Constantin Fântâneru (January 1, 1907–March 21, 1975) was a

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

n poet, prose writer and literary critic. Born in Budișteni,

Argeș County Argeș County () is a county (''județ'') of Romania, in Muntenia, with the county seat at Pitești. Demographics At the 2021 Romanian census, 2021 census, the county had a population of 569,932 and the population density was . At the 2011 Ro ...

, his parents were Costache Fântâneru and Zoe (''née'' Cârstoiu), peasants. After attending primary school in his native village from 1914 to 1919, he went to

Saint Sava National College The Saint Sava National College (Romanian: ''Colegiul Național Sfântul Sava''), Bucharest, named after Sabbas the Sanctified, is the oldest and one of the most prestigious high schools in Romania. It was founded in 1694, under the name of th ...

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...

, graduating in 1927. His classmates there included

Alexandru Sahia Alexandru Sahia (pen name of Alexandru Stănescu; October 11, 1908 – August 12, 1937) was a Romanian journalist and short story writer. Biography Born in Mânăstirea, Călărași County, as the son of a small landowner, he was enrolled in the ...

Eugène Ionesco Eugène Ionesco (; ; born Eugen Ionescu, ; 26 November 1909 – 28 March 1994) was a Romanian-French playwright who wrote mostly in French, and was one of the foremost figures of the French avant-garde theatre#Avant-garde, French avant-garde th ...

and

Dan Botta Dan Botta (; September 26, 1907 – January 13, 1958) was a Romanian poet and essayist. Life Born in Adjud, his parents were the physician Theodor Botta and his wife Aglaia (''née'' de Franceschi), an orphanage director; his brother was po ...

; together, the group published ''Ramuri fragede'' magazine from 1926 to 1927. Fântâneru subsequently studied classical philology at the

University of Bucharest The University of Bucharest (UB) () is a public university, public research university in Bucharest, Romania. It was founded in its current form on by a decree of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza to convert the former Princely Academy of Bucharest, P ...

's literature and philosophy faculty, earning a degree in 1930. He edited the business newspaper ''Prezentul'', led by

Virgil Madgearu Virgil Traian N. Madgearu (; December 14, 1887 – November 27, 1940) was a Romanian economist, sociologist, and left-wing politician, prominent member and main theorist of the Peasants' Party and of its successor, the National Peasants' Par ...

from 1935. From 1936, he was editing secretary at ''

Universul ''Universul'' was a mass-circulation newspaper in Romania. It existed from 1884 to 1953, and was run by Stelian Popescu from 1914 to 1943 (with a two-year break during World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 No ...

'' and editor for ''Universul literar'', where he published the book review column from 1938 to 1941. Fântâneru suffered a nervous breakdown in 1942 and was hospitalized in Bucharest for six years. From 1948, he led a withdrawn existence in his native village. With his health partly restored, he taught Latin, French, English, Russian and German at Siliștea, Budișteni and Topoloveni from 1950 to 1968. Fântâneru belonged to the ''Criterion'' literary group, and was active in the classical studies circle affiliated with Bucharest University's Latin department. His first published work appeared in 1927 in ''Revista literară a Liceului „Sf. Sava”''. His first novel, ''Interior'', appeared in 1932; it won that year's prize from the

Romanian Writers' Society The Romanian Writers' Society () was a professional association based in Bucharest, Romania, that aided the country's writers and promoted their interests. Founded in 1909, it operated for forty years before the early Communist Romania, communist re ...

. Irina Petraș

in ''România Literară'', nr. 18/2012 Described by

Mircea Eliade Mircea Eliade (; – April 22, 1986) was a Romanian History of religion, historian of religion, fiction writer, philosopher, and professor at the University of Chicago. One of the most influential scholars of religion of the 20th century and in ...

as "lacking a subject" and "confused", it was seen by

George Călinescu George Călinescu (; 19 June 1899 – 12 March 1965) was a Romanian literary critic, historian, novelist, academician and journalist, and a writer of classicist and humanist tendencies. He is currently considered one of the most important Romani ...

as "a lyrical journal, analyzing the uncertain psychology of the 'new generation'", written with "a certain deliberate incoherence and an uncaring acceptance of the absurd". A critical study, ''Poezia lui Lucian Blaga şi gândirea mitică'', came out in 1940; the poetry volume ''Râsul morților de aur'' appeared the same year. ''Cărți și o altă carte'' (1999) included his published work as well as a selection of writings he left in manuscript. His contributions appeared in ''Cuvântul'', ''Viața literară'', ''Vremea'', ''

Convorbiri Literare ''Convorbiri Literare'' () is a Romanian literary magazine published in Romania. It is among the most important journals of the nineteenth-century Romania. History and profile ''Convorbiri Literare'' was founded by Titu Maiorescu in 1867. The ma ...

'' and ''

Revista Fundațiilor Regale ''Revista Fundațiilor Regale'' ("The Review of Royal Foundations") was a monthly literary, art and culture magazine published in Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and ...

''. Other writings in manuscript include prose poems, annotated translations and memoirs. In 1932, he was awarded the

prize. He died in Ștefănești.Aurel Sasu (ed.), ''Dicționarul biografic al literaturii române'', vol. I, p. 578. Pitești: Editura Paralela 45, 2004.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fantaneru, Constantin 1907 births 1975 deaths People from Argeș County Saint Sava National College alumni University of Bucharest alumni 20th-century Romanian novelists 20th-century Romanian poets Romanian literary critics Romanian schoolteachers Romanian newspaper editors Romanian columnists Romanian male novelists Romanian male poets