If you study the context long enough, you may get it why Slavici was highly innovative (and influential) after a period of „lowbrow” and short-breath prose (though not without some charming pieces; if you ask me, I'd pick Alecsandri's Călătorie în Africa...) and why Rebreanu hit the jackpot at a time when the Romanian novel was still close to non-existent. Nevertheless, it is easy to see why it is one of the favorite hate targets of pupils who hate having to read canonical books and making stupid pseudo-analysis for the „bac” exams. Nothing glossy here (in any way), nothing too vivid, everything is rigorously programmed and therefore falls flat easily for most teenagers (that the plot happens to have some similarities with modern Latin soap operas is an oft-used excuse). As for me, I am stranger enough from the very concept of a realistic novel to begin with... ( )

If you study the context long enough, you may get it why Slavici was highly innovative (and influential) after a period of „lowbrow” and short-breath prose (though not without some charming pieces; if you ask me, I'd pick Alecsandri's Călătorie în Africa...) and why Rebreanu hit the jackpot at a time when the Romanian novel was still close to non-existent. Nevertheless, it is easy to see why it is one of the favorite hate targets of pupils who hate having to read canonical books and making stupid pseudo-analysis for the „bac” exams. Nothing glossy here (in any way), nothing too vivid, everything is rigorously programmed and therefore falls flat easily for most teenagers (that the plot happens to have some similarities with modern Latin soap operas is an oft-used excuse). As for me, I am stranger enough from the very concept of a realistic novel to begin with... ( )