Andrei Codrescu Criticism
Andrei Codrescu, a Romanian-born American writer, is recognized for his experimental poetry, insightful commentary on contemporary culture, and mastery of the American idiom. His literary output spans over 20 volumes of poetry, prose, and journalism, with themes often reflecting his life under communism and as an expatriate in the West. Codrescu's poetic style, marked by proto-surrealism, draws inspiration from Romanian avant-gardists like Tristan Tzara and Eugene Ionesco, while his prose has been compared to that of Walt Whitman, William Carlos Williams, and Franz Kafka. His works explore urban themes and personal experiences, evident in collections like The History of the Growth of Heaven and Monsieur Teste in America.
Born Andrei Ivanovitch Goldmutter, Codrescu emigrated from Romania to the U.S. in 1966, where he quickly absorbed the American culture and language. Establishing himself with his award-winning debut, License to Carry a Gun, he became a significant voice in American letters. Codrescu's memoirs, such as The Life and Times of an Involuntary Genius, humorously document his transition into American life. He is also notable for his role as a commentator on NPR's "All Things Considered." His The Hole in the Flag, celebrated by critics like Alex Kozinski, provides a poignant narrative of Romania's 1989 revolution, capturing the cultural and political upheaval of the time.
Codrescu's The Blood Countess, a Gothic novel about the infamous Elizabeth Bathory, received mixed reviews. While some, like Kirkus Reviews, praised its craftsmanship, others, such as Nina Auerbach, critiqued its portrayal of female figures. His cross-country travelogue, Road Scholar, acclaimed for its wit and discovery, underscores his ability to blend personal narrative with broader cultural insights, as noted by critics like Francis X. Clines. Overall, Codrescu's work is celebrated for its humor, cultural insight, and linguistic creativity, securing his place as a prominent figure in both American and expatriate literature.
Contents
- Principal Works
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Essays
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Escape into New Languages: The Avant-Gardist Ideals and Constraints of Andrei Codrescu's Poetry
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In the following review, Cornis-Pop discusses the experimental, proto-surrealistic style of Codrescu's poetry.
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Premises as Pretense
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In the following review, Krich gives mixed reviews of Monsieur Teste in America and Other Instances of Realism. He lauds Codrescu's mastery of American idiom, but faults his overuse of simile.
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Embarrassed Palefaces
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In the following review, Klawans criticizes the works featured in American Poetry Since 1970: Up Late for their unworldliness and absence of emotion, although he notes their wit and clever observation.
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Pick a Peck of Poets
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In the following review, Mobilio faults American Poetry Since 1970: Up Late primarily for packing too many poets into too few pages, resulting in a poor presentation of the poets' individual voices.
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Romania's Big Bamboozle
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In the following review, Kozinski commends Codrescu's The Hole in the Flag: A Romanian Exile's Story of Return and Revolution for its accurate description of Romania and its people during the 1989 revolt.
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In a Sultanistic State
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In the following review, Stepan states that the chief merit of Codrescu's The Hole in the Flag: A Romanian Exile's Story of Return and Revolution is its documentation of how myths are replaced by counter-myths.
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They See America Rolling
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In the following review, Clines praises Road Scholar: Coast to Coast Late in the Century as full of "wit, discovery, and self-deprecation."
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Road Scholar: Coast to Coast Late in the Century
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In the following review, Stabiner favorably reviews Codrescu's Road Scholar: Coast to Coast Late in the Century.
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Song of My Emerging Self: The Poetry of Andrei Codrescu
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In the following review, Orlich describes Codrescu's Comrade Past & Mister Present, the story of his self-integration into his adopted culture, as intensely personal and powerful.
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The Blood Countess
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The following review commends Codrescu's historical novel The Blood Countess, comparing it to the works of Anne Rice, Zoe Oldenbourg, and Marguerite Yourcenar. An expertly crafted first novel uncovers the roots of contemporary Eastern European carnage in the lurid story of a notorious 16th-century murderess.
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Haunted in Hungary
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In the following review, Auerbach faults Codrescu for his depiction of Elizabeth Bathory and other female characters as either virgins or vamps in The Blood Countess.
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Mistress of Terror and Torture
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In the following review, Drew lauds Codrescu's The Blood Countess for making comprehensible to the West the hatred and violence of modern Eastern Europe by exposing its bloody past.
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Blood & Guts in Budapest
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In the following review, McLaughlin commends The Blood Countess for its historical foundation and commentary on current world events, but pans it for its repetition of themes, poor narrative technique, and sloppy treatment of details.
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The Dog with the Chip in His Neck: Essays from NPR and Elsewhere
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The following review identifies Codrescu's best essays in this collection as those which deal with the most personal subjects.
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Escape into New Languages: The Avant-Gardist Ideals and Constraints of Andrei Codrescu's Poetry
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