"Radiografia clipei", which was banned in 1987, was published in 1990, subsequent to the fall of the regime, and "Cămașa de forță" in 1992, but according to Urian, both went nearly unnoticed. The latter states that in that period, forthright expression had come into fashion, and stories told in parables, such as Oprea's, were no longer favored. In 1999, Oprea emigrated to the United States, following which his novels began to meet with greater success in his native country. "Trilogia lui Theophil Magus" ("The Trilogy of Theophil Magus") appeared between 2000 and 2002, followed by new editions of "Radiografia clipei" (2003 and 2016) and "Cămașa de forță" (2004). Extensive appreciations were published by cultural commentators such as Mircea Mihăieș, Vladimir Tismăneanu, Sorin Antohi, Liviu Antonesei, Norman Manea, which, Urian states, helped secure Oprea's reputation in contemporary Romanian literature. A fourth volume in the planned trilogy appeared in 2007, turning it into a tetralogy.