November 9th, 2008 |
This is a great challenge that I’ll definitely be participating in. I love reading world literature, and it’s been my goal for the last two years to also read more in translation. In 2007, I read 14 titles with 10 different languages represented, and so far in 2008, I’ve read 19 books with 9 different languages in translation.
The goal of Frances’s challenge is to read six works in translation. I’ll plan on having at least 6 different languages respresented as well. This will be a good one!
- The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa (Japanese)
- Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair by Pablo Neruda (Spanish)
- Thousand Cranes by Kawabata (Japanese #2)
- X-Kai- Vol. 2 by Asami Tohjoh (Japanese #3)
- Fear and Trembling by Amelie Nothomb (French)
- Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto (Japanese #4)
- The Reader by Bernard Schlink (German)
- So Long a Letter by Mariama Ba (French #2)
- Solaris by Stanislaw Lem (Polish)
- A Tale of Two Gardens by Octavio Paz (Spanish #2)
- The Devil and Miss Prym by Paulo Coelho (Portuguese)
- Zlateh the Goat and Other Stories by Isaac Bashevis Singer (Yiddish)
- The House of Paper by Carlos Maria Dominguez (Spanish #3)
- Ravel by Jean Echenoz (French #3)
Some titles I’m thinking about:
- The Good Women of China by Xinran (Chinese)
- Kafka on the Shore by Murakami (Japanese)
- The Devil and Miss Prym by Coelho (Portuguese)
- Ficciones by Borges (Spanish)
- The Girl Who Played with Fire by Larsson (Swedish)
- The Summer Book by Jansson (Swedish)
- To Siberia by Petterson (Norwegian)
- Measuring the World (German)
- Effi Briest by Fontane (German)
- Night Train to Lisbon (German)
- ? by Zweig (German)
- Inkspell (German)
- Inkdeath (German)
- The Piano Teacher (German)
- The Neverending Story (German)
November 9th, 2008 |
Have you been reading any world literature lately? Do you enjoy books in a particular world location?
I do enjoy reading from authors outside the U.S., and I’ve been happy with my results for 2008 so far. I’ve really enjoyed being a part of both Canadian Challenges. I’ve read three each by L.M. Montgomery and Atwood with hopes to read more of both authors next year.
What’s also amazing was that I read two books (in translation, of course) originally in Icelandic and none (so far) in Spanish. I never would have predicted that! Here is the breakdown by original language:
- Japanese (5)
- French (4)
- Hungarian (3)
- Icelandic (2)
- German (1)
- Chinese (1)
- Italian (1)
- Norwegian (1)
- Swedish (1)
The list below is by author nationality. If a book is set in a different country, it is noted. Also, some of the authors have moved from their original country, and if known, that is also indicated. I should have a few more titles to add to this list by the end of the year. (I’m behind on my reviews, but eventually they’ll get there.)
Australia
Canada
China
- Sky Burial by Xinran (set in Tibet; author now lives in Great Britain)
Czech Republic
- The Castle by Franz Kafka (originally in German)
France
- Snow by Maxence Fermine (set in Japan)
Great Britain
Hungary
Iceland
India
Iran
- Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (now lives in France)
- Persepolis II by Marjane Satrapi (now lives in France)
Ireland
Italy
- Silk by Alessandro Baricco (set in Japan)
Japan
- Strangers by Taichi Yamada
- After Dark by Haruki Murakami
- Silence by Shusaku Endo
- X-Kai by Asami Tohjoh
- Vampire Hunter D by Hideyuki Kikuchi
Nigeria
Norway
- Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson
Russia
- Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (later lived in U.S.; set in U.S.; originally in English)
South Africa
Sudan
Sweden
U.S. authors with books in foreign settings
by Marian Engel