Masterpieces and Bestsellers of the Central European Literatures in the Comparative Perspective

Timetable

Module aim (aims)

• acquainting the students with the masterpieces of Central European literature connected with reference to the general context of historical and cultural change;
• improving of analytical and interpretative skills with a particular stress on historical specificity of texts, comparative approach and evaluation of literary works;
• practicing of usage of historical and aesthetic categories;
• seeking proficiency in using such categories as an author’s biography, literary era (with a stress put on Polish literary periodization), literary current, style, genre, aesthetic terms (irony, grotesque, tragedy, realism, symbolism, expressionism etc.)
• practicing of unassisted oral presentations and written papers in English.

     

Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competences (where relevant)

none

Syllabus

Course learning content:

Presentation of Central European literature in chronological and typological terms; presenting the most important writers and their works, with particular emphasis on texts considered literary masterpieces.

Showing the relations of Central European literature with periods and trends in European literature, highlighting the planes of identification and differentiation.

The scope, place and significance of selected texts of Central European literature against the background of national, Slavic, European and world culture.

Presentation of the discussed literary phenomena from a historical-literary, comparative and interdisciplinary perspective (in relation to other texts of culture).

Discussion of the presented literature in the light of critical literary studies.

Analysis and interpretation of texts classified as masterpieces of Central European literature.

Reading list

• Lives of the Serbian Saints, eds. W. Sparrow-Simpson, W. Lowther Clarke, London – New York 1921.
• An Anthology of Serbian Literature, eds. V. Mihailovich, B. Mikasinovic, Bloomington 2007.
• An Anthology of Bulgarian Literature, ed. I. Mladinov, Bloomington 2007.
• An Anthology of Croatian Literature, ed. H. R. Cooper, Bloomington 2011.
• Lightning from the Depths: an Anthology of Albanian Poetry, ed. and trans. R. Elsie, J. Mathie-Heck, Evanston 2008.
• Balkan Beauty, Balkan Blood: Modern Albanian Short Stories, ed. and trans. R. Elsie, Evanston 2006.
• Schwandner-Sievers, B. Fischer, Albanian Identities: Myth and History, Bloomington 2002.
• Calinescu, History of Romanian Literature, Paris1988.
• The Vanishing Point that Whistles. An Anthology of Contemporary Romanian Poetry, ed. P. Doru, trans. A. Sorkin, C. Serea, Greenfield 2011.
• An Anthology of Greek Prose, ed. D. Russell, Oxford 1991.
• Todorova, Imagining the Balkans, New York 1997.
• The Macedonian issue: the power of culture, the culture of power, ed. B. Zieliński, Poznań 2003.
• Barac, History of Yugoslav Literature, Ann Arbor 1976.
• Moser, History of Bulgarian Literature: 865-1944, the Hague 1972.
• Tapkova-Zaimova, A. Miltenova, Historical and Apocalyptic Literature in Byzantium and Medieval Bulgaria, trans. M. Paneva, M. Lilova, Sofia 2011.
• „Kafka. Kwartalnik Środkowoeuropejski” (wybrane numery).
• Bakuła B., Historia i komparatystyka. Szkice o literaturze i kulturze Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej XX wieku, Poznań 2000.
• Bobrownicka M., Pogranicza w centrum Europy, Kraków 2003.
• Czyżewski K., Linia powrotu. Zapiski z pogranicza, Sejny 2008.
• Fiut A., Być (albo nie być) Środkowoeuropejczykiem, Kraków 1999.
• Hrabal, Kundera, Havel… Antologia czeskiego eseju, oprac. J. Baluch, Kraków 2001.
• Kardyni-Pelikánová K., Osobliwości środkowoeuropejskiej przestrzeni literackiej: ironiczni moraliści i ludyczni myśliciele, „Porównania” nr 8, 2011, s. 17–32.
• Kiss C.G., Lekcja Europy Środkowej, Kraków 2009.
• Kroutvor J., Europa Środkowa: anegdota i historia, w: Hrabal, Kundera, Havel… Antologia czeskiego eseju, oprac. J. Baluch, Kraków 2001.
• Miłosz Cz., Rodzinna Europa, Paryż 1959.
• Narodowy i ponadnarodowy model kultury. Europa Środkowa i Półwysep Bałkański, red. B. Zieliński, Poznań 2002.
• Problemy tożsamości kulturowej w krajach słowiańskich, t. 1, 2, 3, red. J. Goszczyńska, Warszawa 2003–2005.
• Zieliński B., Europa Środkowa, czyli Arkadia, Atlantyda i Jeruzalem, [w:] Narodowy i ponadnarodowy model kultury, red. B. Zieliński, Poznań 2002.