This book is devoted to Józef Ignacy Kraszewski's meetings. I am particularly concerned with textual encounters, which testimonies can be found in the texts of Kraszewski and many other authors. These are the meetings not only with other writers, but also with other cultures, new social phenomena, and even with nature.
The book consists of ten chapters. Each of them is dedicated to a different text and a different meeting, and I adopted a problematic and genological arrangement. Therefore the book includes topics such as: the encounter with a different culture in Wspomnienia Odessy, Jedysanu i Bużdżaku (Memories of Odessa, Yedisan and Budjak), but also – with native nature in Budnik, Kraszewski’s early drmatic works like Halszka or Tęczyńscy and stage adaptations of his novels – Górą Radziwiłł (Radziwiłł On Top) adapted by Adolf Walewski or Chata za wsią (The Cottage Beyond the Village) adapted by Zofia Mellerowa and Jan Kanty Galasiewicz, discussing various readings of Kraszewski’s folk novels and interpretation of the novel which action takes place during the January Uprising – Para czerwona (The Red Couple). I also discuss meetings between Kraszewski and Gabriela Zapolska (analysis of their "resort" novels – Wielki nieznajomy (The Great Stranger) and Sezonowa miłość (Seasonal Love)) and between Kraszewski and Maria Konopnicka (correspondence and the poet's lyrical works), as well as – Kraszewski's encounters with his œuvre, expressed by the appropriate way of titling the books.
Furthermore, this book also talks about various modern methodologies according to the writing of Kraszewski, including: postcolonial criticism, ecocriticism, "peasant turn", feminist and affective criticism. It proves that Kraszewski was an extremely original and essentially modern author, and that he is a writer still relevant, having a lot to say about both the 19th century and our present day.