Comments on: What is Romania? http://www.owlspotting.com/2006/05/24/what-is-romania/ Writings and whereabouts Sat, 05 Jul 2008 10:14:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Romer!can - Dispatches from an American in Transylvania http://www.owlspotting.com/2006/05/24/what-is-romania/#comment-7590 Romer!can - Dispatches from an American in Transylvania Sun, 24 Dec 2006 14:05:37 +0000 http://www.owlspotting.com/2006/05/24/what-is-romania/#comment-7590 [...] Professor Boia is a talented scholar on an important mission to openly and judiciously wade through the various propogandized histories that swirl a fog around attempts to understand Romania, a nation whose history has long-been a manipulative toy in the hands of whomever ruled the region(s). From the Dacians to the Slavs to the Romans to the Magyars to the Turks to the Austrians to Ceauşescu, serious attempts to understand the Romanian peoples have been subverted in favor of politically expedient half-truths which have had a lasting impact on how current generations of Romanians undertstand themselves. Romania is a brilliant, honest dissection of all the known factual information where the author goes a step further in inviting you to join in a realistic putting-together of the puzzle pieces so you might get a better grasp who Romania has really been all these centuries without feeling as though some vitrolic agenda were predetermining conclusions. If you have any interest in Romania, however passingly casual the fancy or gravely central to your core being, you absolutely must –without a doubt– beg, borrow, or steal Romania, tara de frontiera a Europei by Lucian Boia. [...] [...] Professor Boia is a talented scholar on an important mission to openly and judiciously wade through the various propogandized histories that swirl a fog around attempts to understand Romania, a nation whose history has long-been a manipulative toy in the hands of whomever ruled the region(s). From the Dacians to the Slavs to the Romans to the Magyars to the Turks to the Austrians to Ceauşescu, serious attempts to understand the Romanian peoples have been subverted in favor of politically expedient half-truths which have had a lasting impact on how current generations of Romanians undertstand themselves. Romania is a brilliant, honest dissection of all the known factual information where the author goes a step further in inviting you to join in a realistic putting-together of the puzzle pieces so you might get a better grasp who Romania has really been all these centuries without feeling as though some vitrolic agenda were predetermining conclusions. If you have any interest in Romania, however passingly casual the fancy or gravely central to your core being, you absolutely must –without a doubt– beg, borrow, or steal Romania, tara de frontiera a Europei by Lucian Boia. [...]

]]> By: Cristian http://www.owlspotting.com/2006/05/24/what-is-romania/#comment-268 Cristian Wed, 31 May 2006 00:54:28 +0000 http://www.owlspotting.com/2006/05/24/what-is-romania/#comment-268 Romerican, just say the words and I'll try to get it and bring it for you. Romerican, just say the words and I’ll try to get it and bring it for you.

]]> By: cristina http://www.owlspotting.com/2006/05/24/what-is-romania/#comment-265 cristina Mon, 29 May 2006 00:49:20 +0000 http://www.owlspotting.com/2006/05/24/what-is-romania/#comment-265 servus draga admin Working...been here for 5 yrs. off and on. Always in for some Romania bashing..just let me know where and when... cheers. servus draga admin

Working…been here for 5 yrs. off and on. Always in for some Romania bashing..just let me know where and when…
cheers.

]]> By: admin http://www.owlspotting.com/2006/05/24/what-is-romania/#comment-263 admin Fri, 26 May 2006 19:58:59 +0000 http://www.owlspotting.com/2006/05/24/what-is-romania/#comment-263 Cristina, what are you up to in Washington? Maybe fellow Romanians with similar ideas should get together for some friendly Romania-bashing :-) Cristina, what are you up to in Washington? Maybe fellow Romanians with similar ideas should get together for some friendly Romania-bashing :-)

]]> By: Romerican http://www.owlspotting.com/2006/05/24/what-is-romania/#comment-262 Romerican Fri, 26 May 2006 17:24:29 +0000 http://www.owlspotting.com/2006/05/24/what-is-romania/#comment-262 Sadly, I sold my English copy before I left (like a fool!) and here they do not have the English version available. I hadn't scoured the proprietary databases safely hidden behind the storekeeper's counter, but I can report that the four bookstores I went to in Brasov did not carry the Romaneste version on their shelves (although, they did carry other works by the same). Sadly, I sold my English copy before I left (like a fool!) and here they do not have the English version available. I hadn’t scoured the proprietary databases safely hidden behind the storekeeper’s counter, but I can report that the four bookstores I went to in Brasov did not carry the Romaneste version on their shelves (although, they did carry other works by the same).

]]> By: cristina http://www.owlspotting.com/2006/05/24/what-is-romania/#comment-260 cristina Fri, 26 May 2006 16:10:11 +0000 http://www.owlspotting.com/2006/05/24/what-is-romania/#comment-260 Straight to the point. I, myself Romanian, have seldomly met others from my country being able to criticize the absurdities taking place over there, ranging from political, economic and social. Lucian Boia is a great writer and I even recommended one of his books as study material for my professor of Eastern European studies when I was in grad school in Italy. Hope other Romanian fellows will not hate me. Servus from a fellow Romanian from Washington Straight to the point. I, myself Romanian, have seldomly met others from my country being able to criticize the absurdities taking place over there, ranging from political, economic and social. Lucian Boia is a great writer and I even recommended one of his books as study material for my professor of Eastern European studies when I was in grad school in Italy. Hope other Romanian fellows will not hate me.
Servus from a fellow Romanian from Washington

]]> By: Raluca http://www.owlspotting.com/2006/05/24/what-is-romania/#comment-259 Raluca Thu, 25 May 2006 21:01:13 +0000 http://www.owlspotting.com/2006/05/24/what-is-romania/#comment-259 Sounds good. I've just ordered it. Sounds good. I’ve just ordered it.

]]> By: admin http://www.owlspotting.com/2006/05/24/what-is-romania/#comment-258 admin Thu, 25 May 2006 19:37:38 +0000 http://www.owlspotting.com/2006/05/24/what-is-romania/#comment-258 Romerican, I believe we read the same book (although I read it in Romanian). The American Amazon sells it as "Romania." Other publishers have used the full title: "Romania, borderland of Europe." He is certainly not perfect (excessive use of "!" is one minus) but I agree that he is fantastic in his writing. I wish these books were there in the early 1990s and that such discussions would have been part of my school-sanctioned formation. Sure, learning never stops, but I'll venture the guess that the majority of people in my generation would not come across such points of view unless they left the country (which allows for some emotional dettachment) or somehow, luckily, met a Boia either in their college years or later. Romerican, I believe we read the same book (although I read it in Romanian). The American Amazon sells it as “Romania.” Other publishers have used the full title: “Romania, borderland of Europe.”

He is certainly not perfect (excessive use of “!” is one minus) but I agree that he is fantastic in his writing. I wish these books were there in the early 1990s and that such discussions would have been part of my school-sanctioned formation.

Sure, learning never stops, but I’ll venture the guess that the majority of people in my generation would not come across such points of view unless they left the country (which allows for some emotional dettachment) or somehow, luckily, met a Boia either in their college years or later.

]]> By: Romerican http://www.owlspotting.com/2006/05/24/what-is-romania/#comment-257 Romerican Thu, 25 May 2006 16:57:16 +0000 http://www.owlspotting.com/2006/05/24/what-is-romania/#comment-257 I've read Lucian Boia's history book, entitled simply "Romania," and found it to be a great piece of academic work for precisely the dispassionate perspective you found. In my attempt to begin understanding Romania, I ran a wide variety for histories from the Ceasescu slant to the visions of Magyar would-be-lords. It seemed nearly impossible to reconcile the various, vicious interpretations of events and consequence. Then Boia. He strung it all together quite remarkably in a way that allowed me to understand the other histories I'd read and realized that those perspectives began to make sense in light of Boia's neutrality. I doubt he's perfect. No one is. But damn if he isn't the best around. Bring that book. I'll buy it from you. I’ve read Lucian Boia’s history book, entitled simply “Romania,” and found it to be a great piece of academic work for precisely the dispassionate perspective you found. In my attempt to begin understanding Romania, I ran a wide variety for histories from the Ceasescu slant to the visions of Magyar would-be-lords. It seemed nearly impossible to reconcile the various, vicious interpretations of events and consequence. Then Boia. He strung it all together quite remarkably in a way that allowed me to understand the other histories I’d read and realized that those perspectives began to make sense in light of Boia’s neutrality.

I doubt he’s perfect. No one is. But damn if he isn’t the best around.

Bring that book. I’ll buy it from you.

]]> By: Vivi http://www.owlspotting.com/2006/05/24/what-is-romania/#comment-256 Vivi Thu, 25 May 2006 02:40:30 +0000 http://www.owlspotting.com/2006/05/24/what-is-romania/#comment-256 Finally, an explanation of why do people start overreacting whenever they sense even the slightest suggestion that Romania would have it's bad parts. :-) Finally, an explanation of why do people start overreacting whenever they sense even the slightest suggestion that Romania would have it’s bad parts. :-)

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