It’s safe to say that I wasn’t aware of much of the historical/political context surrounding this novella, so upon initially reading I had the feeling I was missing something. It was helpful to learn about the history of Communist Romania and its totalitarian rule under Nicolas Ceausescu. Understanding the ubiquitous presence of the Securitate during this time helps make sense of the strong current of unease running through the story. I quite like the unsettling world that Manea creates in this novella- to me, it feels unreal in many aspects, and it seems like he is trying to create a disconnect between the (semi) fictional world he builds in the novella and the context from which one is reading it. I particularly liked the opening scene, when the guests are on their way to the dinner party and Manea describes the rain outside as an ocean, as if the car is travelling underwater. This drawn out metaphor for the weather reminded me of magic realism- describing a world that is similar to the reality we know, but with some unfamiliar, fantastical elements woven in. Similarly, the characters’ casual references to waiting for several hours in line at the butcher (p.244) create a sense of unfamiliarity and alienation for the reader from the world in this novella. I know that this isn’t magic realism in a true sense, but it’s a thought that kept coming back to me while reading.

As for the titular object of concern, the trenchcoat, maybe it’s nothing more than that, just a coat. If anything, the trenchcoat seems to represent a general paranoia. In this totalitarian world, as Ioana states on p. 257, “nothing is what it seems”. To her, there is reason to be suspicious and fearful, but of what, exactly? What does it mean that Dina and the Kid are wearing matching coats suddenly; “some kind of complicity”, as Ioana describes it (p.252). Complicity in what? Does this represent more than a simple reunion of childhood companions while one is going through a hard time? What sinister agenda could those coats be linked to? I think that Manea wants us to be asking these questions as we read, as he creates a feeling of uncertainty that leaves plenty of room for interpretation. There is no true answer to what all these strange events mean, just a lingering sense of unease and unknown threat. For all we know, the trenchcoat hanging on the Beldeanus’ coatrack could be disguising three little guys watching them and monitoring their every word. I’m only half joking, because in truth these incidents are left entirely to the reader’s discretion. Given that members of the Securitate allegedly have access to people’s apartments, it seems that anything is possible. To quote Ioana one final time (she seems to be the most quote-worthy character in this story) “anyone can become anything” (p. 257). Manea leaves it up to us to decide what that means.

My question- what do you think the trenchcoat(s) represents and why?