Ivan Radev

web | Bibliography

The encyclopaedism, bequeathed by the Classical times or by the Enlightenment, more and more definitely alienates itself from the new generations. But the interest in encyclopaedias do not lessen. There is always a great demand for reference books - their share is almost constant no matter what the .situation on the market is. Nevertheless there is no danger that they can take the place of everything else and the on!y reading of the modern man to consist exclusively of dictionaries, encyclopaedias, reference books and tourist guides.

An encyclopaedic reference book on the Bulgarian literature from 18th - 19th centuries is now published for the first time. But it is also the first edition in this country after its character and its made - it is not a collection of portraits of members of the writers' community, but everything about the literature, created during the Bulgarian Renaissance, a complete picture of its perceiving, popularizing, republishing and comprehending by the literary scholars. And not only then, but in the modern times and till nowadays. Perhaps, as a conception, this book, which is now in the reader's hands, is the closest one to the unfinished Cyril and Methodius Encyclopaedia, ed. P. Dinekov, 1985, vol. 1.

Taken alone the fact that the offered Encyclopaedia  is the first of its kind does not predetermine its qualities and its importance. The authors made their best in their attempt to achieve comprehensiveness and breadth of outlook which do not overcome the scientific view, professional understanding and reception of the Bulgarian literature from 18th - 19th centuries, of its editions and redactions, of the creative authors, scientists and scientific works connected with it. The presentation combines the natural and expecting in such cases cognition and informative ness with the elements of estimation. The authors' approach maintains a certain axiological and aesthetic criterion of the writer's place or the place of his work in the whole picture of the aesthetic development.

The Encyclopaedia deals problematically not only with the hierarchy of personalities, the catalogue of events, but with the border between that which has to die out and that which has its place in the analytic repertory of the considered literary period. For the works of most of the authors included in this book any attempt was not even made to be analyzed or systemized. They were only noted in some surveys or studies.

It is not necessary (and of course it is not possible) all characteristics, important and significant for an edition with the scale, complexity and range of the Encyclopaedia of the Bulgarian Literature from 18th - 19-th Centuries, to be noted and commented in a short resume. I shall note only few of them, those which are basic for the reference book:

* Representations of all poets, writers, publicists, editors and publishers who hev their share and merits in the development of the Bulgarian literature during 18th - 19th centuries.

* Entries on all significant events in the sphere of the literature (short stories, novels, collections of poems, literary medleys, etc.), and on the selections and collections of works of the authors, on their complete representations abroad.

* Annotations on periodicals from the 40-s to the Liberation (1878 - 1879) with emphasis on the importance of every newspaper or magazine in the popularization and confirmation of the fiction.

* Surveys and specific articles on particular aspects and perceptions of the literary process in 18th - 19th centuries (genre system, reception of the Bible, literary schools, etc.); the events are represented not only in theoretical and aesthetical view, but in historical and literary plan as well.

* General characteristics of the institutions and the forms of intellectual life during 18th - 19th centuries which have some relation to creation, distribution and confirmation of the literature (intellectual circles, centers, theater, monasteries, community centers, printing factories, publishing houses, sponsorship, conflicts and schools in the movement towards integrated literary language, etc.).

* Articles about representatives of the Theory of Literature and History - Bulgarian and foreign scholars, specialists on problems of the Bulgarian literature from 18th - 19th centuries and on the Bulgarian Renaissance, and about their major works (monographs, essays, collections, etc.).

* With writers which works are dated not only during the period of the Renaissance, but after the Liberation as well, with scholars, which deal not only with the problematic connected with the Renaissance, but research any other problems as well the authors' approach is selective - they lay emphasis, they describe only these of their works which are connected with the aims and the sphere of the Encyclopaedia.

By the way, the difficulties in creating an integral reference book on the Bulgarian literature from 18th - 19th centuries are already in the past. They, like the mistakes and the imperfections, which the reader will find are a part of the history of one initiative which accomplishment. I dare to hope so. has its value in the Bulgarian culture. It will be understood best by anyone who decides to accomplish it as a personal goal and not with the help of a whole institute, but only with four or five followers.

© Ivan Radev
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© E-publisher LiterNet, 02.04.2001, № 4 (17)