Most Beloved
Marin Preda (; 5 August 1922, Siliștea Gumești, Teleorman County, Kingdom of Romania – 16 May 1980, Mogoșoaia, Ilfov County, Socialist Republic of Romania) was a Romanian novelist, post-war writer and director of Cartea Românească publishing house. His last novel, "Cel mai iubit dintre pământeni" ("The Most Beloved of Earthlings)," published just a couple of months before his death, has been perceived as a very daring critique of the beginnings of communism in Romania. However, the novelist, who received the highest distinctions and was well regarded by party leaders, cannot be considered an actual opponent of the communist regime. An eyewitness stated that in 1970 Marin Preda had told Nicolae Ceaușescu in the context of a small reunion: ""If you want to introduce socialist realism, I, Marin Preda, will commit suicide.""”" But the author had never publicly criticized socialist realism and never doubted the legitimacy of the communist regime. At the time of his death, Marin Preda was a member of the Great National Assembly.