“Fragments from a Woman’s Life” (with) “The Price of Honor“… “Between Kiss and Pain“… An exploration into contemporary composite short prose…
About the book “Between Kiss and Pain,” written by Anișoara Laura Mustețiu, published by the Romanian-Australian Book Club, March 2025.
Prefatory Note by Prof. Florica R. Candea
What follows will reveal how the distillation of images is phrased into precious truths, drawn from argumentative citations as a sum of reflections from a distinct existential perspective. The intention was not to “tell a story” but rather to express ideas that resonate with the now-familiar question:
“Why do women write?”
Continuing, both as a literary genre and narrative action, the previous revelations filled with realism and a subtly descriptive fictional style, this book allows sensations to settle on the ups and downs of life’s path—creating moments that take one’s breath away (as the detachment from self-narration unfolds, interwoven with bursts of joy locked within human struggles).
And to answer through the interplay of events, teachings, and metaphoric sequences that lift the eyebrows in astonishment. Here and now, as always, this is not history—it is a lightly romanticized biography (more accessible than a battle on a barren field).
The pages do not accuse but rather explore and affirm truths (with or without a dramatic sense). Positioned in the shadow of the novel and psychological novella, composite short prose gathers autonomous stories and binds them into a coherent whole—thus reforming and investigating the narrative, despite not being widely recognized as an independent genre.
We have shaped it with quotations, and the author has fulfilled prosaic meanings with a unique, mature freedom of expression.
And—what realism and clarity, somehow infused with innocence in the message!
Context
For years, I have been keeping an eye on stacks of prose pages sent by Anișoara Laura Mustețiu (all the way from the antipodes). Likewise, I have been observing her lyrical pen in our magazine Gutenberg (which has defined us all). I confess—again—how many times now? That I do not personally know the author, but we share a connection through a “city of flowers” and beyond.
Similarly, I confess that I have taken my pen as a companion and have written about previous volumes placed on bookshelves in Arad. However, I have deliberately avoided reading reviews or prefaces to eliminate subjective biases and prevent any external influences.
Contents
Across nearly two hundred pages, Anișoara Laura Mustețiu’s new volume captivates, as though “all the roses have shaken loose”… following a painfully sweet kiss, beneath a ray appearing from somewhere—a corner of lips longing for serenity.
A book under the auspices of the Romanian-Australian Book Club, printed as a collection of nineteen short prose pieces that define it as a novella—an invitation to empathy, meditation, and reflection, but also to a journey “step by step” alongside the author (breaking barriers and giving new meaning to storytelling).
The volume opens with a Preface (Prof. Aurelia Rînjea), continues with Reflections (Anișoara Laura Mustețiu), and closes with About the Author.
Each chapter leads us to treasure thoughts shaped by the characteristics of a novella as a literary genre, allowing us to familiarize ourselves with authenticity and truth.
Content Overview
In the unfolding of nearly two hundred pages, the new volume signed by Anișoara Laura Mustețiu is striking, as if “all the roses have shaken loose”… after a painfully sweet kiss, under a beam of light emerging from somewhere—from the corner of lips yearning for serenity.
This book, under the auspices of the Romanian-Australian Book Club, is printed as a collection of nineteen short prose pieces, defining it as a novella. It invites readers into a world of empathy, meditation, and reflection, while also embarking on a journey alongside the author—breaking barriers and giving new meaning to storytelling.
The volume is introduced by a Preface (Prof. Aurelia Rînjea), continues with Reflections (Anișoara Laura Mustețiu), and concludes with About the Author.
The chapters guide us to treasure thoughts shaped by the characteristics of the novella as a literary genre, allowing us to familiarize ourselves with both authenticity and truth.
Themes and Structure
The book opens with a Reflective Note, setting the tone for an introspective literary journey:
“If I had written this book when I was thirty, I believe it would have been different.”
From there, each chapter unfolds with deeply emotional and psychological insights:
Chapter 1: The Mirror of the Past — Revisiting the rush of years, with Ana asking herself: Who are you, woman within me?
Chapter 2: The Games of Fate — Ana sees herself through writing, while Măriuca is forced to place her in the arms of a stranger.
Chapter 3: A Merciless Winter — A raw cry for stability: “Take me with you, Father!” Life had cast her into wild waves.
Chapter 4: Shadows and Light — Oxymoronic in its composition, this chapter deepens the emotional impact: “No one truly knew her pain.”
Amid human landscapes, Valea Sânzienelor and the bustling urban decor of Bega offer a setting of reconciliation with oneself.
Chapter 5: Dreams — Fragile pieces of life: “Loneliness still hurt her.”
Chapter 6: Dorian — A journey through intertextuality and stylistic innovation, leading through the Park with Roses and Hay Market.
“For a time, they never stopped dancing.”
Chapter 7: Revelations — Subtle passions, flickers of emotion: “Dorian took her hand. And she did not resist.”
Chapter 8: The Planet of Lovers — The acute solitude shatters laws, leaving behind profound traces.
Chapter 9: Visions — “She was a rebellious bird, and he was the gentle wind.”
Chapter 10: The Dice of Fate — A descent into the depths of dreams and existential doubt.
Chapter 11: Silence — “Time had passed…”
At this point, the novel reaches its climax, merging realistic and romantic perspectives.
Throughout its modern structure, the book’s biographical discourse weaves memory with cinematic imagery, allowing the narrative to unfold through recollections rather than mere storytelling.
Final Chapters & Reflection
From Chapter 12 through 19, the resolution takes shape through themes of freedom, exile, new beginnings, and rediscovery:
- “Between the kisses left on her lips by Dorian and the pain of his departure, life took its place.”
- “But it is never too late to forgive and love.”
The book concludes by reaffirming that it is not about uprooting or alienation—but transformation.
This literary composition, structured chronologically, explores emotional and psychological depths while offering a parallel between fiction and life.
The illustrations throughout the volume make the experience even more tangible—bringing the essence of life onto the pages.
Final Thoughts
The new volume “Between Kiss and Pain” by Anișoara Laura Mustețiu reaffirms that both composite short prose and contemporary novels remain significant in modern literature.
Through her distinctive style, the author demonstrates that storytelling is an essential part of human experience—its purity giving it originality and conviction.
A literary testament—both artistic and profoundly human.
Signed,
Florica R. Cândea
Philologist, Member of UZPR, Arad Branch
“Between Kiss and Pain,“ by Anisoara Laura Mustetiu.
Available at Harvard Book Store, Amazon, and leading international bookstores worldwide.
