From the author of A Century Divided.“There is no such thing as a private life in the Socialist Republic. There is no such thing as a homosexual. No such thing as love. Not a single case of AIDS occurred in the East. Those corrupt Western ideas simply don’t exist in a perfect world.” A story about conspiracy and revolution, love and hate, and the strong power of friendship.In 1980s communist … and revolution, love and hate, and the strong power of friendship.
In 1980s communist Romania, three school graduates form an unusual friendship: young Attila, who’s in love with his 45-year-old teacher; Tiberius, son of high class secret police parents; and the gypsy Viorica, who is forced into a marriage arranged when she was four.
When a conspiracy scandal throws their life upside down, all three of them will have to choose their sides: for or against the cruel tyrant Ceausescu.
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Dear Comrade Novak is a ferocious and beautifully written novel about the political revolution in Romania during the 1980s. It isn’t only about Communism though; it is also about love, betrayal, and it offers a complex dialogue about personal relationships between our neighbors, our government and our true selves.
“The whole of everyday life in Romania is a trap. Don’t say something, don’t see too much, don’t do something dangerous, and don’t get involved with people you don’t know.”
This effectively displays the state of mind many people had during this timeframe and how afraid they were to push anything too far, to say something they shouldn’t… for fear of being made an example of by the State. Which was unofficially the death penalty with no trial, no warning and no mercy.
Novák Attila the main character is “Comrade Novak” and as a Hungarian born in Romania, to some he is a second-class person who will never rise to higher levels of society, because his blood is tainted by ancient connections to the mighty Huns.
“When he was young, his parents, his friends, and the whole village gave him the nickname “Attiko.” But now, no one dares to call him like that anymore. All too aware of his amazing career in the secret police, no one believes he’s only twenty-seven years old. His interrogations last fifteen minutes; the time it takes to play Maurice Ravel’s “Bolero.”
Attila wasn’t always this brutal, nor is it initially clear how an artist, a soulful young person became such a feared man, an assassin for the government and a destroyer of men with “Cancer” which was a codeword during this time for homosexual. The onslaught of AIDS has come to Romania and the government wants any evidence of this disgusting “Western influence” wiped out, hidden and demolished by their private police force, The Securiat. Attila becomes a monster, because there is a truth that only a few people know about him and he has to choose. This makes what he does later on in the story so diabolical, and so Machiavellian, it’s heartbreaking. “An undead monster, a strigoi as the villagers call those.”
Tiberius Nicolescu has been a friend with Attila since they were young. He’s just as strong and complex of a character as Attila, but his cultural challenge is the fact that he is Romanian, his father is very well connected to the current government and he is constantly under the shadow of whom his family is to society. He becomes the sort of friend to Attila that everyone hopes to have in their youth, a little brash, loyal and perhaps a tad too playful and nosy. His own family neglects his emotional needs and Attila’s family accepts him and seems to love and care for him as their own.
The relationship between Attila and Tiberius takes a drastic change when a dangerous secret passes between them and ultimately they become bitter enemies who face off in a game of wits. “I’m looking forward to our second date, sweetheart.” Nicolescu blows air-kisses. “Buzi, buzi, it’s one to one in the grand finale. Who will win?
The snippets of imagery and setting throughout are perfectly rendered to take the reader to Eastern Europe and see it through an artistic and accurate lens, “A thousand telephone cables spanning the city streets like spider webs, and rusty steel fences painted red.”
There were many memorable characters and moments in this novel to consider and move the plot forward, Ánná the stunning beauty, a modern, young woman who wants so badly to be taken seriously, but she plays dangerous games in a world that has no forgiveness, one that sees her as less than–– because she is not a man. She is also Attila’s sister and may or may not be on his side when extreme paranoia, and power plays become a diabolical part of their relationship.
Viorica was my favorite character and added dimension to the story. She is a friend of both men, and hails from their village. She is also a Gypsy and madly in love with someone she won’t ever have, because she’s almost invisible to other people in that way. She’s a young woman with no expectations for something better in life, except for domestic enslavement, extreme poverty and physical brutality from her husband. “‘Why, Viorica. Everybody knows the Huns don’t mix with the gypsies.’ Only best friends can tease each other like this, in a country where you can get arrested for being born into the false nationality, where ethnicities are strictly separated.”
This novel would appeal to readers who are looking for a deep text, a dialogue about life, survival and also someone like me–– who yearns for literary fiction that is unapologetic and strong. Below are a few lines that resonated deeply with me.
“The sudden splash of loneliness pours over him. A slight change in the atmosphere, atoms and molecules wrongly bonded, and the certainty hits him, takes away the social joy of a slightly awkward family dinner.”
“But of course, you have to if you want to be a real man, a trustful comrade. You have to follow the rules, whether they make sense or not. And don’t ask questions.”
“You can almost forget that there are no seasons in communism, no odors, no feelings, no religion, no men being in love with other men.”
“He only looks up into the white sky, the endless, empty, godless sky. It is snowing.”
I had no idea of the history of Romania and Eastern Europe. This is historical fiction with fictional characters, of course, but it is set in a real era based on a real culture and true events that I am glad to have learned about. Silvia paints a story with details great and small about the dynamics of the communist government, the cultures and prejudices, and complex characters. The tense dynamics between the Romanians, the Hungarians, and the Gypsies, and likewise the dynamic between our main characters was a unique one, considering their love for each other, but their peoples’ resentment of each other.
It is set in the 1980s, which I kept forgetting because it felt so bizarre, as an American, that a country would be in such a state still as late as the 1980s. It had the feeling of being maybe 50 or 60 years prior. I only remembered it was the 1980s when it mentioned something iconic like a particular rock band or Star Wars.
The living conditions were not at all described like we were accustomed to, especially Viorica’s, the gypsy. God that poor girl. I just…I want to punch everyone in her family. Several times. In the face. And take her to live with me so I can feed her and take care of her.
Some of the customs seemed strange and archaic, like the Hungarian tradition, part of becoming a man was slaughtering a pig in front of the entire town. That was Attila’s birthday party.
I don’t mean to offend anyone by saying this is strange, but it is strange to me because it is unfamiliar to me. I don’t mean that it strange in that it is bad. Strange only means unfamiliar.
We don’t see much of Tiberius’ home life because he is the son of a high ranking Romanian military officer, and he avoids home. Basically, his dad’s a jerk and he doesn’t want to be there. We don’t hear about that, but it’s easy to assume based on the fact that he doesn’t want to be home.
Most of the story isn’t actually set while they are in school, but I can’t really say much about what happens after that because SPOILERS.
Attila the Hungarian (Attila the Hun) goes on to work for the Romanian Sec. He is a gay man hiding in plain sight in a government position in a country where the penalty for homosexuality is death. He can be easy to hate, but please look closer. He is a flawed character who has committed wicked acts, but I do not think he has a wicked soul. I think he is self-absorbed and desperately wants to save his own skin above all else. That’s not an admirable quality, but it is human. It’s understandable.
Read the book, and you can judge him for yourself.
Tiberius goes into the army, and I can’t really say much else about what he does without spoiling things.
Viorica is forced into a gruesome marriage.
They all lose touch with each other.
They’re’s a government conspiracy.
I am itching to explain more, because it’s a wonderful story with wonderful complex characters, but I am afraid to give spoilers. Some of my favorite things about this book are the little details that aren’t significant to the story as a whole, but just things like the coins in the dress, and Viorica’s teeth. Attila’s mother. Attila and his records and his book. Tiberius being jealous of Attila’s epaulets. Those things really struck me. Viorica more than anyone else. Viorica’s teeth. I know she was covered the least of the three, but her character was the most…I don’t know. Viorica just connected to me more than the other two. The boys are not simple characters. I just like Viorica best. The character evolution in all three of them is immense. Obviously, the plot evolution is also. It can’t not be.
Anyway…I see that I’ve left a long review, but I haven’t actually said anything much about the book. Well…it’s a great book. Silvia Hildebrandt is a wonderful writer and storyteller. You should read Dear Comrade Novak. You won’t regret it. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone.