The Pigs’ Slaughter

1989 was a chaotic time. There were earthquakes, massive revolutions, and Seinfeld premiered. The Pigs’ Slaughter is a book about the revolution in Romania. Written by Florin Grancea, he gives us a window into the world of Romania during those last days of the communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. It is a hybrid story about a boy becoming a man and a country learning to walk. While “freedom” runs rampant, all Florin can wish for are new shoes. The book makes strong comparisons to many different themes. Topics ranged from the French Revolution, to horrors of World War 2, to the War on Terror. Each small snippet helps create, and explain, Grancea’s life and philosophy.

The plot centers around a poor Romanian family, as they celebrate Christmas, and are ecstatic for change in their government. Grancea is almost nostalgic about how life was back during Ceausescu’s reign. He remembers that people were suffering, but they were more self-sufficient. At one point, he recalls a time when pork tasted like pork and not the slated industrialize meat that he came to know later on.

The book’s best qualities are that it is both emotional and informative. Grancea makes you care about every single person in that book, and they feel real. Grancea masterly jumps from time period to time period, to give the reader a greater view of independent events. It creates a great flow, and it keeps the reader fascinated. I feel that this book knows no boundaries. It is more than a biography, it is a prestigious piece of history, but overall, it is a seriously outstanding book. The events of that Christmas in 1989 will forever be etched into Florin Grancea’s mind. Now, thanks to this unforgettable book, the world will never forget it as well.