Reviews

Burying the Typewriter: Childhood Under the Eye of the Secret Police by Carmen Bugan

erikswallow's review against another edition

4.0

What a great book from the Goodreads giveaways! It's an engrossing, evocative memoir about growing up in an oppressive country, but only realizing it as such as one grows older. Bugan's crisp explorations into her coming to a sort of peace with her father's political actions, which affected her and the family in such an unexpected-to-him way, is what's so ultimately compelling about this memoir.

dpet0106's review against another edition

informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

crookedrat's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

naiapard's review against another edition

5.0

“One of us must go to the American Embassy and ask for political asylum.”

The memoir encompasses the childhood and teenage years of Carmen Bugan. She grew up in Romania during its Ceausist regime with a dissident father. Because the freedom of expression was pretty much null, her father`s anti-regime manifestations got him imprisoned several times. The family was severely stripped of their liberties too. It was considered that a family was a compact structure, so, if the father was against the regime, so could be family.

She relates how she had people spy on her and her family at all times. She grew up with an absentee father, replaced by the secret police people who would bug their house with microphones and follow them wherever they went.

It`s a sad memoir. I don`t think it inspires you too much, maybe hope? The hope that if you wait and endure through there will be a light at the end of the tunnel?

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stitchandwitch's review against another edition

4.0

A memoir written by a poet for poets.

kamd's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

3.0

eldaaurora97's review against another edition

4.0

I liked this book! When describing her childhood and adolescence, Carmen uses somewhat sentimental language, especially when describing her little garden and family. It does get darker, but the overall vibe is like a fairytale of sorts.

There's a lot on departing and leaving, which Carmen also describes beautifully. Simultaneously, I would've liked a longer book...

jaclyn_youngblood's review against another edition

4.0

Devoured this memoir.

christhedoll's review against another edition

4.0

We hear about political dissidents, but what about the families they leave behind?

panichistory's review against another edition

5.0

This was an amazing book. I really like the writing style, and the last 30 pages or so made me super emotional.