The Face of the Woven Carpet

The fourth, revised edition of Nicolae Manolescu's most recent anthume book, Teme (Themes), allows us to observe, starting from the essays contained within it, the way in which the "symbol from the woven carpet" of the destiny that the most important critic and literary historian of the post-war period forged for himself took shape. Re-reading these ”themes” allows us to sketch a profession of faith of the great literary critic, as well as the data of a spiritual autobiography, because the essays in the book also carry a confessional memorialistic note. His existence did not unfold by the mere virtue of some random and insignificant causalities, because Nicolae Manolescu had the strength to transform his life into destiny.