Do you recommend any books or movies about this city/country for those who are interested in learning more?
The documentary 30 Years of Democracy. It's long, but gives a good overview of why Romania still struggles with corruption and rule of law. Amazon Prime video Tales from the Golden Age. It's a satire that makes fun of the communist times. Both videos have subtitles. - Jun 2023
If you're practicing Romanian language, try Micrea Bravo on YouTube. He makes funny sketches that are a few minutes long. - Mar 2019
The documentary series “Wild Carpathia.†- Jun 2018
Along the Enchanted Way
by William Blacker.
Twelve or so years ago, Blacker left the comfort of his British home for a new life in a northern Transylvanian village. He published his memoirs of this experience in this charming and humorous book.
Windmills of the Gods
by Sidney Sheldon.
It was written in 1987 but that's what makes this thriller such an accurate portrayal of the suspicion that existed between East and West. The story follows Mary Ashley, a young ambassador of the U.S. to Romania, who is thrust into a nightmarish adventure of kidnapping, assassination and espionage.
Wildwood Dancing
by Juliet Marillier.
Fans of young adult fantasy should snatch this book off the shelves. Set in Transylvania in the 16th century, Wildwood Dancing is a Grimm Brothers' fairy tale with a twist. Loosely based on The Twelve Dancing Princesses, the story follows the adventures of Jenica and her sisters as they uncover the dark secrets of the "wildwood."
The Last Hundred Days: A Novel
by Patrick McGuinness.
A novel with hints of autobiography, The Last Hundred Days tells the story of a young British man's experiences during the tumultuous last days of Ceausescus regime in Bucharest as he forges and questions his friendships.
The Appointment: A Novel
by Herta Mueller.
Written by a Nobel Prize winning author, this novel is set in communist Romania, where a young female factory worker is accused by the secret police of sewing notes in mens' suits with the intention of escaping the country.
The Land of Green Plums: A Novel
by Herta Mueller.
One of Mueller's most famous works, The Land of Green Plums tells a story of an oppressed German minority group who face dire circumstances in Romania under communism.
The Historian
by Elizabeth Kostova.
A combination of mystery, horror and historical fiction, The Historian is a best-selling novel inspired by the legend of vampires and Dracula, grappling issues such as good and evil, religion and history.
Windmills of the Gods by Sidney Sheldon.
It was written in 1987 but that's what makes this thriller such an accurate portrayal of the suspicion that existed between East and West. The story follows Mary Ashley, a young ambassador of the USA to Romania, who is thrust into a nightmarish adventure of kidnapping, assassination and espionage.
Train to Trieste
by Dominica Radulescu.
Mona is an impulsive Bucharest teen who falls in love with Mihai, a boy from the mountains, in the frightening time of Ceausescu's dictatorship. Paranoia and the disappearance of loved ones forces Mona to escape to America, only to find herself twenty years later determined to return to Romania-and to her first love.
The Forgotten
by Elie Wiesel.
Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel writes of his native Romania. In The Forgotten, Malkiel's father Elhanan, who is suffering from memory loss, tells his son of his past in a Romanian village where he prevented a crime. Malkiel travels to the village to confront the past of his father. - Feb 2014
Tom Gallagher has written on the political situation here. There are a number of books about the Dracula legend. - Jul 2010
Dracula. - Jan 2008
