169 (book)
169 is Mihai Cucu’s debut novel, published in 2014 by Razesu Publishing House. The plot follows Mihai Cucu, a teenager in Brasov, Romania who lives a usual but extremely happy highschool life in his hometown and then a normal but fascinating student life in Cluj-Napoca, in the same country. With his friends, he lives up to his dreams and achieves all of his goals in order to build a well defined and deserved future.
Mihai Cucu launched his book on the 10th of December 2014 in Brasov having the support of his family, friends and teachers.
Plot[edit]
After living his whole childhood in Brasov and after graduating the Unirea National Highschool, Mihai Cucu decides to move to Cluj-Napoca with his friends Sergiu, Matei and Sebi. After arriving in one of the biggest cities in Romania, they start living the typical student life, partying, playing videogames, dating and trying to do their best and graduate universities. Their interests and career expectations differ but they will always remain: 'all for one and one for all'. Combining fun and the love stories like any other student , Mihai consumes his emotions trying to impress Madison and makes a fool of himself in front of every other girl he wants to impress. Trying to become the best at everything he does, he turns out to become the ultimate perfectionist, being sure that everything that happens has a purpose. He always follows the idea that if something goes wrong it will turn out to be the right decision in the end.
Main characters[edit]
Mihai Cucu- the main character of the novel. The book is centered on his actions and on the way his life affects himself but also the others around him. He is the ultimate highschool student and afterwards the ultimate college student, living with his family when he was in his hometown and afterwards living with his best friend, Sergiu in an apartment in Cluj. Sergiu Notfag- he is the same age as Mihai, his best friend. He has blonde hair and green eyes and he loves dancing. In one of the chapters he receives a dance scholarship in Chicago. He is Mihai’s roommate and study partner in Cluj. He is the ultimate bestfriend being there for every important moment in Mihai’s life, when times are good but mostly when times are bad. Sebi- one of Mihai’s friends. He is there for most of their adventures. He wears glasses and a bowtie and Mihai never really understands why he likes spending time with him. Matei- Sebi’s roommate in Cluj, friend with Mihai, also there for most of their adventures. He is the person that makes Mihai feel happy when they spend time together. Madison- Mihai’s true love, the young girl who makes his world light up. She has brown hair, a beautiful smile and wears glasses. In the first pages of the book, Mihai talks about her as if she were his sister, but he is actually in love with her. Mihai’s parents- The author dedicates a whole chapter to them, describing them as being 'Gold mines'. Nea Mitel- Mihai’s gypsy friend, called the 'Black lion', owns a Ferrari, stolen from his brother. He gives Mihai relashionship advice, mostly bad relashionship advice. Vali- Mihai’s second best friend, his deskmate in the 11th grade, a great person to be friends with. Other characters in the book are Mihai’s friends and teachers, his girlfriends, his work colleagues and even a season, the summer. Humour is present in language and events and can be considered one of the most appreciatedand subtle characters.
Development, publication and reception[edit]
The novel was written starting July and ending September 2014, as the author stated: It’s a summer vacation written type of book. After having finished writing it, Mihai Cucu talked to a friend of his father, Dr. Virgil Răzeșu who read its first lines and became fascinated by the writing style of the author whose approach is ambitious and fresh and whose language is both simple and straight. Thus Razesu Publishing House decided to publish the novel. Why 169? Because the book has 169 pages, said the author in an interview. The book was launched on December 10, 2014 and received a good review from the author’s teachers, friends and readers of all ages. Doru Munteanu, a contemporary Romanian writer, highly appreciated the structure, subject and vocabulary of 169. Being published in a small city, it couldn’t become nationally popular, but Mihai Cucu received the chance to present it at the International Book and Music Fair in Brasov where he was invited by the director of the St.OIosif book store that sold his books in Brasov.
The author[edit]
The author, Mihai Cucu, is 19 years old, from Brasov, Romania. He wrote 169 trying to make it 'a diary of the future'. He wants to find out if his life could turn out the way he had imagined. He graduated the Unirea National Highschool in Brasov in 2015 and is now studying English Journalism at the Babes Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca. He was born on November 4, 1996. His parents, Rodica-Lidia and Alexandru-Alin, followed the path of teaching, his mother being an English teacher in a highschool in Brasov and his father being a Medicine Professor at the Faculty of Medicine in Brasov. His friends inspired him to write his first novel, giving him advice and the power to continue. He talks about them with admiration and love, calling them 'the best friends on Earth'. Most of them appear with changed names in the book, only Mihai and Sergiu keep their names. Mihai Cucu is working on a new novel,169+1, a book about the difficulties of adulthood and about hard work that leads to success.
References[edit]
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