Contact, Context, Comparison: M. Blecher and World Literature

Abstract

The paper starts by acknowledging the recent international success of the Romanian writer Max Blecher (1909–1938), following translations of his work into thirteen languages. The international quality of his work is charted in three ways. Żirstly, by emphasizing Blecher’s cosmopolitan biography, which allowed him to establish contacts with influential artists of his time in France, Switzerland, and Romania. Also, from the beginning Blecher’s work has an international dimension through translations and internationally-minded prose. Secondly, I discuss one factor that emerged in the 2000s to illuminate Blecher’s ascent to international attention. I am referring to contexts favourable to his reception, such as the world fame of Romanian avantgarde authors, the heritage of Jewish culture in Europe and the recuperation of an East-Central European cultural space. Thirdly, I am review the names proposed for literary comparison, especially by Romanian critics who have written about Blecher, analyzing their pertinence and subtext. Żrom Żranz Kafka and André Breton to Bruno Schulz and Jonathan Safran Foer, international authors were called on to provide Blecher’s work with a flattering companion from abroad or to accommodate one interpretative context or another.