Century of Echoes of French Literature in the Romanian Press: 1859–1964

This study aims to analyze the influence and perception of French literature in the Romanian press over three different historical periods by employing resources such as the series of the Bibliography of the Relations of Romanian Literature with Foreign Literatures in Periodicals (1959–1918, 1919–1944, and 1945–1965). Specifically, this research intends to map the areas of interest in French literature within Romanian periodicals, identify sources of information and channels through which French literary works reached Romania, observe French literature reception, and understand how historical and political contexts influenced the evolution of French literary perception in Romania. The methods employed are both historical and analytical, using the cumulative perspective of the Bibliography, involving a quantitative analysis (tracking the frequency and extent of references to French literature in Romanian periodicals), a qualitative analysis (appreciation, imitation, and criticism in the discourse regarding French literature), and a comparative historical perspective of the three key periods. After an overview of the study’s objectives, significance, and methodology, the structure follows the three historical eras, together with a comparative analysis of trends, continuities, and transformations of the evolving relationship between French and Romanian literary cultures, as reflected in the press.