František Švantner
Encyclopedia
František Švantner was a Slovak
prose
writer.
in a family of a manual worker. He studied in his birthplace, later in Podbrezová
and Banská Bystrica
. After finishing his studies, he worked as a teacher in different places (Mýto pod Ďumbierom
, Podbrezová, Nová Baňa
, Hronský Beňadik
), until he became a principal of school in Hronov
for a short time. He also worked for a local organization of Matica slovenská
and became a member of Umelecká beseda slovenská. He died of a brain tumor
in Prague
.
, where he published his short story in the periodical Svojeť. Švantner gained inspiration from archaic myths and ballads. He was influenced by writers such as Edgar Allan Poe
, Emile Zola
, Victor Hugo
, Charles Ferdinand Ramuz
, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and from Slovak
authors, mainly Margita Figuli
, Ľudo Ondrejov
and Dobroslav Chrobák
. Švantner's prose celebrates nature; he was a naturalistic
writer. He used elements of irrationality and fantasy, but he mainly explored the boundaries between life
and death
.
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
prose
Prose
Prose is the most typical form of written language, applying ordinary grammatical structure and natural flow of speech rather than rhythmic structure...
writer.
Biography
He was born in BystráBystrá, Brezno District
Bystrá is a village and municipality in Brezno District, in the Banská Bystrica Region of central Slovakia.-Famous people:*František Švantner, writer...
in a family of a manual worker. He studied in his birthplace, later in Podbrezová
Podbrezová
Podbrezová is a large village and municipality in Brezno District, in the Banská Bystrica Region of central Slovakia, around 10 km west of the district seat town, Brezno.-History:...
and Banská Bystrica
Banská Bystrica
Banská Bystrica is a key city in central Slovakia located on the Hron River in a long and wide valley encircled by the mountain chains of the Low Tatras, the Veľká Fatra, and the Kremnica Mountains. With 81,281 inhabitants, Banská Bystrica is the sixth most populous municipality in Slovakia...
. After finishing his studies, he worked as a teacher in different places (Mýto pod Ďumbierom
Mýto pod Dumbierom
Mýto pod Ďumbierom is a village and municipality in Brezno District, in the Banská Bystrica Region of central Slovakia....
, Podbrezová, Nová Baňa
Nová Bana
Nová Baňa is a small town in the west of central Slovakia and the largest town of the Žarnovica District, located in the Banská Bystrica Region.- Geography :...
, Hronský Beňadik
Hronský Benadik
Hronský Beňadik is a village in central Slovakia...
), until he became a principal of school in Hronov
Hronov
Hronov is a town in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has around 6,500 inhabitants. It is located near the Polish border. The Festival of amateur theatre Jiráskův Hronov takes part here every year...
for a short time. He also worked for a local organization of Matica slovenská
Matica slovenská
The Matica slovenská Mother) is Slovakia's public-law cultural and scientific institution focusing on topics around the Slovak nation. It is based in the city of Martin...
and became a member of Umelecká beseda slovenská. He died of a brain tumor
Brain tumor
A brain tumor is an intracranial solid neoplasm, a tumor within the brain or the central spinal canal.Brain tumors include all tumors inside the cranium or in the central spinal canal...
in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
.
Writing career
He started writing during his studies in Banská BystricaBanská Bystrica
Banská Bystrica is a key city in central Slovakia located on the Hron River in a long and wide valley encircled by the mountain chains of the Low Tatras, the Veľká Fatra, and the Kremnica Mountains. With 81,281 inhabitants, Banská Bystrica is the sixth most populous municipality in Slovakia...
, where he published his short story in the periodical Svojeť. Švantner gained inspiration from archaic myths and ballads. He was influenced by writers such as Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
, Emile Zola
Émile Zola
Émile François Zola was a French writer, the most important exemplar of the literary school of naturalism and an important contributor to the development of theatrical naturalism...
, Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo was a Frenchpoet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights activist and exponent of the Romantic movement in France....
, Charles Ferdinand Ramuz
Charles Ferdinand Ramuz
Charles-Ferdinand Ramuz was a French-speaking Swiss writer.He was born in Lausanne in the canton of Vaud and educated at the University of Lausanne. He taught briefly in nearby Aubonne, and then in Weimar, Germany. In 1903, he left for Paris and remained there until World War I, with frequent...
, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and from Slovak
Slovaks
The Slovaks, Slovak people, or Slovakians are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language.Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia...
authors, mainly Margita Figuli
Margita Figuli
Margita Figuli was a Slovak prose writer, translator and author of literature for children and young people.-Biography:...
, Ľudo Ondrejov
Ludo Ondrejov
Ľudo Ondrejov was a Slovak poet and prose writer.- Biography :...
and Dobroslav Chrobák
Dobroslav Chrobák
Dobroslav Chrobák was a Slovak writer.He was born in Hybe as the second from four kids in a family of dressmakers. He studied at school in Rožňava and Liptovský Mikuláš, and later at a technical high school in Bratislava. He completed his studies in 1934 at Czech Technical University in Prague...
. Švantner's prose celebrates nature; he was a naturalistic
Naturalism (literature)
Naturalism was a literary movement taking place from the 1880s to 1940s that used detailed realism to suggest that social conditions, heredity, and environment had inescapable force in shaping human character...
writer. He used elements of irrationality and fantasy, but he mainly explored the boundaries between life
Life
Life is a characteristic that distinguishes objects that have signaling and self-sustaining processes from those that do not, either because such functions have ceased , or else because they lack such functions and are classified as inanimate...
and death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
.
List of works
- 19331933 in literatureThe year 1933 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* February 17 - The magazine Newsweek is published for the first time.* James Joyce's Ulysses is allowed into United States.-New books:...
: Výpoveď (published in Svojeť) - 19441944 in literatureThe year 1944 in literature involved some significant new books.-New books:*Samuel Hopkins Adams – Canal Town*Jorge Amado – Terras do Sem Fim *Saul Bellow – Dangling Man*Jorge Luis Borges – Fictions...
: Málka - novella - 19461946 in literatureThe year 1946 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*November 7 - Walker Percy marries Mary Bernice Townsend.*Launch in the United Kingdom of Penguin Classics under the editorship of E. V...
: Nevesta hôľ - novel - 19561956 in literatureThe year 1956 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* Writing under the pseudonym of Emile Ajar, author Romain Gary becomes the only person ever to win the Prix Goncourt twice.*Iris Murdoch marries John Bayley....
: Život bez konca - novel (published after his death) - 19661966 in literatureThe year 1966 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*February 14 - Dissident writers Yuli Daniel and Andrei Sinyavsky are sentenced to hard labour for "anti-Soviet activity"....
: Dáma - collection of novellas