The Faraway Mountains by Radu Guiasu

The Faraway Mountains by Radu Guiasu

Three friends. A deadly climb. A country where freedom comes at the highest cost. The Faraway Mountains is a pulse-pounding tale of survival, loyalty, and courage set against the chilling isolation of Communist Romania.

A dark chapter in recent human history
The first part of this novel follows the adventures of three young friends during a memorable last mountain climbing trip to a remote area of a country under the control of a ruthless authoritarian regime. During their journey, the young men have to cope with bear encounters, venomous adders, colorful locals, storms, dangerous climbs, flooded caves, and other challenges, as the main purpose of their trip is gradually revealed.

A second story, intertwined with the first one, focuses on a brilliant young pianist and his ill-fated quest for freedom. Urban life, in the dreary capital where the young men regularly reside, is the focus of the second part of the novel, when the friends begin to go their own separate ways and come to terms with their very different future prospects. The challenges of life in the capital, which include run-ins with feral dog packs and the secret police, are very different than those faced in the mountains, but not less dangerous. Ultimately, this is a book about friendship, the noble, irreverent and indomitable aspects of the human condition, as well as a dark chapter in recent human history, and the various ways in which different people cope with difficult and unfair conditions.

It is an often hilarious and sometimes heartbreaking exploration of the absurdities of life under an increasingly erratic dictatorship which is gradually losing its grip on the people it could never fully control.

A remarkable piece of highly enjoyable reading, and, at the same time, an eye-opener for many of those unacquainted with life in Eastern Europe during communism"—Dr. Demetrio Boltovskoy, a Senior Researcher at the University of Buenos Aires.

"A quirky account of four young compadres, doing their best to resist a crushing communist system with resilience and cynical humor."—Dr. Martin Schlaepfer, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Geneva.

"The novel is a window into the functioning of a Communist state and the ways people found to survive its arcane and illogical way of life. It is a celebration of the endurance of the human spirit in the face of dictatorship; it is a gripping human story."—Professor Emeritus Stanislav J. Kirschbaum, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, author of A history of Slovakia: the struggle for survival, and professor at York University.

Radu Guiasu was born and raised in Bucharest, Romania during the time of the Communist dictatorship led by Nicolae Ceausescu. He moved to Canada at the age of 18, following his high school graduation. Today he is a biologist and an award-winning tenured Associate Professor in the Biology Program at Glendon College, York University in Toronto.

SKU	Nicht verfügbar
ISBN 13	9781592113170
ISBN 10	1592113176
Titel	The Faraway Mountains
Autor	Radu Guiasu
Buchzustand	Nicht verfügbar
Bindungsart	Hardback
Verlag	Histria LLC
Erscheinungsjahr	2023-11-07
Seitenanzahl	240
Hinweis auf dem Einband	Die Abbildung des Buches dient nur Illustrationszwecken, die tatsächliche Bindung, das Cover und die Auflage können sich davon unterscheiden.