Desi aparent imposibil, copertile volumului de fata aduna la un loc aproape un secol de literatura, in informatie esentiala, concisa. A fost o adevarata provocare acoperirea in timp a unei perioade atat de lungi, framantata de idei inovatoare si de prapastii, de suisuri si coborasuri, de stigmatul a doua razboaie nemiloase, a caror amprenta a marcat etern intreaga umanitate, lasand in urma un taram al pustietatii. O mana de oameni puternici, talentati si sensibili au pus pe hartie– fiecare cu harul sau– povestile unor vieti traite cu intensitatea vibratiilor lor interioare, purtand pecetea vremurilor pe care le traiau, retraiau, imaginau sau visau, paraseau sau intrezareau, banuiau sau intuiau ca fiind posibile pentru ei si pentru personajele lor. Au creat, cu uriasa ingeniozitate, lumi fictionare pe masura geniului lor creator, desenate dupa adancimea trairii lor interioare.

Facem cunostinta la fiecare Unit / capitol cu un astfel de creator (in The Author)‑ scriitor, poet, prozator, dramaturg‑ cu artistul care tese, tese priceput (ca Penelopa lui Ulise, calatorul) panza unui text pe care, trecand de paienjenis (in The Web of a Text)– vom incerca sa‑l intelegem impreuna, sa ne croim drum spre limpezimea trairii care a adus suflu si corporalitate in litera.

Framantarile secolului 20 se reflecta– uneori mai deformat, alteori nemilos de exact– in oglinda partinitoare de dincolo de pagina scrisa. Virginia Woolf spunea intr‑unul dintre eseurile sale („Mr. Benett and Mrs. Brown”) ca la inceputul secolului 20 (“…in or about 1910…”) spiritul uman a suferit o inconfundabila schimbare. Cu siguranta, aceasta transformare– in aparenta, simbol sau profunzimi abisale– isi regaseste amprenta clar conturata asupra literaturii nascute sub apasarea a doua razboaie mondiale, miscari si zguduiri sociale majore, patimi si ambitii, furii si dezradacinari. Lumea intreaga si‑a schimbat de atunci, insidious, maret si ireversibil fata.

Pentru a putea oarecum descifra sau a ne apropia cat de cat de o cheie, de o ridicare a valului diafan ce acopera acest univers literar (pentru multi criptic) avem nevoie de o seama de elemente ajutatoare: detalii despre autor, despre perioada istorico‑sociala pe care o traverseaza creatia sa artistica, despre miscarile literar‑artistice contemporane, plus unele detalii explicative (definitii, termeni literari, etc). Am incercat sa adun in paginile acestui suport de studiu / reader cat mai multe elemente de informatie complexa, riguroasa, relevanta, dar care nu se doreste a fi– nici pe departe‑ completa sau suficienta.

Ceea ce mi‑am propus insa este sa va conving ca merita sa cititi mult, ca sa intelegeti destul si sa cititi tot ce va cade in mana, ca sa puteti sa deschideti si singuri, in timp, comoara literara a acestui secol framant de frumos, exceptional de inovativ si crud de adevarat si sa reveniti cu drag ori de cate ori va este dat prilejul.

Profesorul Peter Conrad, in lucrarea“Cassell’s History of English Literature”, spunea ca literatura este ca o poveste de dragoste (“literature is a love affair with the language”): va doresc sa va regasiti parteneri ai acestei relatii cu totul si cu totul speciale, sa reusiti sa o ocrotiti si sa o pretuiti toata viata si sa descoperiti“agape3”– iubirea pura pentru cuvantul scris cu arta.

Vorbindu‑va despre toate aceste lucruri, gandul imi zboara catre profesorii mei‑ Tudora Sandru‑Mehedinti, Gabriela Neches, Bogdan Stefanescu, Sanda Popescu y Duma, Andrei Ionescu, Monica Botez‑ in fata carora ma inclin si astazi, multumindu‑le pentru iscusinta cu care au stiut sa sadeasca in mine– ireversibil si contagios‑ dragostea pentru literatura de calitate.

Va invit sa deschidem romanele si cartile de poezie ale Secolului 20 si sa ne bucuram impreuna de aceasta experienta unica: Ne vedem la seminar…


Cuprins:

Motto / 5

Introduction and Overview / 7

Unit 1
1. 1   The Author: Henry James or the Moments of Life / 13
1. 2   The Web of a Text:“The Portrait of a Lady” / 17
1. 3   Literary and Artistic Contemporary Movements– The Angry Young Men / 17
1. 4   Literary Terms and Literary Theory– Allusion; Pun / 20

Unit 2
2. 1   The Author: Joseph Conrad or the Power of the Written Word / 22
2. 2   The Web of a Text:“The Heart of Darkness” / 27
2. 3   Literary and Artistic Contemporary Movements– The Bloomsbury Group / 27
2. 4   Literary Terms and Literary Theory– Avant-garde / 31

Unit 3
3. 1   The Author: Virginia Woolf or the Moments of Being / 32
3. 2   The Web of a Text:“To the Lighthouse”;“Mrs. Dalloway”  / 38
3. 3   Literary and Artistic Contemporary Movements– Aestheticism / 39
3. 4   Literary Terms and Literary Theory– Stream of Consciousness / 41

Unit 4
4. 1   The Author: D. H. Lawrence or the Fantasia of the Unconscious / 44
4. 2   The Web of a Text:“Sons and Lovers”  / 49
4. 3   Literary and Artistic Contemporary Movements– Celtic Revival / 50
4. 4   Literary Terms and Literary Theory - Pathetic fallacy / 51

Unit 5
5. 1   The Author: George Orwell or the Modern Utopia / 53
5. 2   The Web of a Text:“Nineteen eighty-four”  / 58
5. 3   Literary and Artistic Contemporary Movements– EAT (Experiment in Art and Technology) / 59
5. 4   Literary Terms and Literary Theory– Carpe Diem / 60

Unit 6
6. 1 The Author: James Joyce or the Odyssey of a Text / 62
6. 2 The Web of a Text:„Ulysses” / 69
6. 3 Literary and Artistic Contemporary Movements - Formalism / 82
6. 4 Literary Terms and Literary Theory– Limerick / 84

Unit 7
7. 1   The Author: John Fowles or the Truth beyond Magic / 86
7. 2   The Web of a Text:“The Magus” / 91
7. 3   Literary and Artistic Contemporary Movements– The Lost Generation / 91
7. 4   Literary Terms and Literary Theory - Eclogue / 92

Unit 8
8. 1 The Author: The Age of TS Eliot - An Introduction to Modernism / 95
8. 2 The Web of a Text:„The Wasteland”  /  98
8. 3 Literary and Artistic Contemporary Movements– Imagism (I) / 102
8. 4 Literary Terms and Literary Theory - Euphemism / 102

Unit 9
9. 1 Postmodern Poets: D. H Lawrence; Philip Larkin; Ted Hughes / 104
9. 2 The Web of a Text: Selected Poems / 113
9. 3 Literary and Artistic Contemporary Movements– New Criticism / 115
9. 4 Literary Terms and Literary Theory– Affective Fallacy; Bovarysme / 118

Unit 10
10. 1 The Author: T. S. Eliot or the Unity of the Soul / 118
10. 2 The Web of a Text:„Murder in the Cathedral” / 123
10. 3 Literary and Artistic Contemporary Movements– Mannerism / 126
10. 4 Literary Terms and Literary Theory– Interlude, Melic Poetry, Conceit / 129

Unit 11
11. 1 The Author: Tom Stoppard or the Coast of Utopia / 133
11. 2 The Web of a Text -“Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead” / 139
11. 3 Literary and Artistic Contemporary Movements– Imagism (II) / 146
11. 4 Literary Terms and Literary Theory– Mock-heroic / 151

Unit 12
12. 1 The Author: Samuel Beckett or the Organic Eccentricity / 153
12. 2 The Web of a Text:„Waiting for Godot” / 159
12. 3 Literary and Artistic Contemporary Movements - Underground / 162
12. 4 Literary Terms and Literary Theory - Saga / 164

Unit 13
13. 1 The Author: A. S. Byatt or the Dreams of Time / 165
13. 2 The Web of a Text:“Possession” / 167
13. 3 Literary and Artistic Contemporary Movements– Realism / 168
13. 4 Literary Terms and Literary Theory - Wit / 170

Unit 14
14. 1 The Author: William Golding or the Unleashed Inspiration / 172
14. 2 The Web of a Text:“The Lord of the Flies” / 177
14. 3 Literary and Artistic Contemporary Movements– Dadaist Movement / 178
14. 4 Literary Terms and Literary Theory - Vernacular / 181

Addendum
1. Nobel Prize Laureates for Literature / 189
2. Booker Prize for Fiction - List of Winners and Shortlisted Authors  / 192
3. Point of View  / 198
4. Modernism / Postmodernism– A Parallel  / 207
5. The Waste Land– A Symphony Poem  / 215
6. Earth-Moon or Asking for Belated Forgiveness  / 225
7. General Bibliography and Further Reading / 226


Anul aparitiei: 2009
Nr. pagini: 235