Eugen Lovinescu was a preeminent critic and cultural theorist whose influence on the development of Romanian literature through the first half of the twentieth century matched that exercised in the nineteenth century by his great predecessor Titu Maiorescu. A significant portion of modern Romanian literature emerged from Lovinescu's literary circle and the magazine Sburatorul (The Winged Spirit/The Flier), which he edited. Many interwar Romanian writers benefited from his systematic encouragement and commentary. As a critic Lovinescu showed a remarkable independence of spirit, dedication, and professional rigor that subsequent generations took as a model. While his work as a novelist, playwright, memoirist, and translator did not always achieve the same level of distinction, it added to the impression that Lovinescu was a truly encyclopedic literary figure who had a significant contribution to make to every aspect of modern literature. The sheer quantity of his work is unprecedented in...