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Times New Romanian
‘In Romania anything is possible, everything is impossible, and nothing is ever as it seems.’
Times New Romanian provides a picture of Romania today through the individual first-person narratives of people who chose to go and make a life in this country.
Each chapter a voice, each story in Times New Romanian provides readers with a look into the Romanian world – the way things work, the vitality of the people, the living heritage of rural traditions, ordinary life – sometimes dark, sometimes sublime, always interesting.
In a land full of character and contradiction, there is a strong attraction for those with the spirit to meet the challenges, where the one thing you can be sure of is the unpredictable. Life is not always easy. These stories will tell you why...
If you want to know more about Romanians and their country, the voices in Times New Romanian make for an enjoyable and lively read. Inspired by Studs Terkel and Tony Parker, Nigel used their oral history style and his own experience in Romania to guide him in recording these interviews.
Featured in The Bookseller
Times New Romanian provides a picture of Romania today through the individual first-person narratives of people who chose to go and make a life in this country.
Each chapter a voice, each story in Times New Romanian provides readers with a look into the Romanian world – the way things work, the vitality of the people, the living heritage of rural traditions, ordinary life – sometimes dark, sometimes sublime, always interesting.
In a land full of character and contradiction, there is a strong attraction for those with the spirit to meet the challenges, where the one thing you can be sure of is the unpredictable. Life is not always easy. These stories will tell you why...
If you want to know more about Romanians and their country, the voices in Times New Romanian make for an enjoyable and lively read. Inspired by Studs Terkel and Tony Parker, Nigel used their oral history style and his own experience in Romania to guide him in recording these interviews.
Featured in The Bookseller
- GenresRomaniaNonfictionHistory
353 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 13, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 15, 2015
Disclaimer: Nigel Shakespear has been my friend for several years and his interview with me appears in this book. Subjectivity aside, I find 'Times New Romanian' an intriguing read that should appeal to anyone interested in Romania. No matter how much one might have experienced in this fascinating country, Nigel's collection of lively interviews brings fresh insight with every page. I must admit, at first, I found some of the verbatim transcriptions a little awkward on the eye, but that is a minor quibble since 'conversation' is key to the project. The range and depth of these chats is impressive, as is the fatalistic and good-humoured determination of the interviewees. So much of Romania is in these pages - the people and the passions, the problems and the potential. It is a book to dip into again and again, and thus perfect for bedside or coffee table. Even better, pack it for your trip to this wondrous land in the heart of Europe! Nigel has done very well to collate our dreams and dilemmas. It's a labour of love, and we know why.
November 12, 2014
A book like a mirror for Romanians and better than a tour guide for Westerners ;)
I really enjoyed reading these 38 stories and find out the answer to the obsessive question we all at least once asked: "What do you think about Romania/Romanians?". And I was happy to see that, despite our low self-esteem and extreme self-criticism, foreigners do appreciate us as individuals and really love the country. Even when they criticize some disturbing aspects of our society, they do it in an affectionate and humorous manner. So, they really must like us. And we definitely must thank them for their kind words and concrete support throughout the years ;)
More about the book, right here: http://www.timesnewromanian.com/index...
I really enjoyed reading these 38 stories and find out the answer to the obsessive question we all at least once asked: "What do you think about Romania/Romanians?". And I was happy to see that, despite our low self-esteem and extreme self-criticism, foreigners do appreciate us as individuals and really love the country. Even when they criticize some disturbing aspects of our society, they do it in an affectionate and humorous manner. So, they really must like us. And we definitely must thank them for their kind words and concrete support throughout the years ;)
More about the book, right here: http://www.timesnewromanian.com/index...
July 31, 2014
interesting book which looks at modern day Romania in the form of short interviews from various different people from different backgrounds and their own experiences with the culture, political aspects of a country changing from a communist country to one of the latest additions to the EU membership.
The only slight problem is that the book should of had more links by the author instead of a preface style start but that's just a personal choice though.
The only slight problem is that the book should of had more links by the author instead of a preface style start but that's just a personal choice though.
July 7, 2019
Excellent evocation of Romania through a prism of foreigners who have settled there. Themes quickly emerge: the chaos, the bureaucracy, the stunning countryside, the warm people, the buzz - hence the settlers love and loathe aspects of Romania. On balance it’s more the former, such that, at the end, there’s a short but heartfelt list of what each of the contributors would miss most were they ever to have to leave the country.
June 22, 2025
Read a little but I'm not great with non fiction and the Romanian voices talk a lot about the past which is a different Romania to the one I have encountered. Even the present is now that past as it's 10 years old. Dipping in I can see that it certainly reflects how lovely the people are as a nation.
July 1, 2014
I very much enjoyed reading this book. I tend to read a lot more fiction than non-fiction these days, so it made a pleasant change for me.
I liked the format of the book, which consisted of many, short, real life stories from people that had moved into Romania, or worked there, generally as foreigners. This made it easy to read in a bitwise fashion. I don’t think I quite realised the extent of the cultural diversity of the country before. It was a great insight into life as a foreigner in a fascinating and exciting country.
Each story had a different viewpoint based upon where the person had originated from, how they had first visited the country, their motivations for being there, and ultimately what kept them there. For some they now viewed Romania as their home, whilst for others it was home for now, but their real home was elsewhere. Some of those spoken to divided their time between living in Romania, and living in another country.
I found it fascinating to hear about the multitude of different ways that these people approached life in Romania. For some it was just somewhere that they worked, either for themselves, for large multinationals, or as volunteer workers, for others it was because they had a Romanian partner.
It was interesting to see how people’s lives had changed and developed during the course of their time there, and as a result of the people that they met and their experiences.
I would recommend this to anyone wanting to gain a greater insight into life in Romania as a foreigner, or indeed just interested in learning more about the country. This was a most interesting read.
This review is based on a complimentary copy.
I liked the format of the book, which consisted of many, short, real life stories from people that had moved into Romania, or worked there, generally as foreigners. This made it easy to read in a bitwise fashion. I don’t think I quite realised the extent of the cultural diversity of the country before. It was a great insight into life as a foreigner in a fascinating and exciting country.
Each story had a different viewpoint based upon where the person had originated from, how they had first visited the country, their motivations for being there, and ultimately what kept them there. For some they now viewed Romania as their home, whilst for others it was home for now, but their real home was elsewhere. Some of those spoken to divided their time between living in Romania, and living in another country.
I found it fascinating to hear about the multitude of different ways that these people approached life in Romania. For some it was just somewhere that they worked, either for themselves, for large multinationals, or as volunteer workers, for others it was because they had a Romanian partner.
It was interesting to see how people’s lives had changed and developed during the course of their time there, and as a result of the people that they met and their experiences.
I would recommend this to anyone wanting to gain a greater insight into life in Romania as a foreigner, or indeed just interested in learning more about the country. This was a most interesting read.
This review is based on a complimentary copy.
March 20, 2018
Having had a short but very sweet visit to Romania a couple of years ago, I wanted to know more about the country, and found this to be a really excellent book. It is essentially a series of interviews with foreigners who were drawn to Romania for various different reasons, and have now come to call it their home. This myriad of voices creates a colourful patchwork of insights into and experiences in the country that would appear to be far more rounded than something that one travel writer alone could convey. And despite the struggles and stresses that many of the interviewees voice about Romania, I couldn’t help but finish the book with a sense that here is a hidden gem which seems to have a special pull on people who dare to go off the beaten track and visit this relatively unknown corner of Europe.
Even if you haven't been to Romania and hadn't thought about going, I would still recommend this. I found the human story aspect of the interviews to be incredibly engaging, and in some cases inspiring. A highlight for me is the interview with Paul Davies, a Welshman whose life was profoundly changed when he visited Romanian orphanages back in the 80s and now lives there permanently, running his own charity. That each interview is relatively short in length makes for a very readable book too, as I found that with 15 minutes spare here and there in the day, I could pick it up and dip into another person's life quite easily.
I'd love to see more books like this. A very interesting and absorbing read.
Even if you haven't been to Romania and hadn't thought about going, I would still recommend this. I found the human story aspect of the interviews to be incredibly engaging, and in some cases inspiring. A highlight for me is the interview with Paul Davies, a Welshman whose life was profoundly changed when he visited Romanian orphanages back in the 80s and now lives there permanently, running his own charity. That each interview is relatively short in length makes for a very readable book too, as I found that with 15 minutes spare here and there in the day, I could pick it up and dip into another person's life quite easily.
I'd love to see more books like this. A very interesting and absorbing read.
December 21, 2014
I read this book mostly during the evenings and always looked forward to finding out about new people and learning about their lives in Romania. I even made some notes of places to visit and people to see, perhaps one fine day - it's great that Nigel has added contact details for most of his respondents. I like his interviewing technique and the straightforward answers he received. The book really helps one to understand Romanians, Romania, and some of the ex-pats who have made our country their home.
October 19, 2019
An amateurish collection that somehow manages to capture the soul of Romania
The sheer number of interviewees makes it a worthwhile read because you have a diverse set of voices that help paint the big picture. There’s not much of an editing done so it’s a choppy read and the bare bones chapter headings can cause confusion as to the gender and the country of origin of the participants- but at the same time this makes it feel raw to the point where you can almost hear their accents and get a feel for their characters.
The sheer number of interviewees makes it a worthwhile read because you have a diverse set of voices that help paint the big picture. There’s not much of an editing done so it’s a choppy read and the bare bones chapter headings can cause confusion as to the gender and the country of origin of the participants- but at the same time this makes it feel raw to the point where you can almost hear their accents and get a feel for their characters.
December 31, 2016
This provided an interesting perspective on Romania, now that I also live there as an ex-pat, albeit temporarily. Many of the narratives aligned with my own take on Romanian culture while others described a country I've yet to see. As always, truth lies in the eye of the beholder.
January 22, 2017
O carte interesanta, care merita citita, nu de alta, dar nu ne strica sa aflam cum suntem priviti si de altii. Am scris mai multe pe blog: https://dorinadanila.com/2017/01/22/s...
January 17, 2015
real Romania!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews