“Women, they have minds, and they have souls, as well as just hearts. And they’ve got ambition, and they’ve got talent, as well as just beauty. I’m so sick of people saying that love is all a woman is fit for.” (Alcott, Little Women) A wearying message arrives to Elena: Her friend has vanished. Yet, […]
‘The Trenchcoat’ by Norman Manae, a part of the collection “Compulsory Happiness,” is set in Bucharest during the stirring history of the haunting truths of Romania’s last years under communist rule. At first, I thought the novel was one of the most peculiar, vague pieces of literature I had ever read. I do not think […]
The Trenchcoat by Norman Manea was a book which had importance and meaning, hidden by the disguise of normalcy. At first read, the book depicts the drama and relationships of many characters, and displays their conversations over dinner parties, and in the privacy of their homes. It is only in the small details where one […]
This week’s reading was The Trench Coat. The book takes place in Romania under the communist regime and to be frank, I did not enjoy reading it. I was on the treadmill while reading the beginning section and what I captured was the copious amounts of drinking such as whisky and vodka, which coincidentally, is […]
Hello, I’m back at it yet again to talk a bit about this week’s book: The Trenchcoat by Norman Manea. On the whole, I found the book kind of confusing to read. The start feels like it throws us into the story very quickly, and we are left to try and figure it out on […]
Seemingly becoming a trend, I again feel very neutral about this book. When I finished reading, all I thought was “okay, I guess that’s it,” and not much else. I chose this book this week because I am interested in the Cold War and the Soviet Bloc countries during this time period. I think this […]
A conversation with the famed Romanian writer
Videos about Norman Manea and Romania under Communism
Like some of my peers in the class, I also watched the lecture before reading the text, and I feel like I will continue to do so for the remainder of the readings. The context of the Romanian communism and the censorship that Manea had to endure to write and publish this story is something […]
Norman Manea’s “The Trenchcoat” was a very interesting read. I did feel a bit lost while reading it, until I realized it was not about the details of the story that mattered. Once I adjusted the way I was reading it, the story became much more enjoyable. It felt very distant and impersonal for quite a bit of the text. It focused quite a bit on interpersonal relationships, with the use of symbolism to describe life at that time in Communist Romania. A lot of the story involves reading between the lines of the text to be able to understand the underlying messages.
While not explicitly mentioned within the book, the novel describes life under Communist Romanian President Nicolae Ceaușescu. Ceaușescu was famously executed along with his wife on Christmas Day, ending communism in Romania. Manea is able to paint the scenes of the story through symbolism. Much of what he writes throughout the story has double meanings and plays into a larger picture. He was unable to explicitly mention specific people or parties to ensure his safety and that of his family. I did not realize that so much of the story would depend on understanding some of Romania’s history. Luckily, going into the novel I had the past knowledge necessary to understand the timing of the story.
I think that a lot of the importance of this story is how it can impact people. Sadly, there are many countries with improper rulers and unfair laws. There is a universality to the text that can still be utilized and compared to the world today. Bad governance has been prevalent all throughout history and modern times.
Throughout the dinner party, I kept asking myself: what am I missing? It felt very mundane and uncomfortable and I was unable to see the significance of it. I am open to hearing anyone’s interpretations of that scene as I would like to know how other people understood it.
I really enjoyed Manea’s writing style. I’ve began wondering if his other novels are similar to this one. Do they all convey political undertones? How have they impacted the lives of those who have read it? Furthermore, how does it represent Romanian beliefs and social circumstances during that time?
My question to the class is: What do you think the purpose of the dinner was? Were there secret messages or was it to set the scene of the mysterious trench coat?
