ABSTRACT

This essay analyses the most recent novel of Romanian author Mircea Cărtărescu (Solenoid, 2015). To this end, I will use a specific extension of career construction theory in the field of literary research that focuses on the notion of a ‘late-career novel’. After a short presentation of the theoretical framework and the evolution of Cărtărescu’s career, my approach turns to the hybrid nature of Solenoid, which reveals the complex (meta)narrative strategy its author deploys in order to attain an ever more prestigious position within the international literary canon. On the one hand, through the continuous interplay of his roles as Teacher, Writer, and Seeker, alternatively regarded as profession and vocation, Cărtărescu rewrites his own biography in order to dispose of any trace of institutionalised ‘literature’ in his discourse; on the other hand, the Romanian author ostentatiously exhibits his own marginal geo-cultural status, implying that it would grant him access to a more authentic and substantial understanding of life. These actions are part of a broader metanarrative pattern, which I denominate ‘hypercycle’ and whose conceptual background could not only offer a better understanding of Cărtărescu’s career, but also pave the way for further development of career construction theory.

摘要

本文分析了罗马尼亚作家 Mircea Cărtărescu 的最新小说（电磁阀，2015 年）。为此，我将在文学研究领域使用职业建构理论的一个特定延伸，该理论侧重于“职业生涯晚期小说”的概念。在简要介绍了理论框架和 Cărtărescu 职业生涯的演变之后，我的方法转向了Solenoid的混合性质，它揭示了作者为了在国际文学经典中获得更高声望的地位而部署的复杂（元）叙事策略。一方面，通过他作为教师、作家和探索者的角色的不断相互作用，或者被视为职业和职业，卡尔特雷斯库重写了他自己的传记，以便在他的话语中处理任何制度化的“文学”痕迹；另一方面，罗马尼亚作家炫耀地展示了他自己的边缘地缘文化地位，暗示这将使他获得对生活更真实、更充实的理解。这些行为是更广泛的元叙事模式的一部分，我将其命名为“超周期”，其概念背景不仅可以更好地理解卡尔特雷斯库的职业生涯，