THE PHANTOM CHURCH and Other Stories from Romania

by Georgiana & Sharon King--Eds. & Trans. Farnoaga ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 15, 1997

A splendid collection of short fiction, now in a first-time English translation, from the perpetually beleaguered little country whose writers have long struggled against political repression and censorship, most notably during the Stalinist regime and recently under Ceauescu. Of the twenty stories included here, only two are by writers likely to be familiar to American readers: political satirist Petru Dumitriu and historian of religion Mircea Eliade (whose pungent ""The Captain's Daughter"" is surprisingly vigorous and naturalistic). But there are many gems among these bold and colorful tales, heavily influenced by indigenous myth and folklore and suffused with a matter-of-fact supernaturalism. Best are Radu Cosasu's parable-like ""Burials,"" Aha Blandiana's Gogolian title story (in which a religious ""miracle"" expands into a seriocomic communal nightmare), and Mircea Cartarescu's powerful tale of boyhood friendship and rivalry (""The Game""). An exemplary anthology.

Pub Date: Jan. 15, 1997

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 240

Publisher: Univ. of Pittsburgh

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1997

Categories: FICTION