L ’influence du climat politique sur la prose testimoniale de Virgil Gheorghiu

Abstract

The narrative texts published by Virgil Gheorghiu during the five decades of his exile in France are centred on Romania’s tragic spiritual history under the totalitarian Communist regime. His work is deeply rooted in Romania’s documentary background, since the author constantly relates both to the socio-political reality of the twentieth century, and to the myths and religious beliefs of the Romanian people. A careful analysis of the relationship between the Romanian society around World War II (as it is illustrated in history) and two of Virgil Gheorghiu’s representative
texts – Ora 25 (25.00 Hrs) and Memorii (Memoirs) – highlights some of the essential ideas of his work. Although these two literary texts refer back to real historical situations, they can be described as historical metafiction in which reality is distorted and amplified by fictional representation. These texts alter historical data and put forth a highly original material in which the real merges with the imaginary.