Nicolae Filimon facts for kids
Nicolae Filimon (born September 6, 1819 – died March 19, 1865) was a Romanian writer from Wallachia. He is famous for writing Ciocoii vechi şi noi ("The Old and the New Parvenus"). This book was the first Realist novel in Romanian literature, meaning it showed life as it truly was. The story was about a character named Dinu Păturică, who was very self-centered. Filimon also wrote travel stories, collected folk tales, played music, and was the first person in his country to write reviews about music.
Contents
Nicolae Filimon's Life Story
Early Years and Education
Nicolae Filimon was born in Bucharest, the capital city of Romania, in 1819. His father was a priest at the Enei Church. Nicolae learned a lot by himself, which means he was an autodidact. He also sang in the church choir.
After his father passed away in 1830, Nicolae worked for theater groups for a short time. He sang in the choir and played the flute.
Public Service and First Writings
In 1852, Filimon became the administrator of the Enei Church, a role he held until his death. In the same year, he started working for the government. He was a minor official in the Faith Department, which was part of Prince Barbu Dimitrie Ştirbei's government office.
In late 1857, Filimon started his writing career. He published his first pieces in the Naţionalul newspaper. The next year, he traveled to the German Confederation. He later wrote about his trip in a book called Excursiuni în Germania meridională ("Voyages to Southern Germany"). This book also included two Romanticist short novels: Mănăstirea domenicanilor după colina Fiesole (later known as Mateo Cipriani) and O baroneasă de poronceală. His experiences as a journalist and critic helped him write parts of his novels. He also worked with other writers like Cezar Bolliac and Ion Ionescu de la Brad on their journals.
Famous Works and Legacy
During this time, he also published Nenorocirile unui slujnicar sau gentilomii de mahala ("The Misfortunes of a Servant or The Gentlemen on the Outskirts") in 1861. This book showed the lives of servants. He also collected and published his first fairy tales. These included Omul de flori cu barba de mătasă sau povestea lui Făt-Frumos ("The Flower Man with Silky Beard or The Tale of Făt-Frumos") and Omul de piatră ("The Man of Stone").
His most famous novel, Ciocoii vechi şi noi, was written in 1862 and published in 1863. It became very popular right away. However, Filimon did not get to enjoy his success for long. He continued to write for different journals, but he became very sick with tuberculosis. He passed away soon after, in 1865.
