Mircea Cartarescu

• Solenoid

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  • About the Author: Mircea Cartarescu is one of Romania's most prominent contemporary authors, known for his unique blend of surrealism and existential inquiry.
  • Book Summary: "Solenoid" is a monumental narrative exploring the depths of the human psyche, set against the backdrop of Bucharest. It is a masterpiece of magical realism, blending vivid dreams with existential questions.

• Nostalgia 

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  • Book Summary: A collection of five stories that traverse a dreamlike and nostalgic landscape, "Nostalgia" delves into the intricacies of memory and longing, showcasing Cartarescu's richly imaginative and poetic style.

Magda Carneci

• FEM
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  • About the Author: Magda Carneci is a Romanian poet, essayist, and art critic, recognized for her contributions to postmodern Romanian literature.
  • Book Summary: "FEM" is an avant-garde exploration of femininity, identity, and transformation, presented through a poetic and philosophical lens.

Liliana Corobca

• Censor’s Notebook
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  • About the Author: Liliana Corobca is known for her insightful exploration of historical and contemporary themes in Romanian society.
  • Book Summary: "Censor's Notebook" offers a compelling narrative on censorship, creativity, and resistance, set against the backdrop of communist Romania.

Norman Manea

• The Exiled Shadow

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  • Book Summary: This memoir reflects on Manea's life in exile and the shadows cast by his past, blending personal history with broader reflections on displacement and identity.

• The Hooligan's Return

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  • Book Summary: A deeply personal narrative, this memoir traverses Manea's early life in Romania, his survival during the Holocaust, and his experiences as an exile.

• October, Eight O’Clock Stories

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  • Book Summary: This collection of stories showcases Manea's mastery of the short story form, weaving together themes of memory, loss, and the surreal aspects of life under dictatorship.

Gellu Naum

• Zenobia
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  • About the Author: A leading figure in Romanian surrealism, Gellu Naum's works are celebrated for their dreamlike quality and philosophical depth.
  • Book Summary: "Zenobia" is a surrealistic novel that explores love, imagination, and the quest for meaning in a world that defies understanding.

Marin Sorescu

• Censored Poems
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  • About the Author: Marin Sorescu was a prolific Romanian poet, playwright, and novelist, noted for his wit, irony, and deep humanism.
  • Book Summary: A poignant collection that highlights the power of poetry and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of censorship and oppression.

Nichita Stanescu

• Wheel with a Single Spoke and Other Poems
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  • About the Author: Nichita Stanescu, a leading Romanian poet, is celebrated for his innovative approach to poetry and his profound philosophical insights.
  • Book Summary: This collection showcases Stanescu's lyrical genius and philosophical depth, exploring themes of love, existence, and the cosmos through his unique poetic language.

Eugene Ionesco

• The Bald Soprano and Other Plays
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  • About the Author: Eugene Ionesco is one of the foremost playwrights of the 20th century and a key figure in the French Avant-garde. His work is known for its critique of the absurdities of modern life.
  • Book Summary: A seminal collection of Ionesco's plays, including "The Bald Soprano," which revolutionized the modern theater with its absurd humor and satirical critique of language and bourgeois society.

Gabriela Adamesteanu

• The Encounter
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  • About the Author: Gabriela Adamesteanu is a respected Romanian novelist and editor, known for her intricate narratives that delve into personal and political histories.
  • Book Summary: "The Encounter" is a meticulous exploration of memory, history, and the intersections of personal and national narratives, revealing the complexities of Romanian society.

Tristan Tzara

• Approximate Man and Other Writings
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  • About the Author: Tristan Tzara, a Romanian-French poet, and one of the founders of Dadaism, is known for his contributions to avant-garde literature and his radical approach to art and poetry.
  • Book Summary: This collection brings together Tzara's pivotal works, offering insight into the Dada movement and the evolution of modernist literature.

Mircea Eliade

• The Myth of the Eternal Return
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  • About the Author: Mircea Eliade was a Romanian historian of religion, fiction writer, philosopher, and professor at the University of Chicago. He is widely recognized for his research on the history of religions and myth.
  • Book Summary: Eliade explores the concept of cyclical time and the myth of eternal return in various religious traditions, offering profound insights into human existential and spiritual dilemmas.

Razvan Petrescu

• Small Changes in Attitude
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  • About the Author: Razvan Petrescu is a Romanian writer known for his short stories, novels, and plays, marked by irony, existential questioning, and the absurd.
  • Book Summary: A collection of short stories that delves into the absurdity of everyday life, capturing moments of existential revelation and dark humor.

Dan Lungu

• I’m an Old Commie!
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  • About the Author: Dan Lungu is a contemporary Romanian novelist and sociologist, acclaimed for his insightful portrayal of post-communist Romania and the complexities of its society.
  • Book Summary: The novel offers a poignant, humorous look at the life of a former communist activist adjusting to the realities of post-communist Romania, exploring themes of identity, change, and nostalgia.

Lucian Dan Teodorovici

• • • Matei Brunul
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      • About the Author: Lucian Dan Teodorovici is a Romanian author and filmmaker, known for his narratives that intertwine history, personal identity, and the surreal.
      • Book Summary: "Matei Brunul" is a compelling novel set in the context of communist Romania, focusing on themes of memory, identity, and the struggle for personal integrity under oppressive regimes.

Gabriel Liiceanu

• The Paltinis Diary

  

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  • About the Author: Gabriel Liiceanu is a Romanian philosopher, essayist, and publisher, known for his contributions to contemporary Romanian philosophy and literature.
  • Book Summary: "The Paltinis Diary" is an insightful exploration of intellectual and moral resistance during the communist regime in Romania, based on the teachings and experiences of philosopher Constantin Noica.

Lucian Boia

• History and Myth in Romanian Consciousness

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  • About the Author: Lucian Boia is a Romanian historian known for his critical approach to Romanian history and myths, providing a nuanced understanding of Romania's past and present.
  • Book Summary: This book deconstructs the myths that have shaped Romanian national consciousness, offering a critical analysis of Romania's historical narratives and their implications.

• Forever Young: A Cultural History of Longevity from Antiquity to the Present

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  • Book Summary: Boia examines the human obsession with longevity and eternal youth, tracing its cultural and historical expressions from antiquity to the modern age, offering insights into our continual quest against aging.

• The Weather in the Imagination

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  • Book Summary: This work explores how weather phenomena have been perceived and imagined in various cultures, emphasizing the symbolic and mythological significance of weather in human history.

Neagu Djuvara

• A Brief Illustrated History of Romanians
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  • About the Author: Neagu Djuvara was a Romanian historian, diplomat, philosopher, journalist, and novelist known for his erudite and engaging approach to history.
  • Book Summary: Djuvara offers a concise yet comprehensive overview of Romanian history, enhanced by illustrations, aiming to provide both Romanians and foreigners with a clear understanding of the country's past.

H.R. Patapievici

• Flying Against the Arrow: An Intellectual in Ceausescu's Romania
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  • About the Author: H.R. Patapievici is a Romanian physicist, essayist, and intellectual known for his analyses of culture, politics, and society in post-communist Romania.
  • Book Summary: This book reflects on the experience of intellectual and moral resistance within the oppressive context of Ceausescu's Romania, offering personal insights into the challenges of maintaining intellectual integrity.

Filip Florian

• Little Fingers

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  • About the Author: Filip Florian is a Romanian writer celebrated for his lyrical prose and deep explorations of memory, history, and the minutiae of everyday life.
  • Book Summary: "Little Fingers" combines elements of mystery, history, and magical realism to tell the story of a small Romanian town confronting its past through the discovery of a mass grave.

• The Days of the King

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  • Book Summary: Set in 19th century Romania, this novel narrates the story of a young dentist and a lion cub brought to Bucharest for the newly appointed king, exploring themes of love, loyalty, and the construction of a national identity.

Matei Visniec

• Dinner with Marx

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  • About the Author: Matei Visniec is a Romanian-French playwright, poet, and journalist known for his plays that critically engage with historical, political, and philosophical issues.
  • Book Summary: A thought-provoking play that brings historical figures into contemporary settings, questioning ideological legacies and the complexities of modern life.

• How to Explain the History of Communism to Mental Patients and Other Plays

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  • Book Summary: This collection of plays offers a unique perspective on the history and aftermath of communism, blending absurdity, humor, and tragedy to reflect on the human condition.

• Mr. K Released

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  • Book Summary: A Kafkaesque narrative that explores freedom, identity, and the absurdities of life through the story of Mr. K, who finds himself suddenly released from an indefinite detention.

Emil Cioran

• • On the Heights of Despair
    
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    • About the Author: Emil Cioran was a Romanian-French philosopher and essayist known for his works on existentialism and nihilism, marked by skepticism, pessimism, and lyrical intensity.
    • Book Summary: This early work of Cioran delves into themes of despair, absurdity, and death, offering a passionate and poetic exploration of existential angst and the human condition.