“Ce preferi?” (What do you prefer?) is a collection of short stories published by Polirom in 2022—18 stories about the fragility of existence, which can be overwhelming for anyone, regardless of circumstances or social status. It is a book about how a family handles moments of crisis: through overprotection or neglect? What brings two people together: physical attraction or affinities? What happens when communication becomes more of an obstacle than a bridge? And above all, can the body offer solutions? Instinct, vulnerability, and desire may join forces with reason, but nothing guarantees inner peace. Sensual, melancholic, always on the border between overwhelming sensitivity and illusory lucidity, the stories in “Ce preferi?” explore the limits of lives that are constantly dependent on an “other,” whether present or absent. And just when things finally seem to settle, a new factor emerges—one that only amplifies the problem. Dan Coman has already been known in Bulgaria with his poetry but not with his prose. Stilyan Deyanov has already published a first translation of a short story by Coman („Happy birthday”, part of What do you prefer?), in the biggest literary newspaper in Bulgaria, Literaturen vestnik, in the beginning of 2025. The story was acclaimed by the Bulgarian public and had many positive reviews which makes us believe that the translation of the whole book will be also well received. The proposed book touches a lot of topics which are common for Romania and Bulgaria: the so called „transition” after 1989; the difficulties of life in the countryside, far from the capital, which seem so similar on the two banks of the lower Danube.

Le présent texte propose une lecture de Noica par le prisme des diverses conceptualisations de l’Europe que le philosophe roumain a faites dans son œuvre. J’essaie de cerner ce thème sans pour autant prétendre accomplir une recherche exhaustive sur le sujet. Ainsi, je fais une analyse textuelle comparée de Philosophie et nationalisme et du Modèle culturel européen : un des premiers et le dernier texte de Noica qui concerne le thème choisi. J’essaie également de proposer quelques clés pour un futur approfondissement de cette analyse.

A full-length is available here.