Panait Istrati (1884–1935), Romanian writer of French and Romanian expression
Living in misery, ill and depressed, he attempted suicide in 1921 on his way to Nice, but his life was rescued in time.
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Istrati dealt with the mounting persecution of Old Bolsheviks and the gradual victimization of whole population groups.
He translated several novels and short stories of the French language (Michel Tournier, Yann Queffélec, Pascal Bruckner, Jorge Semprún, Panait Istrati, Jean-Philippe Toussaint, Dragan Babic, Marlène Amar etc.)
The plot is intertwined with a travelogue of Romania and references to Romanian history and culture, such as the life of the artist Constantin Brâncuși, the writer Panait Istrati and the love affair between Romania's interbellum king, Carol II, and his mistress, Magda Lupescu.