reverse reviewed The Teutonic Knights by Henryk Sienkiewicz
Review of 'The Teutonic Knights' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
This book was well written. The medieval theme appealed to me, and I enjoyed reading about medieval custom and war, about how things worked, and about duels and unrequited love.
That being said, the book provides a completely one-sided view of the events it describes. The Polish, whose side the writer obviously stands on, are always presented as living legends, strong like bulls and as honourable as humanly possible. Each and every one is extreme in his virtue, passion and valiance, while also harbouring a hatred for the Teutonic knights, as larger than life as himself.
The Teutonic knights, on the other hand, are presented as monstrous deceivers, who mainly achieve their goals through trickery and deceit. They are often presented cruel and heartless, and are very close to the typical villain.
All this gives the book an awkward feel. It is evident it was written from the Polish side, …
This book was well written. The medieval theme appealed to me, and I enjoyed reading about medieval custom and war, about how things worked, and about duels and unrequited love.
That being said, the book provides a completely one-sided view of the events it describes. The Polish, whose side the writer obviously stands on, are always presented as living legends, strong like bulls and as honourable as humanly possible. Each and every one is extreme in his virtue, passion and valiance, while also harbouring a hatred for the Teutonic knights, as larger than life as himself.
The Teutonic knights, on the other hand, are presented as monstrous deceivers, who mainly achieve their goals through trickery and deceit. They are often presented cruel and heartless, and are very close to the typical villain.
All this gives the book an awkward feel. It is evident it was written from the Polish side, but it is not presented that way: an omniscient narrator is used, instead of first-person account, which would give enough cause to present things in such a one-sided manner.
Also, another grudge of mine is that everything is so romantic and idealized. This is mainly seen in the subplot revolving around the protagonist's love story, but finds its way into everything, from knightly duels to how the characters speak.
I read that the book was written at a time that there was no Polish state, and it was an effort to unite the Polish people, and an allegorical one, as well. However, even after realizing this, I couldn't forgive the book. If you think you could, for an account of medieval wars and knightly deeds, then this book is for you.
