Romania’s mysterious landscape serves as an evocative setting for the classic horror novel “Dracula,” written by Irish author Bram Stoker.
Published in 1897, Stoker’s masterpiece constitutes a foundational work in the genre of Gothic literature and introduces one of the most iconic figures in the pantheon of horror characters – Count Dracula.
This blood-curdling tale unfolds when solicitor Jonathan Harker’s business trip to Transylvania takes a perilous turn upon visiting Dracula’s eerie castle.
The novel then shifts to England, where the impact of Dracula’s presence grows increasingly disturbing.
Stoker’s vivid descriptions of the Transylvanian wilderness – with its archaic castles and forbidding landscapes – create an ominous mood that perfectly complements the horrifying story of the infamous vampire and his quest for power.
“The Keep” is a riveting horror novel set during World War II, in the secluded Carpathian Alps of Romania.
Written by F. Paul Wilson, this 1981 work tells the story of a mysterious citadel that attracts the attention of a German detachment tasked with its occupation.
What starts as a war novel smoothly transitions into a tale of supernatural horror when soldiers inside the keep are found brutally murdered, prompting an SS officer to arrive and investigate.
“The Keep” is a gripping intersection of war, history, and myth, blending the terror of human atrocities with the chilling legend of a malevolent entity trapped within the walls of the fortress, enticing readers into a dark world where the boundaries between the natural and the supernatural blur.
On a lighter note, “Vlad the Drac” by Ann Jungman is a children’s novel that presents a whimsical twist on the Dracula myth.
The story follows Vlad, a vegetarian vampire, who stows away in a handbag and ends up in London with a family who befriends him.
While not set in Romania, reflections of its rich folklore and legends are embedded in Vlad’s character, which is a playful nod to the country’s mythological heritage.
The charm of this cheerful tale lies in juxtaposing the fearsome Transylvanian vampire with a friendly, mischievous character that endears himself to children and readers.
Nobel laureate Herta Müller, known for her compelling accounts of the harsh realities faced under Nicolae Ceaușescu’s dictatorship in Romania, wrote “The Passport.”
Set in a small German-speaking village in Romania, the novella depicts the villagers’ desperate desire to escape the oppressive regime.
Through fragmented, poetic, and intense prose, Müller paints a stark portrayal of a people trapped, both physically and psychologically.
The protagonist’s attempts to secure an exit visa become an allegory for the universal quest for freedom and identity amidst the brutality of political oppression.
Herta Müller’s “The Appointment” gives readers a glimpse into the life of a young woman in communist Romania who is repeatedly summoned by the secret police.
Over the course of these nerve-racking trips, the protagonist is forced to confront the harrowing realities of life under an authoritarian regime.
Müller’s distinctive style weaves together the mundane and the terrifying, capturing the protagonist’s constant state of anxiety and the surreal nature of totalitarianism.
“The Appointment” is an intense, first-person narrative that bears witness to the inner turmoil caused by external oppression.
Exploring the trauma of World War I from an Eastern European perspective, “Forest of the Hanged” is a seminal Romanian novel by Liviu Rebreanu.
Published in 1922, the book draws on Rebreanu’s own brother’s experience; he was hanged for espionage and desertion.
The story’s main character wrestles with his conscience, torn between duty and the crushing sense of futility in the face of war.
This compelling narrative offers an emotional exploration of identity, morality, and the fateful pull of cultural and national ties, set against the backdrop of the dual Austro-Hungarian and Romanian spheres of influence during the conflict.
“Dracula the Undead” is a thrilling sequel to Bram Stoker’s “Dracula,” penned by British author Freda Warrington.
With a return to Romania’s gothic atmosphere, Warrington revisits the characters and the legacy left behind by the infamous vampire.
Set seven years after the original novel’s events, the story puts Stoker’s creation in a new light, blending horror, romance, and historical fiction elements.
Warrington’s imaginative expansion of the Dracula saga pays homage to Stoker’s universe while offering a fresh narrative arc that explores the consequences of the Count’s curse on those who survived him.
Olivia Manning’s “The Great Fortune” is the first volume in The Balkan Trilogy, depicting a world on the brink of World War II.
Set in Bucharest, Romania, the novel tells the story of a young British couple navigating the complexities of marriage against the turmoil of a Europe sliding into conflict.
Manning’s keen observational skills capture the political tensions of the time, as well as the social dynamics within the expatriate community in Romania, painting a deeply human and historically rich portrait of a region engulfed by the tides of war.