Especially Gombrowicz Witold got me. "Diary" is simply brilliant. Gombrowicz as a personality, as a thinker (sic!), as an artist, as a self-creation… It is difficult to describe at all. I read with delight the first hundred pages back in my high school years, treating it as a wonderful antidote to excess math, specific morality, tastes etc.. my class at that time, and now he is back in glory, to remind me, what does it mean to think independently.
I had the title of the entry Witold Gombrowicz "Diary 1953-1969", but the tragedy of not being able to write English captivated me more than I needed a review, analysis etc.. (a note here - the first title was: “I have killed my English!”, but after Witold kidnapped the second part of this article, however, I felt compelled to include it in the title)
You just have to read the "Dzienik" book. Pilch's "diary" does not wash away, unfortunately. The Pilch journal is worth reading, but if we are to choose, it is running for Witold's notes!
Humor, penetration, morality
Why is this worth reading? Because someone, who thinks independently and takes the burden of reaching their own conclusions, it is always worth listening. If that person is also frighteningly intelligent, penetrating and attacking her own conclusions all the time, to see if they are holding together, it's hard not to kneel at all. Gombrowicz's Diary is worth reading, to learn to think. In the age of information overload, opinions and experts, it is the greatest gift we can give ourselves. I think, that I am not exaggerating.
Morality. What about this morality? Well, Witold, Contrary to what President Jarosław or Minister Roman of his time would like to convince us, he is an incredibly moral man. A lie does not cross his throat. None. He is not silent, it does not soften judgment for its own benefit. He even attacks his allies, when he considers, that they are wrong. I'd say, that the internal compulsion of honesty and truthfulness displayed by Gombrowicz in his diary is almost terrifying. And completely outdated. Some fathers of the American people of the Franklin type come to mind, Lincoln or other truth-fearing figures like Socrates or Gandhi. Cud, that someone didn't shoot him. Perhaps it is safer to write the truth from across the Atlantic?
Fear to write
Gombrowicz's reading excess may also frighten the writer. Intimidate him. After meeting Messi, it's hard to get back to playing football. How to write novels after vacation with Dostoevsky?
This is how Gombrowicz works in the short term. For a long time, however, it gives courage: writing sincere, on topics of interest to us and boldly exploring difficult issues ... pays off. Gombrowicz's diary shows what the mission of each writer should be - the realization of his abilities, moral courage, not compromising, avoiding cheap diplomacy and building coterie. It also shows, that you treat yourself honestly, sinking into the depths (or in a puddle, depends) own "I" is the most important task of the writer, something that can lead to creation (uh, Attention, haughty word) works of art.
How would I encourage you to read Gombrowicz's "Diary" in one sentence? Something like this: Gombrowicz's diary allows us to understand, co to znaczy być indywidualnym człowiekiem.
