1. Novel of the nearsighted adolescent This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein

2. “ I felt superior to all my colleagues, even for the hugely effort that I spent to wide and deep my culture. [...]. But I was more than this. I was in a crisis of puberty, every morning I discovered myself uglier, more awkward, I discovered especially in meetings with girls at my age, that I was shy and unattractive as compared with some of my friends at same age.” Mircea Eliade – Memories Mircea Eliade – Memories This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein

3. Mircea Eliade Mircea Eliade Mircea Eliade born on 13 March 1907 and he died on 22 April, 1986. He was a Romanian historian of religion, fiction writer, philosopher, and professor at the University of Chicago. He was a leading interpreter of religious experience, who established paradigms in religious studies that persist to this day. His literary works belong to the fantasy and autobiographical genres. Mircea Eliade born on 13 March 1907 and he died on 22 April, 1986. He was a Romanian historian of religion, fiction writer, philosopher, and professor at the University of Chicago. He was a leading interpreter of religious experience, who established paradigms in religious studies that persist to this day. His literary works belong to the fantasy and autobiographical genres. The best known are the novels Maitrey ("La Nuit Bengali" or "Bengal Nights"), "The Forbidden Forest", "Isabel and the Devil's Waters" and of course the “Novel of the Nearsighted Adolescent”. The best known are the novels Maitrey ("La Nuit Bengali" or "Bengal Nights"), "The Forbidden Forest", "Isabel and the Devil's Waters" and of course the “Novel of the Nearsighted Adolescent”. Remarked for his vast erudition, Eliade had fluent command of five languages (Romanian, French, German, Italian, and English) and a reading knowledge of three others (Hebrew, Persian, and Sanskrit). He was elected a posthumous member of the Romanian Academy. Remarked for his vast erudition, Eliade had fluent command of five languages (Romanian, French, German, Italian, and English) and a reading knowledge of three others (Hebrew, Persian, and Sanskrit). He was elected a posthumous member of the Romanian Academy.

4. “ Novel of the nearsighted adolescent” is a novel whose main character is even the author, and is limited to the life of a teenager in the early teenage years until its end. The nearsighted adolescent, is such a passionate reader who takes various cultural figures as models, in terms of their living or their works. In this case, the model is represented by Giovanni Papini. Mircea Eliade is a weak student in school, he likes science and he reads a lot of books, sometimes he reads all the night. At 15 years old he decides to write a novel to demonstrate to all the teachers that he is not so mediocre like all the other students. The novel is written in some copybooks named “Journals”. The student Mircea failed at 3 subjects and he is too lazy to learn and he has to repeat the school year. His classmates don’t understand his personality, but they call him “doctor”, because he listens to their problems.

5. Eliade often retreats in his attic, that gives him the feeling of safety and peace but sometimes here takes place his “fights”, all about adolescence. “I don’t want to be common. It is the fear of my body and soul.” (Mircea Eliade) In the novel, Eliade decides that he wants to be a hero, and he is ready to give up everything even the religion, friends, life, he is ready to suffer a lot because he thinks that a true hero has to suffer.

6. All the adolescence period he deals with teenager’s mind and soul, but primarily with his soul. In the last year of high school, he knows the woman’s body in a brothel, and he’ll considerate it disgusting because nothing romantic happened. His relationship with his parents is good, harmonious so we can say that he has an ideal family. His parents let him to do what he thinks that is the best and they stand by his side.

7. He has a lot of friends, but none of them are closer to him. He tries to change a girl called “Nişka”, to make her stronger, very special, without melancholies and regrets. At the end, he reads his Journals and laughs about his ideas and “fights” what he had in adolescence. He considers that he was in adolescence naive and a sentimental person.  Mircea Eliade’s manuscript.

8. The main character : M. Eliade M. Eliade has short-sightedness, he is ugly, skinny, freckled and he has acne on his face. He had problems with some materials like math and German language but besides this he loves to read. Reading is his only entertainment. He likes discovering adolescence’s minds and souls. He is pessimist, naïve, he believes about the others that they are too mediocre. He has a schedule for reading, he reads almost all the nights and sleeps between 4 and 8 hours. In the novel, he often change his thinks about life, once, his life’s wonderful and sometimes is sad and melancholic when he thinks about suicide. He is negligent for what he doesn’t like. He is always dreaming about a girlfriend, but he is afraid of girls.

9. He is often closed in his attic where he studies his life. He is an orderly person. He loves his books and takes care about his library. He wants to be more original than the others, he doesn’t believe in God. He wants to know himself, his soul and he is afraid of what future holds.Life’s big questions: “What if I choose the wrong way, and then I realize that it’s too late?”  Mircea Eliade at old ages.

10. Robert : one of Mircea’s friends. He has a lot of girlfriends, he believes about himself that he is an expert about life’s problems. Robert : one of Mircea’s friends. He has a lot of girlfriends, he believes about himself that he is an expert about life’s problems. Marcu : Mircea’s best friend in high school, but they turn away from each other. Marcu doesn’t think like the novel’s hero. Marcu : Mircea’s best friend in high school, but they turn away from each other. Marcu doesn’t think like the novel’s hero. Nonora : strange girl. Mircea has a lot of problems and temptations because of her. Nonora : strange girl. Mircea has a lot of problems and temptations because of her. Nişka : a very good friend of Mircea, he tries to change her and maybe he falls in love with her. Nişka : a very good friend of Mircea, he tries to change her and maybe he falls in love with her. Other important characters

11. Mircea’ classmates Mircea’ classmates Teachers Teachers Parents Parents Musicians Musicians Journalists Journalists One Jewish man One Jewish man Etc. Etc.

12. Bibliography Bibliography The book “Novel of the nearsighted adolescent” The book “Novel of the nearsighted adolescent” the Internet the Internet Wikipedia Wikipedia Made by : Carla Muresan Ingrid Czinzel This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein