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APPRECIATIONS A often ask myself what is the beauty of his books. I think we can find it is Eminescu's words:"... it is not intelligence that is rare, but character". Everything -the lyricism, the humour, the artistic thought, the language of Vangheli's works pos. sess character. Or, there are enoUgh of us who believe that literature for children is g widowed little house with no fences where we could rest for an hour or two in our way towards the great and true loves. We should eradicate this mentality in the name of all we have achieved with so great pain for the right veneration of our children. GrigoreVIERU
Guguță is endowed with lots of features and one of these is the quality of LIBERATOR. Our children were enclosed in a kind of literary Gulag in the 50s and 60s. In other words they were instructed on the base of books built on ideas which were foreign, lying and lacking any dignity. But here comes another liberator differ-ent from the one those books we talked above hâd accustomed us to, Guguță comes, he who thinks and acts really free. And the literary taste of our little readers be-comes freer through him, the taste that has been distorted till recendy. Grigore VIERU
Another wonderful feature of the books signed by Spiridon Vangheli is the beauty, plasticity and wealth of the language.... The great writer's work is the manual of Romanian from which our children learn to speak, to feel and to ponder Roma-nian, the same as from the works of the genius of Humulești. Grigore VIERU
Thus we win through Guguță the brightest victory of our modern writing for children. Guguță is a Prince Charming of ourș. Ciubotei, Grăia-Singur, Titirică ... are, the same as Guguță, the expression of childhood which is truthful, literary unfalsified, carrier of beauty and inner liberty... That is why the works of this great writer for children will always be passionately read by children and by grown-ups. Grigore VIERU
This writer has a fantasy, a beautiful language, and a good sense of humor. Spiridon Vangheli is a writer from the noble family of Ion Creangă which has appeared near Bălti, where the mythes of the ancient rural world are fighting with the tragedies ofthewildhistory. Eugen Simion, Bucharest
I will tell you a story of my life in order to better understand the beautiful features of Guguță. It was the year of 1954. Not having passed the entrance exami-nations at Kiev Institute of painting, I appeared at the Institute „Ion Creangă" of Chișinău, though late. I was lucky to meet Spiridon Vangeli who was a student at „Ion Creangă" then. He, who was to write Guguță, took me nicely by hand and brought me to the board of examination and to his insistence I passed the entrance examinations in two days. Thus due to Spiridon Vangeli I became a student that year. And later, also due to him, I entered the atmosphere of literary circle of the Institute under leadership of the large-hearted, friendly and lenient youngster Spiridon Vangeli, who was a writer then. Gheorghe VODĂ
I had tens and hundreds of opportunities to meet pupils of different villages of our republic. I have to recognize gladly (for Vangheli and for all of us): his books and characters are very popular; Guguță, Ciubotei and other personages created by his fantasy found their visas of residence in every village or city of Moldova and abroad. Petru CĂRARE
Spiridon Vangheli's hours of inspiration bear the names of his characters. He succeeded dripping a drop of the eternal childhood over the seen and unseen world of his characters. Victor PROHIN
Spiridon Vangheli knows how to catch the child's vision in the process of world cognition. This is where from the emotive power of his writing comes. Vangeli's works are well-known on every continent. It is a rare situation for a little literature written in a language which is not of world-wide usage. Vladimir BEȘLEAGĂ
Literature is destined for children as a rule, and satire, as to say, is a pili swal-lowed together with the whole piece of work. Spiridon Vangheli's „the Feats of Guguță" are interesting from this prospect. These stories could be highly instructive disclosing positive traits of the character who faces negative phenomenon of reality. Vasile COROBAN
Vangheli is a writer of a rare imagination. He perfectly masters everything that belongs to child's logic and psychology. His images are very plastic as they are natural to the child. ... urge Spiridon Vangheli to write more of these stories, to write fantastical and adventure novels, he is almost the only literary mân here able to raise these genres to the level of art. George MENIUC
Guguță is at that age, when relations with people and society substitute gradu-ally and durably the first and unrepeatable contact till identification with nature. Raisa SUVEICĂ
Spiridon Vangheli achieves by his book a novei for children, which is total new in our literature. Situated between game and drama, this book combines the whole richness of village's world and whole colours' diversity acquainted in details by the author. In any way, the impression of diversity, realistic profoundness and psycho-logical knowledge offered by reading of this book is most intense than after reading of many „serious-minded" novels which display maliciously their titles... Ion HADARCA
You can discover in libraries that his books are the most wom-out, if you will find : them there. This is a sign they are the most read ones. He wrote at the time we did. Others were making plans, where he was writing. Sometimes when I called him up he was answering: „I am not home!" That is I work. His smile a bit embarrassed as if willing to say, don't bother me the first 60 years, his smile, a little embarrassed, wanted to say when he was proposed to have a beer or to assist at an awarding of prizes at the Union of Writers. Nicolae DABIJA
Spiridon Vangheli's writing does not copy life, rather life is liable to copy what happens in his books. Almost every village of Moldova has today a Guguță and somewhere a Titirică, a Ciubotei... The writer's books are like ships bringing chil-dren in the open șea in order to return for other children. Nicolae DABIJA
There was a colony on the border of an empire and there lived a magician. That magician adored children and for the reality was grey and gloomy, he decided to create another world: a more joyous, a better and a more beautiful one in which, once entered, the little men could feel the way little men always did enjoying com-pletely the great wonder that would never repeat — the childhood. ... and this good magician is Spiridon Vangheli, the writer who has demonstrated that literature can be made in a province too — Literature with a capital letter. Sergiu CUCUIETU
The little character of Spiridon Vangheli makes the supreme wonder: he brings you, the litde ones, among us, the grown-ups and retums us to our whole childhood. Mihai CIMPOI
Titirică, another character of Spiridon Vangheli, abundently demonstrates us j that the writer conceives the child as a complex reality where kindness and devilish impulse towards adventure get on well together. That is what explains the popular- j ity of Vangeli world-wide. Mihai CIMPOI
The adults pass into Spiridon Vangheli's prose as through a purgatory of childhood. The cleverness of Guguță and Ciubotei bring them back into the sphere of candour and inițial purity. Mihai CIMPOI
As many Creangă's and folk personages, Guguță is giant by his capacity to invent parables, in which the usual, daily, even trite fact becomes exaggerated, framed in the fairylike, incredible, but absolutely truthful atmosphere. Ion CIOCANU
Spiridon Vangheli is a great writer for children. A great Romanian writer for children. I say this without forgetting our brilliant precursors who wrote for children: Creangă, Coșbuc, Sadoveanu, Arghezi... Vasile ROMANCIUC
It is not easy at all to find two good friends even among writers, or especially among writers. Coteries are surely not taken into consideration. The false friend-ship within these coteries produces piles of empty bottles, pyramids of gossips... But I know two writers who are friends. Real friends. Friends in need — Spiridon Vangheli and Grigore Vieru. The ABC-book (.Abecedarul") is the fruit of their friendship. Vasile ROMANCIUC
Politicians break their promises, they kiss one another and imagine biting one another, whereas children are sincere and one-faced. Do you still remember these lines out of a miniature by Spiridon Vangheli: „Rodica, it is so good! When I am next to you, then you are next to me!" Guguță, who travels abroad starting even in the year of his birth, who contrib-utes as no one else to the „opening to the world" of Bessarabians, is a real Foreign Minister of our literature. Guguță and Tom Sawyer made and still make more than some royalties for the approach between people and countries. Vasile ROMANCIUC
There are sufficient basises to maintain that Vangheli's works have entered irrefutably in the patrimony of our literature, occupying the honour place on the chain of established values. Eliza BOTEZATU
Children immediately accept and join this much more joyous play. Further on all depends on the writer's talent: the skill to turn the play into reality, to awake from fantasy to life, from convențional to absolute truth. Spiridon Vangheli knows how to do it, he is a master. Here Guguță is a hero of fairy-tales helping those in need and here he is the boy hardly seen from under the furhat, ready to go to bed. The child will read the book with so much prejudice! Only the aurhor has a criticai eye and speaks his own language. Igor MOTEASHOV, Moscow
A little boy from a village of Moldova represents the beautiful traits of his people. People's soul lives in folklore and it is embodied with the same authenticity in the character of Guguță. Irina TOKMAKOVA, Moscow
Vangheli is unsurpassed in his fantasy, he remakes the environing world, he remakes it funny, with humor, strangely, such strangely, that I caii him as Moldova's Lewis Carrol not first time. But he does it in accordance with a good rule of justice, and nobody’s dignity is abased, but if somebody suffers, than he is rewarded. It is a world where the mân and „the green leaf" breadies freely, because everybody has a right to breathe with whole mouth. Shortly, this world is quite opposite to that one created by us, adults. Stanislav RASSADIN, Moscow
The author opened one more valve of the fantasy and his soul in „The Star of Ciubotei": diis book is very close to children, not less than „Guguță" and „the Blue Hovel", but it simultaneously has more common points with the adults, even with the old people. The poetry of the ritual, order and harmony of rural life is astonishing in „The Star of Ciubotei" — a wonderful poem through its nostalgia. It is a double nostalgia: for the childhood that is gone and the poetry of rural life that goes away. Stanislav RASSADIN, Moscow
This book is full of fun and simultaneously it is a very serious one. I think „Pantalonia" is the climax of the writer. It concentrates the best things the author has in his previous books, it completes and perfects the canvas of his works known and beloved on all the meridians. „Pantalonia" is the Space of the author (and of his people, of course) — the breath of which was felt by me long ago when the unac-countable and mysterious force of „Miorița" astonished me. Stanislav RASSADIN, Moscow
Not so long ago I was lucky to illustrate the book „Meetings with Guguță". For years of work as a drawer it was for the first time I really enjoyed illustrating a book ... I have a special feeling for Guguță. Trine Shart HYMAN, New York, the USA
I am delighted by that great freedom given to Guguță and Ciubotei by the author. This is where from their vigour and originality come. They remake the world at their own will bringing it to harmony. Vangheli's characters have a connection with the naturalness and wisdom of nature. Chiomi SIBUIA, Tokio, Jupan
The ingenioiis Guguță conquerșypu at the firșț contact widоJțțim,.sometimes,ypu even help him to conquer vou/i. Guguțăvbecame popular in Czech Republic due to his feats, the book being republished! Iaroslava SLUKOVA Prague, Czech Republic
"Pantalonia" thrilled me. The author of Guguță comes with;another famous book. How much light, humour and wisdom these extravagant adults of Pantalonia possess, within who the child reigns!
I:have
not reațl for a long time a writing where the joining sentiment of
mânând Iaroslava SLUKOVA, Prague, Czech Republic
I understood from the start Guguță will reach high. What could be more attrac-tive than always winning the wars with grown-ups? This is why children will always defend Guguță and join him everywhere. Eno RAUD, Tallinn, Estonia
I read with great interest the stories about Guguță, this little Romanian with his great soul. I like the plots of the short stories with Romanian aroma and the authofs \vay of retelling — the language is simple, but plastic and rich in colours. Gottfried PROISLER,Germany
The bright poetic talent of Spiridon Vangheli created a new character—Ciubotei. He has undoubtedly all the chances to join, as Guguță, the family of beloved characters of children. The creatori pains are not seen in the book „The Star of Ciubotei", as in a genuine piece of art. Jela GHEORGHIEVA, Sofia, Bulgaria
Guguță is a genuine Romanian through his vision, thoughts and feelings. Simultaneously all the children of the world find themselves in him. The național and the universal interweave wonderfully in this charming book which belongs no longer to Vangeli, but to the world literature. Ulla-Liisa HEINE, Helsinki, Finland
This pen is of a rare sensibility. Vangheli makes a great literature for the little ones. Dusan SINGH, Delhi, India
After reading „Guguță", I understood it was a book containing the real human values... it had not been an easy task to convince the children they had a great duty before the society. The author solved it fundamentally. It is a literature of high artistic class. Leo FONSECO, Colombo, Sri Lanca
I translated Spiridon Vangheli's book „The Feats of Guguță" very fast. I had no doubt Guguță would become the favourite character of the Hungarian children.
Then I
could not resist the temptation and I translated into hоungarian, the
These
years I was, greatly, inifluenced as a writer by the works of Vangheli.
The Istvan PETROVATZ, Sudapest, Hungary
I translated lots of famous writers for children, but Guguță is a separate case. It is curious how a child bom in Bassarabia takes me, a Chinese, back to my own childhood and discovers subtleties of mine I forgot long ago, but I felt them here, far away; in China. It is an art masteredonоy by great writers. Wai WAI, Shanghai, China
... What a wonderful boy this Guguță is! I immediately translated this book into Japanese and read it to my daughters first. They grew fond of Guguță as of a little brother ... I would like to see the country where Guguță was bom. Saiaka MATSUIA, Tokio
I was lucky to meet Guguță's author. Vangheli was very busy in Tokio. One day he still found time to visit the Palace of Children in the capital of Japan. Oh, what a warm reception the Japanese children made! His face lighted when he saw them gathered around him. He did not mașter a single Japanese word, but they became friends at once... A prestigious publishing house of Tokio G.Fucuincan-seten asked me to teach Japanese to Ciubotei. I did it with pleasure. It is a great honour for me to translate pieces of work of this wonderful writer. In Tokio Spiridon Vangheli disclosed me his principl write my book as if weaving a carpet... I follow with interest and Iove from the Far East how the literary path of Guguță's author develops. Saiaca MATSUIA, Tokio, Japan
The International Board on Books for Young People, awards a Certificate of Honor, to Spiridon Vangheli for „Ministrul bunelului", Chosen as an Outstanding Example of literature with International President of Hans Christiam Andersen Award Jury importance. Niilo Visapaa, President of the International Board on Books for Young People VirginiaHamlend, Rio deJaneiro, Brazii, 1974.
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