The writer Nicolae Filimon

the writer nicolae filimon The publication of the first Romanian modern novel led not only to the development of this very popular literary genre but also to the gradual insinuation into the pubic conscience of a character: Dinu Pat

The novel in question is "Upstarts Old and New" (Ciocoii vechi si noi). Its author, Nicolae Filimon, was born 200 years ago on the 6th of September 1819 in Bucharest. Somewhat younger than his creator, Dinu Paturica has retained his relevance and is still seen as the symbol of some unpalatable local customs. Nicolae Filimon, on the other hand, is still waiting for his work to be completely discovered by literature lovers. From the same generation as the literary figures who took part in the 1848 revolutions in Wallachia and Moldavia, Filimon did not, however, join the protests. He did make his voice heard through his professional activity. The literary critic Paul Cernat tells us more:


Paul Cernat: "The son of a priest, he was a music commentator, our first music critic in fact. He was also a subtle and diligent theatre reviewer and published in the Romanian press after 1850. As a writer, his output was uneven, but marked the Romanian literature of the 19th century through the diversity of the genres he approached. Unfortunately, he died at 46 from phthisis, when he was at the height of his creative powers. We should perhaps better highlight his work as a music and theatre reviewer, for Filimon was a pioneer in this field in Romania."


The novel "Upstarts Old and New", with the subtitle "That which is born of a cat will eat mice", is the first Romanian novel written in the realistic style of the day. It was first published in serial form in 1862 before appearing in one volume one year later. At first, its impact was not very strong, for there were few novels at the time and not very popular with readers. Literary critic Paul Cernat explains:


Paul Cernat: "Around 1840, several more or less successful attempts to write a novel had been made, especially sentimental novels. Several novelists, Filimon's contemporaries, wrote texts that had certain qualities. The Romanian production as a whole was poor and no critics sustained it. Filimon made his debut at a time when the novel had rather a subordinated function. He tried to write a sort of pedagogical novel, however a satirical novel that was exquisite from a moral point of view. Subsumed to a kind of romantic antithesis, typical of the time, he compared the decadent Romanian society prior to the 1821 revolution led by Tudor Vladimirescu to society after the restoration of native rulers replacing the Fanariot rulers, when justice was allegedly done and shortcomings were done away with. Paradoxically however, the upstart Dinu Paturica, whom Filimon tried to delineate as a negative character, gave proof of an amazing vitality. The negative characters in that novel are the ones who really live, not the positive ones."


Upstartism, Paturica's main trait, comes from the word "upstart", a sort of servant or tenant, who by dishonest means succeeds in overcoming the limitations of his status, even harming his benefactor. The accuracy with which Filimon describes the methods used by that upstart and places him against the background of his time and the fact that the type of Paturica is still topical today have been reasons for the novel to be appreciated over time. In the 20th century, several leading novelists called Filimon their forerunner, highlighting latent valences of his novel. 


Paul Cernat: "Nicolae Filimon was an amazing prose writer of the early 19th century Bucharest. From this point of view, he was followed by Romanian writers after 1900, the interwar and even post war writers. So, Filimon's fame continued to increase. Even if his novel is imperfect, it has outlived its time through its very imperfection. He also wrote some very interesting short stories, unequal in terms of value though. Filimon's novel "Upstarts Old and New" continues to reveal its uncommon relish and surprising facets."



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Publicat: 2018-09-15 14:52:00
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