O istorie a literaturii române pe unde scurte

Monica Lovinescu reviews writing from Romania from 1960 to 2000. She shows how state force shaped books. It also shaped how critics judged them. Her reviews blend the history of writing with close study. They suit readers drawn to Romania and its culture. They also suit those who study how states censor writing.

Lovinescu spoke about banned works on Radio Free Europe. She also hosted talks with authors from Romania. People across the country heard her shows for thirty years. These talks brought her father’s work to more people. Her father was E. Lovinescu. He had worked within Sburătorul, his small circle of writers.

She asks, above all, how writers must tell the truth. She shows how states with total control put pressure on writers. They pressed them to betray their beliefs. In her view, books could lose their lasting worth. This could happen when they served a set of political beliefs.

Lovinescu worked in the press and as a critic. She did this while in exile in France. She studied works of prose and verse in Bucharest. She left for Paris in 1947. She later sought asylum from her home state. She made radio her career. She also worked in theatre and translated texts. She wrote for journals run by people in exile. In 1977, she lived through an attempt to kill her. Those behind the attack acted on political orders.

Cristina Cioabă edited this edition. She also wrote its preface. The book belongs to a series that marks an anniversary for Monica Lovinescu.