The Levant (Romanian: Levantul) is a 1990 epic poem by the Romanian writer Mircea Cărtărescu. Consisting of twelve cantos in verse, the narrative begins in the early 19th century, and follows a band of Wallachian adventurers and pirates, who return to their native land in an attempt to overthrow an oppressor. Cărtărescu uses the poem to highlight oriental influences in Romanian culture. Source: Wikipedia (en)