Yordan Vasilev

Critical thought in our country seems to be in a feverish hurry to catch up with what has been missed, to reduce the delay left as a legacy from years of inaction or stagnation. Discussions, discussions. And many new books by critics - with new and old works in them. Bogomil Nonev has called his collection "Critical Chronicle 1960-1965". He pays special attention to the literary critic and his work, examining this topic in a separate article. But the entire book of Nonev raises some questions of the stylistics of literary criticism. With the temperamental characteristics, with the defense of Aragon's innovation in the novel "Holy Week" Nonev involuntarily defends his existence in criticism. The mixture of genres, the use of various means and forms - even an entire essay on Caravaggio's painting - in Aragon's novel has led to interesting artistic solutions. Without making any analogy with the results and their significance, I will say that the symbiosis of elements of criticism and journalism in the style of Bogomil Nonev shapes his authorial capabilities, determines the achievements and weaknesses of his style. It is difficult, it seems to me even impossible, to precisely delineate the boundary between criticism and journalism, between criticism and other genres of artistic creativity. In each author, his tendency to a certain way of perceiving and experiencing the work prevails, lyrical, journalistic or fiction features dominate in his style. At one point in his book, Bogomil Nonev says that "... the literary critic is a thinker, a journalist and an artist". The emphasis in his articles falls most strongly on the second of these qualities.

From a book, the various parts of which were written in 1907, 1909 and 1964, one could not expect such unity of style and suggestion. But, however incredible it may be, a Bulgarian who talked with Plekhanov and listened to the speeches of Georgi Kirkov, who was friends with our greatest artists from the beginning of the century and was a guest of the old Revival activist Dragan Tsankov, a man who breathed the air of the same room with Renoir, Monet and Clemenceau, is our contemporary and presents himself with a new book - "Views on Literature and Art and Personal Memories" - articles on literature and painting, journalism and memoirs. It is difficult to speak of any kind of integrity, and yet this book is too homogeneous. It is united by the personality of its author, the unity of its style lies above all in the lack of violence over style, in a lightness that has its roots in the overall manifestation of the creative spirit.