Flying Against the Arrow: An Intellectual in Ceausescu's Romania (Central European Library of Ideas) [Hardcover]

Horia-Roman Patapievici (Author)

Book Description

Series: Central European Library of Ideas | Publication Date: May 2003

Translated from the best selling Romanian edition, Flying against the Arrow, this quasi-autobiographical book describes the life of an intellectual living under extreme political conditions, paying particular attention to the 'unbearable 80s'. The book vividly portrays the difficulties encountered by a young intellectual trying to shape himself under the oppressive Ceausescu regime and provides a stark depiction of a man's intellectual suffocation under hard-line socialist rule. The book's overall significance is therefore far more wideranging than just Romania or the 1980s.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An exciting book, extremely inquisitive, sparkingly elegant and always freshingly invigorating... I would certainly buy the book and strongly recommend it." -- Mihaela Lidia Irimia, University of Bucharest, Romania, 1999

"An exciting book, extremely inquisitive, sparkingly elegant, always freshingly invigorating... I would certainly buy the book and strongly recommend it." -- Mihaela Lidia Irimia, University of Bucharest, Romania

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Romanian

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 252 pages
• Publisher: Central European Univ Pr (May 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9639116572
• ISBN-13: 978-9639116573
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,618,132 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surviving Big Brother in communist Romania, November 25, 1999

By 

Tudor I. OPREA (Gothenburg, Sweden) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flying Against the Arrow: An Intellectual in Ceausescu's Romania (Central European Library of Ideas) (Paperback)

I read this book in Romanian; thus I will focus on the book's contents, not its translation. The book is a mixture of autobiographical notes and fundamental truths, blended with natural ease by one of modern Romania's foremost thinkers. For those who have lived under oppression, this book will highlight some of the personal solutions found to survive communist Romania. For those who only read about Big Brother, there will be interesting insights into art of survival. Fundamental truths decorate the text in a gem-like fashion. These are the result of Patapievici's combined education, as a physicist and as a philosopher. His way of looking at things has that particular quality that emerges when experiencing the "Eureka" feeling - as the Greek Archimedes once did. Upon reading this book, the reader is likely to say, "This is it!" more than once. At least I did. A highly enjoyable book, both from the epic, as well as from the cultural perspective.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surviving Big Brother in communist Romania, November 25, 1999

By 

Tudor I. OPREA (Gothenburg, Sweden) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flying Against the Arrow: An Intellectual in Ceausescu's Romania (Central European Library of Ideas) (Paperback)

I read this book in Romanian; thus I will focus on the book's contents, not its translation. The book is a mixture of autobiographical notes and fundamental truths, blended with natural ease by one of modern Romania's foremost thinkers. For those who have lived under oppression, this book will highlight some of the personal solutions found to survive communist Romania. For those who only read about Big Brother, there will be interesting insights into art of survival. Fundamental truths decorate the text in a gem-like fashion. These are the result of Patapievici's combined education, as a physicist and as a philosopher. His way of looking at things has that particular quality that emerges when experiencing the "Eureka" feeling - as the Greek Archimedes once did. Upon reading this book, the reader is likely to say, "This is it!" more than once. At least I did. A highly enjoyable book, both from the epic, as well as from the cultural perspective.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful, February 1, 2000

By 

Edward Kanterian (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flying Against the Arrow: An Intellectual in Ceausescu's Romania (Central European Library of Ideas) (Paperback)

Patapievici is one of the most interesting intellectuals in Eastern Europe. His sharp criticism of Romania's nationalistic illusions has greatly contributed to the country's democratic progress. This book is not his best, but certainly an exciting one.