The psychological novel and a trilateral comparison

Colette, Evgenia Dimitrova, and Hortensia Papadat-Bengescu

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.60056/CCL.2025..48-56

Keywords:

20th century psychological novel, narrative techniques, Colette, Evgenia Dimitrova, Hortensia Papadat-Bengescu

Abstract

The novel of the first half of the 20th century, modern and modernist across much of Europe, intertwines newly developed scientific ideas about the depths of the human psyche with a newly emerging sense of threat posed by uncontrollable human instincts and, consequently, by fluctuations in the behaviour of the characters. This type of psychological novel also reflects a philosophical perspective on subjective human time and focuses on particular narratological techniques. The article outlines the characteristics of the psychological novel and the specific writing techniques that enable an exploration of the depths of the human psyche. Examples have been drawn from the works of three writers from different European countries: Colette, Evgenia Dimitrova, and Hortensia Papadat-Bengescu.

Author Biography

  • Roumiana L. Stantcheva, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski"

    Roumiana L. Stantcheva is a scholar, translator, non-fiction writer, and Professor, Dr. Sc., at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”; Doctor Honoris Causa of Artois University; Knight of the Order of Academic Palms of France. She is the founder of the Academic Circle of Comparative Literature in Bulgaria and its first president (2001–2011); founder and editor-in-chief (2015–2024) of Colloquia Comparativa Litterarum. She is a member of the Union of Translators in Bulgaria and winner of its Translation Award. She has published over 150 academic articles and 9 books, including (in Bulgarian): Found in the Text: Comparative Literature and Balkan Studies (Balkani, 2011), The Artist Georges Papazoff as a Writer: Verbalization of the Surreal (Colibri, 2014), and Comparative Literature. The Femme Fatale and 5 European “Cuts” of the Novel (Colibri, 2023). She has published 20 books of poetry and prose in translation from French and Romanian.

References

Dimitrova, E. (2019). Zara. Stranitsi iz edin dnevnik. (M. Kirova, Biogr. portr. i posleslov. Izd. Kibeya.

Stantcheva, R. L. (2023). Sravnitelno literaturoznanie. Fatalnata zhena i 5 evropeyski kroyki za romana. Kolibri.

Chardin, P. (1998). Le roman psychologique. In B. Didier (Ed.), Précis de littérature européenne (pp. 505–506). PUF.

Claudon, F. (2004). Les grands mouvements littéraires européens. Nathan Université.

Colette Willy. (1910). La vagabonde. Roman (18e éd.). Librairie Paul Ollendorff. Retrieved from https://archive.org/details/lavagabonderoman00cole/page/n5/mode/2up

Cohn, D. (1981). La transparence intérieure. Modes de représentation de la vie psychique dans le roman. (A. Bony, Trans.). Seuil. (Original work published 1978)

Compagnon, A. (2005). Avant-propos. In M. S. Jensen & M.-O. Thisouin (Eds.), Frontières des genres. Migrations, transferts, transgressions (pp. 20–21). Presses universitaires de Lyon.

Kristeva, J. (2002). Le génie féminin: Vol. 3. Colette ou la chair du monde. Fayard.

Papadat-Bengescu, H. (1994). Concert din muzică de Bach. Editura Albatros.

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Published

2025-10-14

Issue

Vol. 11 (2025)

Section

I. Dialogues, continuité, ouverture: le cas des littératures romanes

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How to Cite

The psychological novel and a trilateral comparison: Colette, Evgenia Dimitrova, and Hortensia Papadat-Bengescu. (2025). Colloquia Comparativa Litterarum, 11, 48-56. https://doi.org/10.60056/CCL.2025..48-56