Le Tombeau des romans (1626), attributed to Fancan, discusses the usefulness of romances and historiography. In the first part of his pamphlet, Fancan criticizes fiction’s artifice as a lie. In the second part, however, the writer praises fiction as a way of teaching the truth in a veiled manner. Ibrahim (1641) appeared with a preface attributed to Georges de Scudéry, in which the questions of literary rules, probability (vraisemblance) and historicity in romances are asked. Writings on the novel of Fancan and Scudéry comprise important French treatises of the 17th century, which show the evolution of the genre of romance.

Key words: French 17th century romance, François Dorval-Langlois de Fancan, Georges de Scudéry.

Since Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, a conflict between protagonists appears to be the main event in a love novel. A crisis that such conflict results in is a source of narrative tension. Because the reader cannot anticipate the outcome of the crisis, it creates considerable suspense. The polemical confrontation, however, is mainly a dialogical component of the narrative. What Penelope Brown and Stephen Levinson call “face threatening acts” can explain the verbal strategies and emotional reactions of the heroes during their confrontation. Nonetheless, the conflict also shows that emotions rely on a particular experience of space that generates anger or fear. Depending on the context, the expression of gratitude as a polite gesture or as a way of recognizing the merit of others seems the only ethical strategy capable of ending the conflict in Jane Austen’s novel.

Key words: Narrative conflict, face threatening acts, narrative tension, love novel, Jane Austen.

The present paper is concerned with the most important figures and forms of dandyism in the XIX century. It also outlines the main characteristics of the phenomenon, as well as reflects on a number of literary dandies. According to Barbey d’Aurevilly, dandyism is as difficult to describe as it is to define. In his essay “Mon cœur mis à nu” Charles Baudelaire commented that dandies had “no profession other than elegance […] no other status but that of cultivating the idea of beauty in their own persons. The dandy must aspire to be sublime without interruption; he must live and sleep before a mirror”. In fact, the magic of dandyism resides in the permanent interplay between the dandy’s temperament and his appearance.

Key words: Dandyism, esthetisme, provocation, Charles Baudelaire, Barbey d’Aurevilly.

The present paper discusses the theme of quarrels between critics of fantastique literature. It focuses on quarrels concerning the lists of supernatural topics as well as one about the interpretation of the topic of Lokis of Prosper Mérimée.

Key words: Fantastique, quarrel, supernatural, list, topic, vampirism, lycantropy.

The second half of the 19th century was a period of great transformations: science and painting entered the novel, the novel itself evolved to the point of breaking up, authors were looking for new forms of expressions. The representatives of naturalism took the novel away from its traditional role. After all, naturalism marked the novels’ death, but it was in the novel that this movement was obliged to realize its objectives. Naturalists assigned a new target to the novel, which was no longer aesthetic, but scientific. The novel was not a simple fictive story, but aimed at becoming a serious study. The novelists’ purpose was to “dissect” their characters, their passions and emotions, based on profound determinism. Zola wanted to make an “exact and meticulous copy of life”; Huysmans intended to “dissect love” and presented himself as a “beast exhibitor”; Goncourt chose a model based on history. Zola was most involved in his scientific theories, wishing to follow Claude Bernard to the point of replacing, in his book, the word “doctor” by the word “novelist,” in order to obtain a model of literary creation. Zola seemed convinced that objectivity is possible in this type of work, but his experiments took place in an imaginary world. He did not realize his program entirely though, and remained relatively faithful to the traditional rules of novel writing. He proclaimed his hunger for a revival in literature and he moved away from the naturalist principles. Other writers, like Huysmans or the signatories of the famous “Manifest of the Five,” criticized the naturalist errors and insufficiencies. This kind of criticism was heard everywhere: henceforth, it was clear that naturalism was soon to be replaced by something else. The interest in the Russian novel and Wagner’s music can be listed among the signs of this renewal. They suggest a profound need for another, irrational way of thinking. Music and painting contributed to the transformation of the novel, too, and witnessed a need for an opening, experienced by naturalists. One may conclude that degeneration of this movement was slow and progressive, and partially resulted from the principles of the movement itself.

Key words: Science, roman, modification, art.

The purpose of the article is to compare the best known historical novel by Ippolito Nievo, published in Britain as The Castle of Fratta, to Federico De Roberto’s I Viceré. Nievo drowned to death in 1861, the same year De Roberto was born. The year, which also officially marked the establishment of the Kingdom of Italy, represents a turning point in the history of Italian literature. As the comparison of the two novels shows, the idealistic and optimistic attitude preceding 1861 was to disappear a few years later, as it became apparent that the upper classes lacked the competence and morality needed to lead the new Kingdom.

Key words: Ippolito Nievo, Federico De Roberto, historical novel, Risorgimento.

The aim of this paper is to discuss some questions concerning French-Belgian literature between 1881 and 1980. Since 1830, when Belgium became an independent country, controversies about autonomy and dependence of its national writing have involved many authors or theorists, and divided its literary scene. The magazine La Jeune Belgique argued with the old generation of writers and fought against the idea of social art and symbolists’ innovations and exaggerations in literature. Then, some regionalist authors rejected French domination by focusing on local scenery and characters. They were criticized soon by writers forming a group called groupe du Lundi, who claimed the affiliation to French literature. This view was challenged in the 70s and 80s, first, by the notion of belgitude, then, in La Belgique malgré tout.

Key words: Controversy, Belgian literature in French, identity, autonomy, dependence.

Cesare Lombroso, an Italian alienist of the late 19th century, regarded geniuses as higher degenerates, influenced as he was by the theory of degeneration that accounted for mental disorder originating from hereditary defects. In this article, I shed new light on his work “Man of Genius”, in which he focuses on the biography of some great writers to explain how their work stems from pathology, while identifying genius with insanity.I aim at demonstrating that, even though Lombroso’s scientist and reductionist theories may appear ludicrous today, they are nonetheless still alive, concealed within some “beuvistic” interpretations of literature.

Key words:  Genius, insanity, degeneracy, heredity, scientism, classification.

The paper discusses some aspects of the conflict between Antonin Artaud and the surrealists, such as his personal relations with André Breton, ideological and political dissensions between them, as well as aesthetic and philosophical divergences. Breton’s and Artaud’s different attitudes towards revolution and madness disclose some crucial points in their literary works, and show up insuperable obstacles for their cooperation. Against this background, Artaud’s thought seems closer to Surrealism’s rebels and heretics, notably to Georges Bataille, rather than to Breton or Aragon with whom he worked for two years, all the same decisive period for his posterior writing.

Key words: Antonin Artaud, André Breton, Surrealism, Madness, Revolution.

The aim of the present article is to address the notion of négritude in its variety of aspects, as expressed in poetry, essays and novels. The movement founded its principles on the belief in a common black identity and was aimed at the elevation of the traditional African culture and heritage. Despite its undeniable positive influence, the movement met with criticism from a number of black intellectuals and writers who tended to regard it as being insufficiently militant and who pointed out that its concepts were based excessively on the “white aesthetic” and “the white man’s vision of the world”.

Key words: Négritude, black culture, African traditions, glorification, negation.

In 1947, Julio Cortázar writes “Teoría del túnel,” an essay in which he expresses his desire to overhaul literature, emphasizing the need for the writer, whom he refers to as a “rebel,” to distance himself from certain literary models which he considers fossilised. The essay comes through as an invitation to change one’s writing habits and, at the same time, strive to develop a language capable of depicting man in all his complexity. The following paper demonstrates that El Examen (1950) and Diario de Andrés Fava — a diary initially meant to be part of the novel — are experimental fields that enable the author to explore the possibilities of transgressing the traditional literary codes and implement the proposals he had put forward a few years before in “Teoría del túnel.”

Key words: Cortázar, novel, transgression, literary codes.

This paper provides an analysis of the early work of Concha Méndez (Spain, 1898—1986). Unfortunately, and due to a gender bias, her work has been neglected in most literary studies. The main claim of the following analysis is that the writing in her three early books reflects a rupture at both the personal and poetic level, in an attempt to make her work a part of the Spanish literary horizon of that time. Méndez disrupts the status quo: she is not a tearful and confessional poet, but rather one who puts forward a gynocentrist view in her poems. Furthermore, and unlike the average female poet, she chose to use an avant-garde style. In doing so, Méndez became a leader in promoting female freedom and in socially constructing the image of the new woman.

Key words: Gynocentrist view, vanguard, social construction of image.

An enthusiast of Nathalie Sarraute’s writings, Jean-Paul Sartre convinced the author that her first novel Portrait d’un inconnu (1948) would not have found a publisher unless he wrote a preface to it. While underscoring her original writing technique, Sartre used terms and expressions that render the receptions of the novel considerably unfaithful to Sarraute’s intentions. Sarraute repeatedly commented upon it, admitting she would prefer to have written an article about the novel by herself, according to Sartre’s earlier promise.

Key words: Sarraute, narrator, tropism, roman, others.

In the 1950s, a profound change in the Argentinian culture occurred. This transformation was triggered by a new critical spirit and originated in the social and cultural developments after the Peronism. Throughout the decade, several journals carried out a critique of the cultural elite, and Contorno stood out among them. The journal was created as a cultural alternative to Sur (another Argentine literary magazine published regularly between 1931 and 1970). This confrontation is an example of cultural tensions after the overthrow of the Peronism in Argentina. The creators of Contorno were labeled by Emir Rodríguez Monegal “una generación parricida” (“the patricidal generation”) because of their interest in reviewing the omnipresent figures of Victoria Ocampo, Jorge Luis Borges, Eduardo Martínez Estrada and Eduardo Mallea.

Key words: Sur, Contorno, Peronism, David Viñas, Ismael Viñas.

The study concerns the analysis of the works of Giovanni Testori contained in the volume La Gilda del Mac Mahon (1959). From the chronological, epistemological and aesthetic point of view, Testori’s debut works are characteristic for two different literary tendencies of writing: neorealist and expressionistic. The neorealist traditions coming into play in Testori’s works include themes (difficult situation of the people living in Milan’s suburbs), and forms of expression (low point of view, spoken style-popular). Testori in a very personal and original way weaves together the narrative neorealist elements with those of the new aesthetics, the expressionistic vanguard which is present to the maximum extent in his theatrical works. The expressionism of Testori is represented by the subjective and partial representation of the story and most of all by the typology of the protagonist (a young protagonist who is naked, that is presented in his most intimate actions: oppression and solitude, alienation, anti-bourgeois revolt, desperate search of the better life). The expressionistic power of the stories is amplified by their episodic structure, responsible for the effect of fragmentariness and discontinuity of the representation of the world that is restless and frenetic.

Key words: Giovanni Testori, neorealism, expressionism.

The controversy among Juan José Sebreli, Eliseo Verón and Oscar Masotta represents a very significant episode in the encounter between Marxist and Structuralist paradigms in Argentinian intellectual history. The main goal of the following paper is to show how the debate between the two programs had resulted in a loss of centrality of literature in the cultural debates that were held on the contemporary intellectual field. In addition, it shows how that process of de-centration affects the reconceptualization suffered by other categories, such as the concept of alienation and the notion of everyday life.

Key words: Structuralism, Marxism, Literary Criticism, Alienation, Everyday Life.

The weight of the figure of Gabriel García Márquez and of magical realism in later generations is the root of a conflict that has become a part of literary matters. The writer’s work has become an inevitable reference for all Colombian writers, no matter how much it is hated, petrifying into a label that is as frequent as it is erroneous. In the writings of such authors as Fernando Vallejo, Héctor Abad Faciolince, Nahum Montt or Juan Gabriel Vásquez, the complex relationship with the heritage of García Márquez is reiterated as a secondary theme, complementing the image of violent Colombia. The article discusses specific examples of narrative works of the above mentioned authors and their very specific, respectful attitude to the paternal figure of García Márquez and his work, to love-and-hate, to rejection-and-tribute, to a simultaneous affirmation-and-negation, which results in an ironic transformation and reinterpretation of the concept of magical realism and of the Macondian heritage, and subsequently widens the perspective from which the literary image of contemporary Colombia is constructed and read.

Key words: Magical realism, Colombia, recent literature, Gabriel García Márquez.

This article will look at the history of Acadian literature through different disputes within this cultural community. Acadian literature was developed in a homogenous community with a relatively small population, and seems to have grown because of all the disputes. In Acadie, the debate was conducted in newspapers. The article analyses three disputes: 1) the Old against the modern (1963); 2) the chiac dispute (1974—1975) and 3) the France-Acadie price controversy (1995).

Key words: Acadian Literature, Empowerment, Dispute, Sociology.

This article aims at browsing the reasons why French-speaking authors of ethnic origin had to “fight” for their place in the Quebec literary pantheon and how they have succeeded in doing it. The battle for the recognition of the immigrant writer has proceeded in parallel to the battle fought in the name of recognition of the immigrant himself in the society. It was, in fact, due not only to the outstanding quality of some of these francophone authors’ works, but also to the socio-political circumstances related to the changes occurring in Quebec since the 1960’s. However, as it has been underlined through the “Affaire LaRue”, the only criteria of recognition of anyone’s text should be the quality of their work, otherwise, we fall into other, endless discourses concerning identity, immigration policies, etc. that take us away from literature.

Key words: Literature, Quebec, immigrant, LaRue, recognition.

Considered one of the most interesting Quebec writers, Aude released a collection
of short stories entitled Cet imperceptible mouvement in 1997. What comes to the fore in that collection is the austerity of style intertwined with a unique emotional load, a combination which has raised critics’ eyebrows even if it is typical of Aude’s prose. One of the pivots of her stories is the notion of loss, looked at from various angles. The protagonists typically lose their dearest ones, be it because the latter leave, die or because they drown in mourning. Maimed with the loss, the protagonist reassesses his/her life, faces new challenges, makes constant choices. Excelling in the short story structure, Aude records the depth of loneliness and raises existential queries by means of what might at first sight seem simple gestures, common objects and insignificant situations.

Key words: Aude, short story, transformation, loss, death.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the myth of uprisings provoked by Garibaldie, and its diversified perception in the Italian society. Not only does Vincenzo Consolo discuss the myth of the Grabaldie’s uprisings, but he also describes the betrayed poor community of Sicilian tyrannized villagers who join Garbaldie so as to improve their difficult living conditions in the countryside. The main plot is set in the 1860s, which does not correspond with the facts but is the metaphor for the present time. The author builds the climax of the plot by using a historical narrative. What is more, it should be underlined that the narration is a mixture of various idiomatic expressions and registers, so that the community’s tragedy, which is deprived of any rights, could be expressed.

Key words: Garibaldie’s myth, the present time metaphor, memory, history, a betrayed character.

Written in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks, Oriana Fallaci’s pamphlet La rabbia e l’orgoglio has provoked an international discussion, as well as trials on charges of defaming Islam. The journalist, outraged by the incomprehension of both, her position and reality in which terrorism prospers and “Eurabia” is being consolidated more and more, responded to the harsh words of critique with two other pamphlets: La forza della Ragione and Oriana Fallaci intervista sé stessa. L’Apocalisse. Both texts are even richer in examples aimed to demonstrate the Islamic expansion, the “presumed” culture of Muslims, and the myopia of European governments, EU and international structures. Fallaci remained true to herself and her own style — direct, expressive, passionate, often offensive — which, combined with her specific views, has provoked attacks, insults and outrage, as well as a wave of admiration. Only time will show if her concepts were indeed prophetic, or simply xenophobic.

Key words: Fallaci, Eurabia, Islam, expansion, pamphlet.