K and C

On Some Less-Explored Contexts of Krasznahorkai’s Oeuvre

Abstract

The article examines László Krasznahorkai’s oeuvre from the perspective of post-postmodern literary paradigms, emphasizing that his works have been outside the postmodern conception of relativizing meaning from the outset. Emmanuel Bouju’s theory of epimodernism, which proposes a rethinking of the legacy of modernity, provides a framework from which Krasznahorkai can be treated as one of the prominent figures in the continuation of modernity. In Bouju’s playful ‘K–C’ literary series (Kafka, Kundera, Kertész vs. Camus, Calvino, Carver), the author links Matei Călinescu’s work, The Life and Opinions of Zacharias Lichter, which had an early influence on Krasznahorkai, to the C paradigm. The article shows how the absurd and spiritual motifs of this novel resonate in Krasznahorkai’s prose from Satantango to War and War. Finally, the author emphasizes that Krasznahorkai’s works validate the Central European experience in a global context, while consistently resisting the simplistic logic of the mainstream, creating alternative worlds that represent intellectual resistance.