The Modern Novel

Biography

Mihail Sadoveanu was born in Paşcani in 1880. His father was a lawyer. He studied law in Bucharest but gave it up to devote himself to writing. He started writing seriously when he moved permanently to Bucharest and promised to write two novels a year, a promise he generally kept. He became director of the National Theatre of Iaşi in 1910,a post he kept for ten years, apart from a break when he served as an officer in World War I. His first major novel was Hanu-Ancutei (Ancuta’s Inn), which used the traditional model of travellers telling stories in an inn. He continued to publish successful plays, stories and novels. After the Soviet takeover, he supported communism and spoke publicly in favour of Stalin. He won a seat for a pro-Communist party in 1946 and was elected president of the Parliament and later became a member of the Presidium. He was also elected president of the Writers’ Union. However his continued involvement in politics had a negative effect on his writing. Though he continued writing, it was not of the quality of his earlier work. He died in 1961.

Other links

Mihail Sadoveanu
‘Mihail Sadoveanu’ Memorial House