestyles of the rich and famous.
May 16, 2012
Klementyna Tanska Hoffman pens this historic account of the Countess Francoise courtship and hasty marriage to the Duke. Though it is a second-hand account of the events, they are historically accurate and offer a unique insight into the royal court during the Georgian era.
Onesuch Press wrote a brilliant introduction and epilogue to fill the reader in on the historic background. I found the Countess herself to be charming and likable. She was witty (or Hoffman conveyed her as witty) and I loved reading her observations.
The Countess’s observations were real and genuine, she sounded much like a typical modern school girl. Reading someones journal is so personal but in doing so, the reader gets the know the author in so much more of an intimate fashion. I loved reading this Journal! It was fun, fast paced…and let’s face it, who DOESN’T like a fairytale even if the ending isn’t happily ever after….there is something about the thrill of the chase that gets us all! See my full review here
Onesuch Press wrote a brilliant introduction and epilogue to fill the reader in on the historic background. I found the Countess herself to be charming and likable. She was witty (or Hoffman conveyed her as witty) and I loved reading her observations.
The Countess’s observations were real and genuine, she sounded much like a typical modern school girl. Reading someones journal is so personal but in doing so, the reader gets the know the author in so much more of an intimate fashion. I loved reading this Journal! It was fun, fast paced…and let’s face it, who DOESN’T like a fairytale even if the ending isn’t happily ever after….there is something about the thrill of the chase that gets us all! See my full review here
October 22, 2012
I won this book through Goodreads Giveaways. It was a slow start, not being familiar with Poland at this time. The most difficult thing I found was the Polish words, I know a few languages, Polish not being one of them. It would have been helpful to have a type of dictionary at the end for translation. Other than that I found it quite interesting and it picked up quite a bit in the middle to the end. Overall it was well written and was an enjoyable read.
July 5, 2023
This is an incredibly well crafted historical novel in a form of the diary. The biggest triumph is just how realistic of a diary this seems. Throughout reading it, I had to pause and take a google deepdive just to convince myself that the author didn’t just stumble upon this as a proper diary somewhere. But not. Klementyna knocked this one out of the park, she really did.
One of the pillars of this success is the portrayal of the countess as a character. She starts of as such a believable, naïve child of a character. She is everything what her parents want her to be, and she tries to be an ideal daughter, and an ideal Polish woman of her times. But gradually you see her personality seep through. We see her hopes and dreams, her wishes and proper aspirations. While her mother tells her to pray for a good husband, she will say something like
“Marriage puts an end to all expectations; a married woman knows who she is and who she shall be until her death, and I like so much to dream!”
At times Krasinska feels like a person torn between what others want and what she wants. Beauty is important to her, fulfilling obligations as well, but she also wants to see and feel, explore for as long as she can, until the wedding bells ring.
But the force of society is too strong, and eventually, she does turn into what a young bachelorette of those times should be. The author is very subtle in her assessment of the female condition of that time. Hoffmanowa is less than half a century removed from the period in which the countess Krasinska lived, and probably shared some of the experience growing up, both of them sharing a aristocratic background and nationality. One of the most subtle but effective characterizations of trauma which was inflicted onto women of that time is portrayed through the sister Basia. Basia is really looking forward to her wedding, which is a grandiose affair. But the very morning after, Basia transforms in a startling way. She looks pale, scared, barely looking up to look anyone in the eyes. She barely speaks, even with her new husband or her beloved baby sister. The first wedding night was obviously a big source of trauma for women in that period. And after a few days, she leaves her parents home, goes far away, receives a title by which everyone has to address her. Feels like a major attempt at eradicating the very person one was until her wedding day. Slashing her roots and turning her into this new person, who has but little connection (primarily through a few letters every year) to the person she previously was. In the later part of the novella, Krasinska is sent away to the capital, to be under the tutelage of a family member. The education feels like grooming. She must work very hard to become one of the most popular and sought after bachelorettes in the country. Her days are full, learning to dance, embroid, sing, play instruments. If there was a female version of the Kobe Bryant off the court mamba mentality, she was it during her “educational period”.
A few more words, just about the author Klementyna Hoffmanowa. This woman, born in the last 18th century was a proper pioneer. The first woman to make a living by being a writer and tutor in Poland. While she wouldn’t pass the test of a proper feminist to todays standard (could anyone really?). She was a fierce activist for the employment and education of women, claiming that the bedrock for a better world Is a place where women can work and educate themselves to the same degree men can.
One of the pillars of this success is the portrayal of the countess as a character. She starts of as such a believable, naïve child of a character. She is everything what her parents want her to be, and she tries to be an ideal daughter, and an ideal Polish woman of her times. But gradually you see her personality seep through. We see her hopes and dreams, her wishes and proper aspirations. While her mother tells her to pray for a good husband, she will say something like
“Marriage puts an end to all expectations; a married woman knows who she is and who she shall be until her death, and I like so much to dream!”
At times Krasinska feels like a person torn between what others want and what she wants. Beauty is important to her, fulfilling obligations as well, but she also wants to see and feel, explore for as long as she can, until the wedding bells ring.
But the force of society is too strong, and eventually, she does turn into what a young bachelorette of those times should be. The author is very subtle in her assessment of the female condition of that time. Hoffmanowa is less than half a century removed from the period in which the countess Krasinska lived, and probably shared some of the experience growing up, both of them sharing a aristocratic background and nationality. One of the most subtle but effective characterizations of trauma which was inflicted onto women of that time is portrayed through the sister Basia. Basia is really looking forward to her wedding, which is a grandiose affair. But the very morning after, Basia transforms in a startling way. She looks pale, scared, barely looking up to look anyone in the eyes. She barely speaks, even with her new husband or her beloved baby sister. The first wedding night was obviously a big source of trauma for women in that period. And after a few days, she leaves her parents home, goes far away, receives a title by which everyone has to address her. Feels like a major attempt at eradicating the very person one was until her wedding day. Slashing her roots and turning her into this new person, who has but little connection (primarily through a few letters every year) to the person she previously was. In the later part of the novella, Krasinska is sent away to the capital, to be under the tutelage of a family member. The education feels like grooming. She must work very hard to become one of the most popular and sought after bachelorettes in the country. Her days are full, learning to dance, embroid, sing, play instruments. If there was a female version of the Kobe Bryant off the court mamba mentality, she was it during her “educational period”.
A few more words, just about the author Klementyna Hoffmanowa. This woman, born in the last 18th century was a proper pioneer. The first woman to make a living by being a writer and tutor in Poland. While she wouldn’t pass the test of a proper feminist to todays standard (could anyone really?). She was a fierce activist for the employment and education of women, claiming that the bedrock for a better world Is a place where women can work and educate themselves to the same degree men can.
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May 3, 2022The Journal of Countess Francoise Krasinska by Klementyna Tanska-Hoffmanowa is a short work first published in 1825. It is written as a series of journal entries by a young noble woman in Poland, and the tale concerns her life of comfort and ease, but with all the expectations of society for proper behavior building as she grows up. All along, it appeared to be another journal of noble excess and condescension...until she broke to rules of society and had to pay a severe price. And this was a true story...
June 6, 2021
3.5 stars. This is the kind of novella works well as an interlude between other heavier reads. It gives wonderfully vivid descriptions of aristocratic life in eighteenth century Poland as well as the social customs of the time. The narrator is bright and perceptive but, even as she becomes more worldly wise, the whole book is underlaid by an innocence and nativity that, even if it’s not a perspective I would want to read too often, feels charming and refreshing in these more cynical times.
August 22, 2022
Najbardziej szkodliwa społecznie rzecz, jaką kiedykolwiek przeczytałam.
May 19, 2023
Diaries from 18th century polish aristocrat of Korwin-Krasiński family. With Love story chapter in leading society, bucoholic but responsible world with glimpse to vacations in Warsaw.
With scenes like young nobles who began living in manor houses acquiring various skills, and just to have one or two servants they gain 2 zł (and as anywhere currency has more value than later in time.)
Another one about Library with new (at that time) Voltaire Books that author could not read as keys to there has lady of the domain, which she has been visiting.
There is also mentioning of the oldest Polish state document stated in 1088 that is about inheritance from father to three sons in Lubomirski family, family that received honors from Battle on Szreniawy Shore. In beautiful book part about long gone in fresco painting describing Polish noble History as seen three centuries before.
So you see I do love these kind of books as they shape us into history of the past. Like we are living along with these that made room for our Grandparent and rest of family members.
With scenes like young nobles who began living in manor houses acquiring various skills, and just to have one or two servants they gain 2 zł (and as anywhere currency has more value than later in time.)
Another one about Library with new (at that time) Voltaire Books that author could not read as keys to there has lady of the domain, which she has been visiting.
There is also mentioning of the oldest Polish state document stated in 1088 that is about inheritance from father to three sons in Lubomirski family, family that received honors from Battle on Szreniawy Shore. In beautiful book part about long gone in fresco painting describing Polish noble History as seen three centuries before.
So you see I do love these kind of books as they shape us into history of the past. Like we are living along with these that made room for our Grandparent and rest of family members.
July 15, 2009
I have an 1895 copy of this wonderful diary that tells the real accounts of the life of a young girl growing into womanhood as a royal member of the court. She describes what it is like to live in a castle, watch her sister forced into an acceptable marriage and the struggle to follow proper ettiquette. Every girl who wondered what it would be like to be a princess must read this book!
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November 21, 2017 Chociaż akurat tak wyszło, że w tym roku czytam sporo powieści z XVIII i początków XIX wieku, muszę przyznać, że ta lektura była chyba najdziwniejszym przypadkiem, z jakim się do tej pory zetknęłam. Widzicie, zastanawiam się cały czas, czy specyfika tych powieści wynika z tego, że to dopiero początki gatunku i pisarze jak gdyby „testują”, jak i o czym pisać – czy z tego, że czytelnicy się zmienili i coś, co odpowiadało człowiekowi czytającemu daną powieść w wieku XVIII zadziwia czytelnika z wieku XXI. Nadal nie mam specjalnie satysfakcjonującej odpowiedzi na to pytanie, ale „Dziennik Franciszki Krasińskiej” kazał mi je ponownie sobie je zadać. Więcej: http://pierogipruskie.blogspot.com/20...
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