The Little Trilogy

Rating:
Summary: Two out of three ain't bad when they're this good.
Review: "The Little Trilogy" is three loosely related stories from the pen of Henryk Sienkiewicz, most famous for "Quo Vadis" and his Trilogy.

I discovered Sienkiewicz through "With Fire and Sword", the first book of the Trilogy, and I have been stalking his remaining books like a ravenous wolf ever since. This man constructs plots like Alexander Dumas and ranks with Tolstoy's greatest novels for sheer scope. He is, quite simply, the best writer I have ever been exposed to from a literary standpoint as well as from the sheer enjoyment I've gleaned from his novels.

"The Little Trilogy" is only a peek at what he's really capable of, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. The first story is a charming example of his ability to create characters that you just fall in love with. The second story is the longest of the three and, by far, the most fully realized. It's a romance that transforms itself into a story of almost gothic tragedy. The characters grab you, and I could not put it down! The last piece is a military story that meanders a bit and lacks the characterization and tight plot structure that are Sienkiewicz's hallmarks.

Enjoyable, beautifully written, but probably essential only to Sienkiewicz groupies.