Comments on: Damn you Norman Manea!

By: Stefan V

Stefan V — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 07:42:27 +0000

You’re welcome.
You were struck by Manea because you experienced it, even a little. It shocks and appals unlike other books that you’re just a third undisclosed party that it watching from a distance without any attachments to the places and people.
I was refering to ashen more metaphorically, well I tried to explain it as good as I can I can’t really write something that flows… yet.
Probably is getting better…

By: William Morris

William Morris — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 22:10:59 +0000

Stefan:

Thanks for your comment. Yeah, it probably is a generation gap. It could also be that us early missionaries were a unique group (and not all had the literary experience I did). Or maybe that’s just a self-indulgent sense of exceptionalism on my part.

To be completely clear — I do more than indulge in Kafka, Bulgakov and Tolstoy. I breathe them. But I think that Manea hit me in the particular moment captured above because the actual content was closer to me and my direct experience.

The Harry Potter comparison was one of comparing the sentimental “look at Harry sacrifice himself” reading experience with the much deeper, more harrowing experience of reading Manea.

You write “Romania is still an ashen world.” A quick anecdote: I saved my best white shirt for baptisms (that I performed) and mission conferences. I wore it less than 20 times in two years. I took it home with me, left the rest of my dress shirts there save the one I wore on the plane. I went to put it on the following Sunday. My mom told me I couldn’t wear it because it was grey. I said, no it isn’t — this is my best white shirt. The one I preserved. She had me compare it to one of my dad’s white shirts. She was right.

The thing is, in spite of the ashes, there was quite a lot about Romania I found beautiful.

By: Stefan V

Stefan V — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 21:06:04 +0000

I’m a romanian lds living in Romania right now… Wow, I wish we could still get missionaries that actually read more than 2 books in their life time, probably a generation gap… I don’t know how you can’t indulge in Kafka and Bulgakov and shocks me that you can compare them to Harry Potter… Even though it’s been 15 years “We’re orthodox” thing is still on. Probably at first glance nothing changed, but the youth now is far more understandable and westernised than 10 years ago, I know I finished high-school 2 years ago and in college here. Good post though. Romania is still an ashen world almost bleak, but steady in probably in like 50 years people will be more open minded than before….

By: Florian R

Florian R — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 22:20:38 +0000

The fall of Communism in Romania had opened Pandora’s box and all evil poured out. Prosperity? Yes, for a few privileged ones. Freedom? Yes, freedom to say and do anything, in a lawless society. Happiness? No time to think about it, had to make a living. Tolerance? Romania turned into a dog eats dog society, a pot spilling over anti-Semitism, hatred and racism, mostly against Gypsies. Democracy? People had no idea what democracy really means (and probably still don’t). I wonder if democracy can be “exported” to any culture….

The other not so funny thing is that during Communist times Romanians seemed to be more united. Ironically, we were all brother in arms, albeit in a Kafkian society.

By: William Morris

William Morris — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 22:17:42 +0000

Thanks, Florian. And, seriously, don’t worry about talent — just write the story. I’m sure it’s a story worth trying to capture.

By: Florian R

Florian R — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 21:35:56 +0000

I got goose bumps reading your comments. I am a Romanian emigree who lived in Romania in Communist and a few post-Communist years, and witnessed the uprising in 89. I was serving in the Army at that time in Bucharest (compulsory service at that time), and I can tell you that was an experience I wish I had the talent to write a story about…a total Twilight Zone experience!

By: JKC

JKC — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 21:04:14 +0000

That’s in our ward. I’ve taught a few discussions with the Elders in that building. We live about 1/2 mile from there over on 4th Ave N and 1st St.

By: William Morris

William Morris — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 20:45:01 +0000

JKC:

Yep.

By: JKC

JKC — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 19:50:23 +0000

Do you mean the public housing building on 3rd and Hennepin, right across from the library?

(I really enjoyed reading this post).

By: Johnna

Johnna — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 06:05:52 +0000

wow, and there is the soul of everything, everything about Uzbek, that I thought and felt and planned, in 1990, and 1993, and 2001. Even the comic book adaptation of Kojojash.