Henry Sieniekwicz

Kveto from Prague · Post by **Kveto from Prague** » Sat November 13th, 2010, 7:19 pm

I started reading "Knights of the cross" online, set in the time of Teutonic knights in poland. I like it so far, very dialouge heavy. anybody tried sieniekwicz?

donroc · Post by **donroc** » Sat November 13th, 2010, 9:42 pm

Yes, years ago in translation, and I enjoyed his Quo Vadis? too.

Ludmilla · Post by **Ludmilla** » Sat November 13th, 2010, 10:45 pm

I read "The Knights of Cross" recently, too, and really enjoyed it. I think it's on par with type of adventure and romance that Dumas is famous for, and it turned out to be quite the tale of revenge. I read the Binion translation at the US Gutenberg site. I think these adventures were originally serialized. Knights of the Cross ends several years before the Battle of Grunwald. I had to hunt down a later translation that completed the tale which culminates in the Battle of Grunwald, which is called "The Teutonic Knights". It adds approximately 150 pages to where the adventures leave off in Knights of the Cross.

Also read "Quo Vadis" but found the themes far more hammering and the love story very annoying. It's very interesting for its depiction of Petronius, though.

I would love to get my hands on The Trilogy, but it's very hard to find here in the US and quite expensive even used. There's also the matter of trying to decide which translation is best... I've been dithering about whether to fork out the money for it.

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Sun November 14th, 2010, 12:01 am

I read Quo Vadis in HS and probably reread it a few times by the time college was over. I loved everything about it. The final chapter when Petronius has dinner for all his friends to read a letter he is sending Nero is probably my favorite part. I haven't read it since I was in school; a bit afraid to, as I don't want to lose what I remember of the book by suddenly seeing much more imperfect.

donroc · Post by **donroc** » Sun November 14th, 2010, 12:17 am

Two Hollywood films were based on Quo Vadis?: A pre-code The Sign of the Cross in 1934, which had overt lesbianism and an extended sexual and violent arena scene at the end never equalled, with Laughton chewing the scenery as Nero, and Quo Vadis? in early 1950s, in which Peter Ustinov did his superb version of Nero and Leo Genn performed brilliantly as Petronius.

Kveto from Prague · Post by **Kveto from Prague** » Wed November 17th, 2010, 12:05 am

[quote=""Ludmilla""]I read "The Knights of Cross" recently, too, and really enjoyed it. I think it's on par with type of adventure and romance that Dumas is famous for, and it turned out to be quite the tale of revenge. I read the Binion translation at the US Gutenberg site. I think these adventures were originally serialized. Knights of the Cross ends several years before the Battle of Grunwald. I had to hunt down a later translation that completed the tale which culminates in the Battle of Grunwald, which is called "The Teutonic Knights". It adds approximately 150 pages to where the adventures leave off in Knights of the Cross.

Also read "Quo Vadis" but found the themes far more hammering and the love story very annoying. It's very interesting for its depiction of Petronius, though.

I would love to get my hands on The Trilogy, but it's very hard to find here in the US and quite expensive even used. There's also the matter of trying to decide which translation is best... I've been dithering about whether to fork out the money for it.[/quote]

thanks. ive been trying to read it online but im not too used to reading books on the computer.

So the teutonic knights is an extension of knights of the cross? thats good to know.

Ludmilla · Post by **Ludmilla** » Fri November 19th, 2010, 2:52 pm

If I remember correctly, the editor of The Teutonic Knights noted in the Introduction that Sienkiewicz considered The Knights of the Cross his best work. After reading KoC and Quo Vadis this year, I think it's too bad that he's mostly known here in the US for Quo Vadis, because I agree that Knights of the Cross is a much better work. I found the themes served the characters far better in Knights than in QV, where I felt bludgeoned by the way the characters were used to serve up far preachier themes. I suppose, also, that I prefer rousing adventure stories and Knights of the Cross is much more in that vein.

Kveto from Prague · Post by **Kveto from Prague** » Fri November 19th, 2010, 9:03 pm

[quote=""Ludmilla""]If I remember correctly, the editor of The Teutonic Knights noted in the Introduction that Sienkiewicz considered The Knights of the Cross his best work. After reading KoC and Quo Vadis this year, I think it's too bad that he's mostly known here in the US for Quo Vadis, because I agree that Knights of the Cross is a much better work. I found the themes served the characters far better in Knights than in QV, where I felt bludgeoned by the way the characters were used to serve up far preachier themes. I suppose, also, that I prefer rousing adventure stories and Knights of the Cross is much more in that vein.[/quote]

I think the Poles themselves tend to consider "Knights" better as well. Ive always thought a lot of authors probably feel that their most well known works are not their best ones.

im enjoying "knights" but its tough to read off the computer.

Ludmilla · Post by **Ludmilla** » Fri April 22nd, 2011, 2:20 pm

Just noticed this review at Dear Author comparing the 1951 film with the 2001 Polish television version. I'll have to look for the Polish version on Netflix. If anyone is considering reading the book and is interested in Rome more than the Christian themes or love story, I would add that I think the real star of the book is Petronius.

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Fri April 22nd, 2011, 2:26 pm

Oh yes; the book would be nothing without him.

BTW there was another book that came out a few years ago trying to tell his story. It was ok, but the writing never was strong enough for me, not after Quo Vadis.