Fiction in translation

Book SynopsisA tale of modern Japan and old-fashioned romance. 'Enchanting, moving and funny in equal measure, this compelling love story is expertly crafted against a backdrop of modern Japanese culture' Stylist Tsukiko is in her late 30s and living alone when one night she happens to meet one of her former high school teachers, 'Sensei', in a bar. He is at least thirty years her senior, retired and, she presumes, a widower. After this initial encounter, the pair continue to meet occasionally to share food and drink sake, and as the seasons pass - from spring cherry blossom to autumnal mushrooms - Tsukiko and Sensei come to develop a hesitant intimacy which tilts awkwardly and poignantly into love. Strange Weather in Tokyo is perfectly constructed, warmly funny and deeply moving. This edition contains the bonus story, 'Parade', which imagines an ordinary day in the lives of this unusual couple. 'A dream-like spell of a novel, full of humour, sadness, warmth and tremendous subtlety. I read this in one sitting and I think it will haunt me for a long time' Amy Sackville 'Kawakami transforms an affecting cross-generational romance into an exquisite poem of time and mutability... Delicate and haunting' IndependentTrade ReviewA dream-like spell of a novel, full of humour, sadness, warmth and tremendous subtlety. I read this in one sitting and I think it will haunt me for a long time -- Amy SackvilleEnchanting, moving and funny in equal measure, this compelling love story is expertly crafted against a backdrop of modern Japanese culture... I [was] captivated... Stylish and unsentimental, a perfect love story * Stylist **** *I'm hooked... It's interesting enough to read about an aging woman drawn to an older man; when this attraction comes wrapped up in Japanese nostalgia for old fashioned inns, mushroom hunting, refined manners, and Basho, how can a person resist? I can only imagine what wizardry must have gone into Allison Markin Powell's translation -- Lorin Stein * Paris Review *Kawakami transforms an affecting cross-generational romance into an exquisite poem of time and mutability.... Delicate and haunting -- Boyd Tonkin * Independent *This short, quirky love story has a very distinctive, very Japanese sensibility... Allison Markin Powell's translation is clear and graceful -- Brandon Robshaw * Independent on Sunday ***** *A subtle and haunting portrait... Kawakami's prose is warm and often humorous. Allison Markin Powell's masterful translation conveys a deceptively effortless, understated delicacy and dream-like tone. Often enchanting but ultimately heart-breaking, this is an unforgettable evocation of love and loneliness -- Alev Adil, Independent Foreign Fiction Prize JudgeKawakami paints perfectly the lightness and delicacy of modern Tokyo, delivering a love story that breaks hearts * Monocle *An elegiac sense of speeding time, and yawning distance, drizzles the story - sensitively translated by Allison Markin Powell - with a sweet sadness -- Boyd Tonkin * Independent *In quiet, nature-infused prose that stresses both characters' solitude, Kawakami subtly captures the cyclic patterns of loneliness while weighing the definition of love * Booklist *Expertly translated by Allison Markin Powell, this is a beautifully understated love story, a novel of sadness, longing and gentle humour * A Life in Books blog *A book of breathtaking delicacy * Télérama *One of the most beautiful love stories I have read in all my life... Read it and enjoy * La Vanguardia *In equal measures profound and exhilarating * Westdeutsche Zeitung *Charming and understated... acutely observed and surprisingly involving. A delicious read * Hull Daily Mail *A charming, understated story, played out against Japan's seasonal extremes. Acutely observed, it's a delicious read * Gloucestershire Echo *Beautifully written * Farmlane Books *A beautifully-written and moving novel, expertly and sensitively translated by Allison Markin Powell * January in Japan blog *Kawakami crafts an eerie inter-generational romance -- Boyd Tonkin * Independent *An extraordinary novella... It is gentle, wise and written in such a hypnotic style it casts a spell upon the reader. Deeply haunting and strangely moving -- Kim Forrester * Reading Matters blog *As well as being a sweet love story and an exploration of loneliness, [it] is packed with nostalgic Japanese atmosphere * Bath Life *A funny, ethereal and above all heartfelt love story * Freight Books blog *A quiet and understated novel... Highly recommended for fans of quirky and contemporary translated fiction or Japanese culture * A Little Blog of Books *True love is celebrated with humour, grace and pathos as the wary narrator recalls her unusual approach to dealing with an overwhelming passion -- Eileen Battersby * Irish Times *Beautifully written... It has a dreamlike quality and left me with a great love for the characters -- Judith Ayles * Newbooks Magazine *

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE 'A strange, painfully tender exploration of the brutality of desire indulged and the fatality of desire ignored... Exquisite' Eimear McBride Yeong-hye and her husband are ordinary people - dutiful wife and mild-mannered office worker. One day, prompted by grotesque recurring nightmares, Yeong-hye decides to become a vegetarian. But in South Korea, where vegetarianism is almost unheard-of and societal mores are strictly obeyed, it is a shocking act of subversion. Yeong-hye's passive rebellion rapidly manifests in ever more bizarre and frightening forms, from sexual sadism to attempted suicide, and in increasingly erotic and unhinged artworks, as all the while she spirals further into her fantasies... Disturbing and beautiful by turns, The Vegetarian is a revelatory novel about modern day South Korea; a tale of shame, desire and our faltering attempts to understand others.Trade ReviewShocking... The writing throughout is precise and spare, with not a word wasted. There are no tricks. Han holds the reader in a vice grip... The Vegetarian quickly settles into a dark, menacing brilliance that is similar to the work of the gifted Japanese writer Yoko Ogawa in its devastating study of psychological pain... [It] is more than a cautionary tale about the brutal treatment of women: it is a meditation on suffering and grief. It is about escape and how a dreamer takes flight. Most of all, it is about the emptiness and rage of discovering there is nothing to be done when all hope and comfort fails... A work of savage beauty and unnerving physicality. Mind-blowing -- Eileen Battersby * Irish Times *It's a bracing, visceral, system-shocking addition to the Anglophone reader's diet. It is sensual, provocative and violent, ripe with potent images, startling colours and disturbing questions. Sentence by sentence, The Vegetarian is an extraordinary experience. [It] will be hard to beat -- Daniel Hahn * Guardian *A strange, painfully tender exploration of the brutality of desire indulged and the fatality of desire ignored... Exquisite -- Eimear McBride, Baileys Women's Prize-winning author * A Girl Is a Half-formed Thing *Entrancing and tense... the writing is spare and haunting... its crushing climax, a phantasmagoric yet emotionally true moment that's surely one of the year's most powerful... [This is] an ingenious, upsetting, and unforgettable novel -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)The Vegetarian is hypnotically strange, sad, beautiful and compelling. I liked it immensely -- Nathan Filer, author * The Shock of the Fall *A stunning and beautifully haunting novel. It seems in places as if the very words on the page are photosynthesising. I loved this graceful, vivid book -- Jess Richards, author * Snake Ropes *The Vegetarian is a story about metamorphosis, rage and the desire for another sort of life. It is written in cool, still, poetic but matter-of-fact short sentences, translated luminously by Deborah Smith, who is obviously a genius -- Deborah Levy, author * Swimming Home *Poetic and beguiling, and translated with tremendous elegance, The Vegetarian exhilarates and disturbs -- Chloe Aridjis, author * The Book of Clouds *[The Vegetarian] is understated even in its most fevered, violent moments. It has a surreal and spellbinding quality. Enthralling -- Arifa Akbar * Independent *This short novel is one of the most startling I have read. Kang is well served by Deborah Smith's subtle translation in this disturbing book -- Julia Pascal * Independent *Kang belongs to a generation of writers that aim to discover secret drives, ambitions, and miseries behind one's personal destiny... [The Vegetarian] deals with violence, sanity, cultural limits, and the value of the human body as the last refuge and private space * Tiempo Argentino *Disturbing and beautiful, The Vegetarian is translated by Deborah Smith into poetic yet matter-of-fact prose -- Richard Eves * Big Issue in the North *A fine novel -- David Hebblethwaite * Shiny New Books *This off-kilter novel from Korea is simultaneously beautiful and sinister * Absolutely Dulwich *The Vegetarian is so strange and vivid it left me breathless upon finishing it. I don't think I've ever read a novel as mouth-wateringly poetic, or as drenched in hypnotic oddities, taboos and scandal. It seems to have been plucked out of the ether, ready-made to take us all by surprise. Exciting and compelling -- Lee Rourke * New Humanist *Elegantly translated into bone-spare English by Deborah Smith... The Vegetarian whispers so clearly, it can be heard across the room, insistently and with devastating, quiet violence -- Joanna Walsh * New Statesman *Fascinating and powerful. A really engrossing read * Guardian *Unsettling... [a] strange and ethereal fable, rendered stranger still by the cool precision of the prose -- Peter Brown * TLS *In The Vegetarian Han Kang ruthlessly targets South Korea's social codes, using the story of a simple, personal rebellion to expose a callous patriarchy. Sharply ironic -- Ruairi Casey * Totally Dublin *[A] heady, unsettling novel... Kang writes in a coolly unsentimental style, and achieves a delicate balance of restraint and passion in a story pulsing with desire, betrayal and destruction. Haunting -- Mireille Juchau * The Australian *Visceral and terrifying, The Vegetarian is a startling reminder of the utter unknowability of another's mind. Nonetheless, reading it, you will feel it in your flesh: the desire for peace, a plea for safety, for escape from your own inevitable mortality. It is artfully plotted yet reads like a fever dream, sweeping and surreal. It will leave you aching -- Sarah Gerard, author * Binary Star *Considering this book just as a story about a vegetarian is a mistake. It is rather a meticulously constructed and haunting novel. Right at the moment you turn the last page, you'll feel grateful for your ordinary life -- Kyung-Sook Shin, Man Asian Literary Prize-winning author * Please Look After Mom *Like a small seed, Han Kang's startling and unforgettable debut goes to work quietly, but insistently. Her prose is so balanced, so elegant and assured, you might overlook the depths of this novel's darkness - do so at your own peril -- Colin Winnette, author * Haints Stay and Coyote *Brutal and beautiful - the translation alone is a work of art - this is a book for anyone who believes that the novel's job is to turn its reader inside out -- Eimear McBride, ‘Summer Read’ * Guardian *Subtle, provocative... a beautiful book -- Chad W Post * Frankfurt Show Daily *Immediately absorbing...It's the kind of story where every word matters -- Lesley McDowell * Sunday Herald *An irresistibly weird and sensuous story -- Daniel Hahn, Books of the Year * New Statesman *Han Kang's vivid and at times violent storytelling will wake up even the most jaded of literary palates * Independent *A transformative fable about desire, frustration and individual will -- Best Books of 2015 * Guardian *Paradoxically, both enlightening and incomprehensible. It is a strange book, with overtones of Kafka, and a plot that has no resolution. And yet it continues its reader, turning the seeming banality of a woman's decision not to eat meat into a surreal psychological odyssey -- Xenobe Purves * Litro *This compact, exquisite and disturbing book will linger long in the minds, and maybe the dreams, of its readers. -- Boyd Tonkin, chair of judges for Man Booker International Prize 2016Split into three parts, Kang's narrative dances tantalisingly around her central character, the too-often silent Yeong-hye... As a character she appears the twisted product of the multitude of watchful eyes, the switching preoccupations, and the opinions of those around her. She herself remains mysteriously elusive, her own thoughts only ever revealed in sparing flashes interspersed throughout the narrative... Teetering between explanations both 'ordinary' and 'extra-ordinary', she leaves no room for certainty, constantly teasing the reader, and the ambiguity that remains both torments and delights. This masterpiece of Korean fiction is finally made available to English readers in Deborah Smith's achingly elegant prose, the first of Han Kang's novels to be translated. Thankfully I am certain it will not be the last. -- Thea Hawlin * London Magazine *While the narrative exposes the plight of women in a male-dominated Korean society, it also takes a broader, philosophical look at suffering and grief, loneliness and the death of hope. It explores the brutal power shifts in relationships. On all levels, artistic and moral, it is a remarkable meditation with universal resonance. At its heart is the individual trying, and failing, to live. Deborah Smith's translation, magnificently alert to the sensitive, sophisticated nuances and tonal variations, can only be described as inspired. -- Eileen Battersby * Irish Times *A truly memorable novel [with] visceral and unfaltering writing that is innately uneasy to read [...] Han Kang expertly structures the novel around the three long chapters that explore the voices around Yeong-Hye. Though the narrative is never hers, Yeong-Hye remains the focus of the novel throughout. Each chapter features dream sequences which blur the everyday and ethereal and provide the reader with rich and dynamic prose. The fact that these sequences work so well in The Vegetarian is a huge credit to the work of Deborah Smith who achieves a translation that is wonderfully readable in English whilst at the same time profoundly different to English language novels. * Words Shortlist *One of the most erotic literary novels of the season... The Vegetarian has been praised on both sides of the Atlantic as strange visionary and transgressive. * Economist *A haunting, hypnotic read, Han Kang's novel is a bold example of what world literature has to offer us here in Britain. -- Erica Wagner * Harper's Bazaar *The winner of the 2016 Man International Booker Prize is an unsettling, sensual and surreal novel about a dutiful wife who rebels against her stultifying marriage. * i *No blurb that I have read for this book does it justice. That's because the premise is peculiar; an unremarkable man meets an unremarkable woman and they get married. Their lives are ordinary, until one day she has a dream that compels her to become a vegetarian. At which point the tale goes nuclear. -- Summer books round up * The Times *Intriguing -- Charlotte Mendelson, summer books round up * Observer *At once dreamy and nightmarish, a beautiful horror and easily one of the best books I've read in years. -- Lisa McInerney * Guardian *[An] engrossing read which takes you deep into the fascinating and complex world of another culture, South Korea. The harrowing but beautifully told story of a woman who would not conform. -- Top ten books chart * Western Morning News *Fraught, disturbing and beautiful, The Vegetarian is a novel about shame, desire and our faltering attempts to understand others. * Western Morning News *Kang has crafted a wounding, unsettling book. The fantastical imagery of plants, trees and flowers reinforce Yeong-hye's purity. The book is a journey in trying to understand her and the reactions she inspires in others... Han Kang's great achievement is crafting a small tale from which great things grow * Irish Examiner *A violent, magical and surreal tale... Unforgettable -- Fiona Wilson, Best Books of 2016 * The Times *I loved this haunting [novel] -- Lionel Shriver, Best Books of 2016 * Observer *Visceral -- Best Books of 2016 * Financial Times *This slim novel from South Korea is one of the most erotic literary novels of the season -- Best Books of 2016 * Economist *[An] unsettling novel... This spare and elegant translation renders the original Korean in pointed and vivid English, preserving Han's exploration of whether true innocence is possible in a vicious and bloody world -- The Ten Best Books of 2016 * New York Times *Scary and sad, but also deeply tender. It made me question my autonomy, which is exactly what I look for in a book -- Brie Larson * Stylist *A disturbingly cerebral analysis of conformity, autonomy and patriarchy * Dumfries and Galloway Life *[An] eerie modern classic * Metro *

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Book SynopsisTHE MULTI-MILLION-COPY SELLING SOUTH KOREAN SENSATION THAT HAS GOT THE WHOLE WORLD TALKING'A ground-breaking work of feminist fiction.' Stylist Who is Kim Jiyoung?  Kim Jiyoung is a girl born to a mother whose in-laws wanted a boy. Kim Jiyoung is a sister made to share a room while her brother gets one of his own. Kim Jiyoung is a female preyed upon by male teachers at school. Kim Jiyoung is a daughter whose father blames her when she is harassed late at night.   Kim Jiyoung is a good student who doesn’t get put forward for internships. Kim Jiyoung is a model employee but gets overlooked for promotion. Kim Jiyoung is a wife who gives up her career and independence for a life of domesticity. Kim Jiyoung has started acting strangely. Kim Jiyoung is depressed. Kim Jiyoung is mad. Kim Jiyoung is her own woman. Kim Jiyoung

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Book SynopsisWhen We Cease to Understand the World shows us great minds striking out into dangerous, uncharted terrain. Fritz Haber, Alexander Grothendieck, Werner Heisenberg, Erwin Schrödinger: these are among the luminaries into whose troubled minds we are thrust as they grapple with the most profound questions of existence. They have strokes of unparalleled genius, they alienate friends and lovers, they descend into isolated states of madness. Some of their discoveries revolutionise our world for the better; others pave the way to chaos and unimaginable suffering. The lines are never clear. With breakneck pace and wondrous detail, Benjamín Labatut uses the imaginative resources of fiction to break open the stories of scientists and mathematicians who expanded our notions of the possible.Trade Review'Ingenious, intricate and deeply disturbing... Labatut has written a dystopian nonfiction novel set not in the future but in the present' - John Banville, Guardian'We may be familiar with such things as Schrdinger's cat and Heisenberg's uncertainty principle... but the sheer audacity, the utter insanity of the ideas and the thinkers who discovered these ideas has never, in my experience, been so vividly and terrifyingly conveyed as in this short, monstrous, and brilliant book' - Philip Pullman'Absolutely brilliant. I was utterly gripped and wolfed it down. It feels as if he had invented an entirely new genre' - Mark Haddon, author of 'The Porpoise''Labatut uses fiction to crack open the stories of scientists and mathematicians whose expanded our notions of the possible, while also presenting them as human, all too human' - Dazed

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Book SynopsisItalo Calvino (Author) Italo Calvino was born in Cuba in 1923 and grew up in Italy. He was an essayist and journalist and a member of the editorial staff of Einaudi in Turin. One of the most respected writers of the twentieth century, his best-known works of fiction include Invisible Cities, If on a Winter's Night a Traveller, Marcovaldo and Mr Palomar. In 1973 he won the prestigious Premio Feltrinelli. He died in 1985. A collection of Calvino's posthumous personal writings, The Hermit in Paris, was published in 2003. William Weaver (Translator) William Weaver has translated Umberto Eco, Italo Svevo, Primo Levi, Italo Calvino and Roberto Calasso, among others. He is a professor at Bard College.Trade ReviewInvisible Cities changed the way we read and what is possible in the balance between poetry and prose... The book I would choose as pillow and plate, alone on a desert islandWhole chapters of unforced poetic prose in which insight and fantasy are perfectly matched-an exquisite world * Observer *'Invisible Cities is perhaps his most beautiful work-the artist seems to have made peace with the tension between man's ideas of the many and the one * New York Review of Books *The most beautiful of his books throws up ideas, allusions, and breathtaking imaginative insights on almost every page. Each time he returns from his travels, Marco Polo is invited by Kublai Khan to describe the cities he has visited-Although he makes Marco Polo summon up many cities for the Khan's imagination to feed on, Calvino is describing only one city in this book. Venice, that decaying heap of incomparable splendour, still stands as substantial evidence of man's ability to create something perfect out of chaos * Times Literary Supplement *So important for thinking about the rich layers of life around us, our frailties, how we question and how we find meaning. * Red *

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Book Synopsis''My God! A whole minute of bliss! Is that really so little for the whole of a man''s life?''A poignant tale of love and loneliness from Russia''s foremost writer.One of 46 new books in the bestselling Little Black Classics series, to celebrate the first ever Penguin Classic in 1946. Each book gives readers a taste of the Classics'' huge range and diversity, with works from around the world and across the centuries - including fables, decadence, heartbreak, tall tales, satire, ghosts, battles and elephants.

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Book Synopsis***********************The phenomenal international bestseller - 100 million copies of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series sold worldwide.One of the Bookseller''s 30 most influential books of the last 30 years.What a cracking novel! I haven''t read such a stunning thriller debut for years. Brilliantly written and totally gripping Minette WaltersWith an Introduction by Val McDermidForty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering on the island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger clan. Her body was never found, yet her uncle is convinced it was murder - and that the killer is a member of his own tightly knit but dysfunctional family. He employs disgraced financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist and the tattooed, truculent computer hacker Lisbeth Salander to investigate. When the pair link Harriet''s disappearance to a number of grotesque murders from forty years ago, they begTrade ReviewI doubt you will read a better book this year * Val McDermid *Intelligent, complex, with a gripping plot and deeply intriguing characters. The author's early death is a great los * Philip Pullman *What a cracking novel! I haven't read such a stunning thriller debut for years. Brilliantly written and totally gripping * Minette Walters *

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Book SynopsisText in Arabic. Mariam is only fifteen when she is sent to Kabul to marry Rasheed. Nearly two decades later, a friendship grows between Mariam and a local teenager, Laila, as strong as the ties between mother and daughter. When the Taliban take over, life becomes a desperate struggle against starvation, brutality and fear. Yet love can move a person to act in unexpected ways, and lead them to overcome the most daunting obstacles with a startling heroism. The sense of longing evoked in Khaled Hosseinis novel is compelling and universal: the passionate search for love, family, home, acceptance, a healthy society, and a promising future, regardless of the obstacles. This novel transcends boundaries and illuminates the people and culture of a region that has been reluctantly thrust into the international spotlight.Trade ReviewSpectacular...Hosseini's writing makes our hearts ache, our stomachs clench and our emotions reel... Hosseini mixes the experiences of these women with imagined scenarios to create a fascinating microcosm of Afghan family life...Hosseini writes in gorgeous and stirring language of the natural beauty and colorful cultural heritage of his native Afghanistan... Hosseini tells this saddest of stories in achingly beautiful prose through stunningly heroic characters whose spirits somehow grasp the dimmest rays of hope USA Today Hosseini's illuminating book [is] a worthy sequel to The Kite Runner Los Angeles Times Hosseini's bewitching narrative captures the intimate details of life in a world where it's a struggle to survive, skillfully inserting this human story into the larger backdrop of recent history San Francisco Chronicle A masterful narrative... He is a storyteller of dizzying power Evening Standard Only the hardest of hearts could fail to be as moved Glamour In case you're wondering whether A Thousand Splendid Suns is as good as The Kite Runner, here's the answer: No. It's better Washington Post

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Book SynopsisWorking as a cook on a merchant ship, a woman comes to know and love Samsa, a woman who gives her the nickname 'Boulder'. When Samsa gets a job in Reykjavik and the couple decides to move there together, Samsa decides that she wants to have a child. She is already forty and can't bear to let the opportunity pass her by. Boulder is less enthused, but doesn't know how to say no - and so finds herself dragged along on a journey that feels as thankless as it is alien. With motherhood changing Samsa into a stranger, Boulder must decide where her priorities lie, and whether her yearning for freedom can truly trump her yearning for love. Once again, Eva Baltasar demonstrates her pre-eminence as a chronicler of queer voices navigating a hostile world - and in prose as brittle and beautiful as an ancient saga.Trade Review'Boulder is a sensuous, sexy, intense book. Baltasar condenses the sensations and experiences of a dozen more ordinary novels into just over one hundred pages of exhilarating prose. An incisive story of queer love and motherhood that slices open the dilemmas of exchanging independence for intimacy.' International Booker Prize judging panel ---- 'Through such intricate writing, in Julia Sanches's voraciously readable translation, the author deftly manages to elevate the idea of a relationship to a force of nature, with the character of Boulder representing the struggle to reconcile a desire to be alone with a desire for company.' Times Literary Supplement ---- 'Amid sexual trysts and growing tensions, Boulder searches for the mysterious sweet spot between her wants: freedom and connection. Baltasar has an innate talent for stretching the complexities of queer lives and predicaments into undulating adventure and tension.' The Face ---- 'In barely 100 pages, Catalan author and acclaimed poet Eva Baltasar has crafted a gem of a novella: sharp-edged, uncompromising and utterly compelling ... Boulder is for everyone: a hard-hitting, incisive triumph.' New Internationalist ---- 'Eva Baltasar's Boulder deftly demonstrates fiction's ability to elide the passage of time. . . . a thoroughly compelling work.' Words Without Borders Watchlist ---- '[T]he language of desire never stops vibrating off the page; Baltasar pans the mundane for gold, and offers those nuggets - these morsels of intimacy - in a way that grips and sates.' New York Times Book Review ---- '[T]his slim, visceral novel power gains power from its subversive blurring of maternal intuition and its queering of parenthood.' Publisher's Weekly ---- The book is a modern love story - global, queer, existential in its moral hierarchies - but it is also a rumination on those two most ancient of words: lover and mother. A novel that lionizes the desire to be alone even as it recognises the beauty and grace found within a family.' Kirkus Starred Review ---- 'Exquisite, dark and unconventional, Eva Baltasar turns intimacy into a wild adventure.' Fernanda Melchor ---- 'Boulder's action spans more than eight years, but the reader never feels the passage of that time . . . Everything here has an air of immediacy, yet at the same time one has the feeling that there are abysses yawning between every short sentence, ellipses that expand and beg to be filled in by the reader's own imagination. Boulder is a work of incandescent, volcanic brevity and density.' Nuvol ----'Opposed to all family ties, and jealous of her partner's child, our narrator refuses to resign herself to her new role of secondary character in her own story, and lashes out by drinking and engaging in clandestine sex with other women, much as would a character in a Charles Bukowski story (an author with whom Baltasar shares more than one stylistic affinity). With Boulder, Eva Baltasar goes beyond Permafrost, to the point that, as with Gillian Flynn's antiheroines, or the anti-superheroine Jessica Jones, the new femininity evokes the old masculinity.' El Periodico ----'Eva Baltasar amazed me last year [with Permafrost], and my conversion has been now been completed.' Libros y Literatura ----'In her second novel, Baltasar continues to work on her approach to the body, seen as the very substance of storytelling. Around bodies, considered both as sexual objects and as the medium through which our feelings must be expressed, she is building anew a language by which human beings may, in our era, be able to approach one another.' Zenda libros ---'Baltasar returns with the same expressiveness and lyricism as in Permafrost, but with a new complexity in her characters, addressing such vital issues such as motherhood and our increasing inability to communicate with one another - an epidemic in our era.' Valencia Plaza ---- 'Again it manages to be incredibly powerful and pack so much punch into such a slim volume. Absolutely wonderful.' David Coates, Blackwells Manchester ---- 'If you like lyrical slice-of-life prose and a melancholic look at relationships, I cannot recommend Boulder enough!' Red Newsom, Blackwells Manchester ---- 'So, Boulder is going straight to the pile of my favourite books of 2022 ' Giulia Lenti, Foyles CXR ---- 'God, I love Eva Baltasar's writing. Boulder is another masterpiece from one of Europe's most radical queer writers. I continue to be a Julia Sanches stan.' Gary Perry, Foyles CXR ---- 'This is a tender, unflinchingly honest examination of a woman's desires as she grapples with the challenges and obligations of partnership and motherhood, juxtaposed against her longing for personal freedom. It's clear that Baltasar is first and foremost a poet - every sentence is fluid and beautifully crafted (and impressively translated by Julia Sanches), to create a gorgeously sensuous and evocative reading experience.' Nichole Gadras, Mr Bs

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Book SynopsisThe definitive English language translation of the internationally bestselling Russian novel a brilliant dark fantasy combining psychological suspense, enchantment, and terror that makes us consider human existence in a fresh and provocative way.A book that has the potential to become a modern classic.' Lev Grossman, bestselling author of The MagiciansOur life is brief . . .Sasha Samokhina has just met Farit Kozhenikov and her life will never be the same again.Whilst on holiday, Sasha is asked by the mysterious Farit to undertake a strange task for him. Reluctantly, she obliges, and is rewarded with a shining golden coin. The more tasks she performs, the more coins Sasha receives until Farit instructs her against the wishes of her family to travel to a remote village and use her gold to gain entrance to the Institute of Special Technologies.Sasha quickly discovers this is no ordinary school. The books are impossible to read, the lessons obscure to the point of maddening, and the knTrade Review‘A dazzling display of Russian magical realism’Daily Mail ‘I first encountered VITA NOSTRA in 2009, and then, as now, I was stunned by what I read – not just by the story, which was a revelation to me in itself, but also by the vividness and fluency and power of Hersey's translation. VITA NOSTRA has become a powerful influence on my own writing. It's a book that has the potential to become a modern classic of its genre, and I couldn’t be more excited to see it get the global audience in English it so richly deserves’Lev Grossman, New York Times bestselling author of THE MAGICIANS

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Book Synopsis With Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, Man Booker International Prize-winner Olga Tokarczuk returns with a subversive, entertaining noir novel. In a remote Polish village, Janina Duszejko, an eccentric woman in her sixties, recounts the events surrounding the disappearance of her two dogs. She is reclusive, preferring the company of animals to people; she’s unconventional, believing in the stars; and she is fond of the poetry of William Blake, from whose work the title of the book is taken. When members of a local hunting club are found murdered, Duszejko becomes involved in the investigation. By no means a conventional crime story, this existential thriller by ‘one of Europe’s major humanist writers’ (Guardian) offers thought-provoking ideas on our perceptions of madness, injustice against marginalized people, animal rights, the hypocrisy of traditional religion, belief in predestination – and caused a genuine political uproar in Tokarczuk’s native Poland. Trade Review‘A magnificent writer.’ — Svetlana Alexievich, 2015 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate ‘Though the book functions perfectly as noir crime – moving towards a denouement that, for sleight of hand and shock, should draw admiration from the most seasoned Christie devotee – its chief preoccupation is with unanswerable questions of free will versus determinism, and with existential unease.... In Antonia Lloyd-Jones’s translation, the prose is by turns witty and melancholy, and never slips out of that distinctive narrative voice.... That this novel caused such a stir in Poland is no surprise. There, the political compass has swung violently to the right, and the rights of women and of animals are under attack (the novel’s 2017 film adaptation, Spoor, caused one journalist to remark that it was “a deeply anti-Christian film that promoted eco-terrorism”). It is an astonishing amalgam of thriller, comedy and political treatise, written by a woman who combines an extraordinary intellect with an anarchic sensibility.’ — Sarah Perry, Guardian‘One among a very few signal European novelists of the past quarter-century.’ — The Economist‘Aspects of dark fantasy permeate Olga Tokarczuk’s grimly comic tale of death and vengeance, set in a remote forested plateau on the border between two realms, with a cast of intelligent animals, ghostly apparitions, celestial influence and humans who resemble trolls, witches, giants and goblins.... Translated with virtuosic precision and wit by Antonia Lloyd-Jones, Tokarczuk’s prescient, provocative and furiously comic fiction seethes with a Blakean conviction of the cleansing power of rage: the vengeance of the weak when justice is denied.... [An] elegantly subversive novel.’ — Jane Shilling, New Statesman‘Drive Your Plow is exhilarating in a way that feels fierce and private, almost inarticulable; it’s one of the most existentially refreshing novels I’ve read in a long time.’ — Jia Tolentino, New Yorker‘Amusing, stimulating and intriguing ... [Drive Your Plow] might be likened to Fargo as rewritten by Thomas Mann, or a W. G. Sebald version of The Mousetrap.… Olga Tokarczuk’s previous novel, Flights ... was the winner of the Man Booker International Prize, for translated fiction, and Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, though smaller in scale, will help confirm her position as the first Polish writer to command sustained Western attention since the end of the Cold War.’ — Leo Robson, The Telegraph‘Janina is such an unusual, engaging narrator that her nihilism is strangely cheering; this was one of the funniest books of the year.’ — Justine Jordan, Books of the Year 2018, Guardian‘Strange, mordantly funny, consoling and wise, Olga Tokarczuk’s novels fill the reader’s mind with intimations of a unique consciousness. Her latest novel to be translated into English, Drive Your Plow Over The Bones of The Dead is simultaneously unsettling and oddly companionable. Suffused with William Blake, astrological lore, and the landscapes of middle Europe, it’s both a meditation on human compassion and a murder mystery that lingers in the imagination.’ — Marcel Theroux, author of Strange Bodies‘I loved this wry, richly melancholic philosophical mystery. It’s a compelling and endlessly thought-provoking novel, luminous with the strangeness of existence.’ — Megan Hunter, author of The End We Start From

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Book SynopsisTolstoy's epic masterpiece intertwines the lives of private and public individuals during the time of the Napoleonic wars and the French invasion of Russia. In this revised and updated version of the definitive and highly acclaimed Maude translation, Tolstoy's genius and the power of his prose are made newly available to the contemporary reader.

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Book SynopsisOne of the first twenty-first century Russian novels to probe the legacy of the Soviet prison camp system by one of Russia's finest young writers. A young man travels to the vast wastelands of the Far North to uncover the truth about a shadowy neighbour who saved his life, and whom he knows only as Grandfather II. What he finds, among the forgotten mines and decrepit barracks of former gulags, is a world relegated to oblivion, where it is easier to ignore both the victims and the executioners than to come to terms with a terrible past. This disturbing tale evokes the great and ruined beauty of a land where man and machine worked in tandem with nature to destroy millions of lives during the Soviet century. Emerging from today's Russia, where the ills of the past are being forcefully erased from public memory, this masterful novel represents an epic literary attempt to rescue history from the brink of oblivion.Trade ReviewA Dantean descent... In a steely translation by Antonina W. Bouis, Oblivion is as cold and stark as a glacial crevasse, but as beautiful as one, too, with a clear poetic sensibility built to stand against the forces of erasure' * Wall Street Journal *Astonishing... Ingeniously structured around the progressive uncovering of memories of a difficult personal and national past [...] with a visceral, at times almost unbearable, force' * Times Literary Supplement *Opening in stately fashion and unfolding ever faster with fierce, intensive elegance, this first novel discloses the weight of Soviet history and its consequences... Highly recommended for anyone serious about literature or history' * Library Journal (starred review) *Sergei Lebedev opens up new territory in literature. Lebedev's prose lives from the precise images and the author's colossal gift of observation * Der Spiegel *

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Book SynopsisPermafrost's no-bullshit lesbian narrator is an uninhibited lover and a wickedly funny observer of modern life. Desperate to get out of Barcelona, she goes to Brussels, 'because a city whose symbol is a little boy pissing was a city I knew I would like'; as an au pair in Scotland, she develops a hatred of the colour green. And everywhere she goes, she tries to break out of the roles set for her by family and society, chasing escape wherever it can be found: love affairs, travel, thoughts of suicide. Full of powerful, physical imagery, this prize-winning debut novel by acclaimed Catalan poet Eva Baltasar was a word-of-mouth hit in its own language. It is a breathtakingly forthright call for women's freedom to embrace both pleasure and solitude, and speaks boldly of the body, of sex, and of the self.Trade Review'Permafrost is a discomfiting book about a sensual intoxication with life that just barely contains the desire for it to be over and done with forever. Like a perfect song, Eva Baltasar's words, as translated by Julia Sanches, have a sheen and inevitability that I won't soon forget. It held me in a trance.' Catherine Lacey; 'Reading Eva Baltasar's Permafrost is like having a rug continuously pulled out from under you until finally the rug disappears. How can a novel that orbits suicide be so surprising, so intensely liberating and funny, and at the same time, so full of grief? That is its genius.' Amina Cain; 'Forthright, fearless and funny, with a no-messing narrator, this is a maximal reading experience.' Wendy Erskine; 'An explosively witty, intense novel about freedom, desire and the body - Baltasar's voice is as bracing and sharp as cold mountain air, and her queer exploration of being and intimacy is intoxicating. Raw, fresh and uncompromising new writing.' Rebecca Tamas; 'Calling to mind the work of Herve Guibert and Olivia Laing, Permafrost is an iron fist swathed in velvet, a book at once inviting and intimidating, lush and severe, enormously witty, thoroughly intelligent, and devastatingly emotional. It is a text that trusts the wisdom of the body, finding pleasure everywhere-even in suicide, death, and disaster; this is the most weirdly uplifting book I have read in years, perhaps because it holds at its core such affection for all the nuances of being. Seamless, delicious, and nothing short of genius, Baltasar's fiction debut gives us "the whole crush of humanity[...] concentrated in a place that is absolutely personal."' Maryse Meijer; 'A novel about the beauty of love, sex and suicide, it strikes the perfect balance between passion, a dark sense of humour and tenderness.' Katharina Volckmer; 'Permafrost crackles and sparks with observations about living, family, and desire that are wry, searing, funny, and full of love for the love of women. A potent shot to be swallowed whole.' Saskia Vogel; 'Released from my annual dose of Bernhard, I usually feel a need for more and I usually do not have anything dark enough to hand. But this time I did - Permafrost by Eva Baltasar.' Imma Monso; 'A magma of sensations, doubts and aspirations. A trove of treasures. The piquancy of this novel, a surprise word-of-mouth hit in Spain, comes from the gap between the fantasies projected onto the narrator by the women around her--who see in her a free and contented woman--and the suffocating feeling constricting her. ' Le Monde; 'Eva Baltasar debuts as a novelist with a high voltage book about the self, the body, sex and the family. One of the books of the year.' La Vanguardia; 'The discovery of the year' Time Out ; 'Breathtaking, intense, poetic.' ABC; 'A cold but fiery lucidity, admirable, in its approach to detail.' El Mundo/El Cultural; 'Baltasar handles feelings as radioactive material, that is, as something that kills and illuminates us.' Babelia/El Pais; 'Baltasar describes how you didn't think it could be done. It surpasses everything. One of the best books of the year' La Vanguardia; 'Without doubt, one of the most memorable protagonists of contemporary Catalan narrative.' El Periodico; 'Baltasar is very skilled. A Catalan Dorothy Parker. Ironic, implacable.' La Repubblica; 'An investigation of the body as an instrument for measuring pain and desire. A besieged, solemn and majestically painful body, which ideally embraces all of humanity.' La Stampa; 'A new voice. Courageous and audacious. Baltasar's style is astonishing.' El Pais; 'Baltasar's is a strong debut.' Clarin; 'Intimate, beautiful, ironic and surprising.' Nuvol.com; 'An electrifying writing and a personal, raw and lucid gaze. It convinces.' Eva Piquer, Ara Llegim; 'Read until you come or read until you cry. That's what happens when you encounter the frozen casing of Permafrost. Ice, not because it is cold, but because it cracks.' Luna Miguel, Playground; 'Eva Baltasar performs an exercise in honesty with this protagonist, who does not beat about the bush and talks - talks to us - without half measures, without filters, without conventions. Perhaps that honesty has been responsible for the success of the novel, which has recently won the Premi Llibreter. This is the power of a voice without scorn, without regrets, that narrates its own introspection.' Jenn Diaz, El Periodico; 'Permafrost by Eva Baltasar is one of the revelatory books of this season . . . I had never read a book in Catalan about sex, seen from the perspective of a woman, such as Permafrost.' Julia Guillamon, Culturas; 'I came to Permafrost because it was recommended by everyone. And now I have devoured it, I also recommend it to you.' Jordi Benavente, La lanza; 'We talk about literature in capitals . . . This is a story that, in the search for reasons to end a life, allows us to find those reasons for which it is worth continuing to live, day by day, even if it is to be able to continue fantasizing about death, or even about life.' Marc Reig, A book a day

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Book Synopsis'A subtle distillation of wisdom, stylistic grace and symmetry of form' Sunday Times 'It's hard to think of a more recent novel that has sung so eloquently the joys of being alone' Guardian An inspirational classic from Nobel Prize-winner Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha is a beautiful tale of self-discovery Dissatisfied with the ways of life he has experienced, Siddhartha, the handsome son of a Brahmin, leaves his family and his friend, Govinda, in search of a higher state of being. Having experienced the myriad forms of existence, from immense wealth and luxury to the pleasures of sensual and paternal love, Siddhartha finally settles down beside a river, where a humble ferryman teaches him his most valuable lesson yet. Hermann Hesse's short, elegant novel, echoing the life of the Buddha, has been cherished by readers for decades as an unforgettable spiritual primer. A tender and unforgettable moral allegory, it is an undeniable classic of modern literature. Part of the Pushkin Press Classics series: timeless storytelling by icons of literature, hand-picked from around the globe Translated by Hilda Rosner Hermann Hesse (1877-1963) is counted among the leading novelists and thinkers of the twentieth century. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1946 for a body of literature renowned for its humanist, philosophical and spiritual insight. His most famous works include Siddhartha, Journey to the East, Demian, Steppenwolf, and Narcissus and Goldmund.Trade Review'A subtle distillation of wisdom, stylistic grace and symmetry of form' - Sunday Times'A writer of genius' - The Times''[It's] hard to think of a more recent novel that has sung so eloquently of the joys of being alone... beguiling' - Guardian'Its simple prose and rebellious character echoed the yearnings of a generation that was seeking a way out of conformity, materialism and outward power.... Siddhartha emerged as a symbol; the symbol of those who seek the truth' - Paulo Coelho, author of The Alchemist'This novel is an eternally unfolding lotus: as fresh as the day I first read from its leaves' - LitHub

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Book SynopsisThe Japanese cult classic mystery 'Ayatsuji's brilliant and richly atmospheric puzzle will appeal to fans of golden age whodunits... Every word counts, leading up to a jaw-dropping but logical reveal' Publishers Weekly The lonely, rockbound island of Tsunojima is notorious as the site of a series of bloody unsolved murders. Some even say it's haunted. One thing's for sure: it's the perfect destination for the K-University Mystery Club's annual trip. But when the first club member turns up dead, the remaining amateur sleuths realise they will need all of their murder-mystery expertise to get off the island alive. As the party are picked off one by one, the survivors grow desperate and paranoid, turning on each other. Will anyone be able to untangle the murderer's fiendish plan before it's too late?Trade Review**One of the 20 of the Best Classic Murder Mystery Books of All Time from Town & Country Magazine**"His celebration of traditional whodunits plays with the mystery genre in a wonderfully self-referential way... With each new murder, the remaining members of the group must use their knowledge of the genre to find the killer and try to stay alive." — Esquire, The 50 Best Mysteries of All Time "A terrific mystery, a classic of misdirection very much in the manner of Agatha Christie or John Dickson Carr'" — Washington Post "Behold, the perfect escapist drug! If I could crush this book into a powder and snort it, I would." — Vulture "A real page-turner... Highly recommended" — Classic Mystery "Ayatsuji's brilliant and richly atmospheric puzzle will appeal to fans of golden age whodunits... Every word counts, leading up to a jaw-dropping but logical reveal" — Publishers Weekly (starred review) "A stunner of a plot, with an ending which I simply could not believe when it was first revealed... Rivals Soji Shimada's The Tokyo Zodiac Murders for sheer audacity and ingenuity" — At the Scene of the Crime "A knowing tribute to classic crime, it features all manner of puzzles, including locked rooms, jigsaws and magic tricks." — Mark Sanderson, The Times "highly ingenious" — Laura Wilson, Guardian "The Decagon House Murders, is a thrilling homage to Christie’s And Then There Were None, following a group of amateur sleuths on a trip to a lonely island, the site of several unsolved murders. In the opening chapter, one character remarks: “Enough gritty realism please! What mystery novels need are a great detective, a mansion, a shady cast of residents, bloody murders, impossible crimes and never-before-seen-tricks played by the murder.” It’s impossible not to agree." — The Guardian “Aimed to be a murder mystery that readers can solve as they read, this book is gripping and has fun bits such as characters having nicknames based on American and European mystery writers, and of course, maps!” — United by Pop

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Book SynopsisProfessor Persikov, an eccentric zoologist, stumbles upon a new light ray that accelerates growth and reproduction rates in living organisms. In the wake of a plague that has decimated the country's poultry stocks, Persikov's discovery is exploited as a means to correct the problem. As foreign agents, the state and the Soviet media all seize upon the red ray, matters get out of hand... Set in 1928 but written four years earlier, during Stalin's rise to power, The Fatal Eggs is both an early piece of science fiction reminiscent of H.G. Wells and a biting, brilliant satire on the consequences of the abuse of power and knowledge.Trade ReviewThe exuberance of it... has to enliven the reader, and make us laugh. -- Doris Lessing Bulgakov was not merely a brilliant observer of what was going on around him, but had an uncanny ability to pick out the particular manifestations of folly and discord which would set the tone of the era to follow. * The Guardian * Cockrell's self-effacing, fluent prose restores the elegant irony of the original, while rising to the challenge of Bulgakov's occasionally abstruse medical lexicon. * TLS *

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Book SynopsisA riveting, poetic and powerful work from the author of the International Booker Prize-winning novel The Vegetarian. 'Exquisite, painful and deeply courageous' Philippe Sands, Best Books of the Year, Guardian Gwangju, South Korea, 1980. Amid a violent student uprising a young boy named Dong-ho is killed. As his friend searches for Dong-ho's corpse, we also meet an editor struggling against censorship, a prisoner and a factory worker, each suffering from traumatic memories, and Dong-ho's grief-stricken mother. Through their collective heartbreak and acts of hope comes a tale of a brutalised people in search of a voice. A modern classic, Human Acts has been both a controversial bestseller and an award-winning book in Korea, and it confirmed Han Kang as a writer of international importance. '[Han Kang's] way of telling about the events of a 10-day insurgency in Gwangju, South Korea in 1980 and its psychological, spiritual and political aftermath opened my eyes' Susie Orbach, Best Books of the Year, GuardianTrade ReviewHuman Acts is a stunning piece of work. The language is poetic, immediate, and brutal. Han Kang has again proved herself to be a deft artist of storytelling and imagery -- Jess Richards, author * Snake Ropes *An important and necessary book... a devastating and vital a work of literature -- Lucy Scholes * National *A conversation of which we rarely hear both sides: the living talking to the dead, and the dead speaking back * Sunday Telegraph ***** *This ghostly narrative is elliptical and self-conscious about the difficulty of accounting for the legacy of state violence... poignant -- Anthony Cummins * Observer *[Han Kang's] way of telling about the event of a 10-day insurgency on Gwangju, South Korea in 1980 and its psychological, spiritual and political aftermath opened my eyes to the cruelty and viciousness perpetrated on the youth of that city. Her writing is spare and yet clotted with emotion -- Susie Orbach, Best Books of 2016 * Guardian *Han Kang's Human Acts is piercing: an exquisite, painful and deeply courageous account of the 1980 Gwangju massacre -- Philippe Sands, Best Books of 2016 * Guardian *Powerful and disturbing... lyrical and chilling * Mail on Sunday *Powerful -- David Hebblethwaite * Shiny New Books blog *[Han Kang's] way of telling about the events of a 10-day insurgency in Gwangju, South Korea in 1980 and its psychological, spiritual and political aftermath opened my eyes to the cruelty and viciousness perpetrated on the youth of that city. Her writing is spare and yet clotted with emotion -- Susie Orbach, Best Books of 2016 * Guardian *Han Kang's Human Acts is no less piercing: an exquisite, painful and deeply courageous account of the 1980 Gwangju massacre -- Philippe Sands, Best Books of 2016 * Guardian *An extraordinary novel about politics and torture, about the way we memorialize past wrongs. Deborah Smith's translation is typically lucid and readable -- Alex Preston, Best Books of 2016 * Observer *Beautiful and brutal... A fearless examination of the state of humanity and the diagnosis isn't good. This is the pitiless kind of novel that burrows into its reader -- Lisa McInerney * Irish Times *Though there's violence and bloodshed on a large scale in Han's depiction of the Gwangju Uprising, it is the small human movements that I found most vivid. That contrast helped to create the strongest experience of all the books I read this year -- David Hebblethwaite * David's Book World *Raw and beautiful, Han's prose was as contrary as the human acts she described * New Internationalist *[Human Acts] unblinkingly explores the aftermath of one of the darkest moments in South Korean history... It's written with a clear-eyed exactness that is at times horrifying... Ultimately, this is a harrowing novel that deftly examines human cruelty -- Ruchira Sharma * Independent *[A] remarkable novel... A technical and emotional triumph * Daily Telegraph *Han Kang's Human Acts, translated by Deborah Smith, gutted me. The language finds ways to dig in and hold you even as you want to turn from the horror depicted -- Maaza Mengiste * Guardian *Brilliant... Incredibly moving -- Lisa McInerney

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Book SynopsisBased on Cartarescu's own experience as a teacher, Solenoid submerges us in the mundane details of a diarist's life and spirals into an existential account of history, philosophy and mathematics. Grounded in the reality of communist Romania, it grapples with frightening health care, the absurdities of the education system and the struggles of family life, while investigating other universes and forking paths. In a surreal journey like no other, we visit a tuberculosis preventorium, an anti-death protest movement, a society of dream investigators and a minuscule world of dust mites living on a microscope slide. Combining fiction with autobiography and history, Solenoid searches for escape routes through the alternate dimensions of life and art, as various monstrous realities erupt within the present.

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Book SynopsisEugene Onegin is the master work of the poet whom Russians regard as the fountainhead of their literature. Set in 1820s Russia, Pushkin's novel in verse follows the fates of three men and three women. It was Pushkin's own favourite work, and this new translation conveys the literal sense and the poetic music of the original.

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE 'A strange, painfully tender exploration of the brutality of desire indulged and the fatality of desire ignored... Exquisite.' Eimear McBride Yeong-hye and her husband are ordinary people - dutiful wife and mild-mannered office worker. One day, prompted by grotesque recurring nightmares, Yeong-hye decides to become a vegetarian. But in South Korea, where vegetarianism is almost unheard-of and societal mores are strictly obeyed, it is a shocking act of subversion. Yeong-hye's passive rebellion rapidly manifests in ever more bizarre and frightening forms, from sexual sadism to attempted suicide, and in increasingly erotic and unhinged artworks, as all the while she spirals further into her fantasies... Disturbing and beautiful by turns, The Vegetarian is a revelatory novel about modern day South Korea; a tale of shame, desire and our faltering attempts to understand others.Trade ReviewA strange, painfully tender exploration of the brutality of desire indulged and the fatality of desire ignored... Exquisite -- Eimear McBride, Baileys Women's Prize-winning author * A Girl Is a Half-formed Thing *The Vegetarian is a story about metamorphosis, rage and the desire for another sort of life. It is written in cool, still, poetic but matter-of-fact short sentences, translated luminously by Deborah Smith, who is obviously a genius -- Deborah Levy, author * Swimming Home *[The Vegetarian] is understated even in its most fevered, violent moments. It has a surreal and spellbinding quality. Enthralling -- Arifa Akbar * Independent *It's a bracing, visceral, system-shocking addition to the Anglophone reader's diet. It is sensual, provocative and violent, ripe with potent images, startling colours and disturbing questions. Sentence by sentence, The Vegetarian is an extraordinary experience. [It] will be hard to beat -- Daniel Hahn * Guardian *Shocking... The writing throughout is precise and spare, with not a word wasted. There are no tricks. Han holds the reader in a vice grip... The Vegetarian quickly settles into a dark, menacing brilliance that is similar to the work of the gifted Japanese writer Yoko Ogawa in its devastating study of psychological pain... [It] is more than a cautionary tale about the brutal treatment of women: it is a meditation on suffering and grief. It is about escape and how a dreamer takes flight. Most of all, it is about the emptiness and rage of discovering there is nothing to be done when all hope and comfort fails... A work of savage beauty and unnerving physicality. Mind-blowing -- Eileen Battersby * Irish Times *Entrancing and tense... the writing is spare and haunting... its crushing climax, a phantasmagoric yet emotionally true moment that's surely one of the year's most powerful... [This is] an ingenious, upsetting, and unforgettable novel -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)The Vegetarian is hypnotically strange, sad, beautiful and compelling. I liked it immensely -- Nathan Filer, author * The Shock of the Fall *A stunning and beautifully haunting novel. It seems in places as if the very words on the page are photosynthesising. I loved this graceful, vivid book -- Jess Richards, author * Snake Ropes *Poetic and beguiling, and translated with tremendous elegance, The Vegetarian exhilarates and disturbs -- Chloe Aridjis, author * The Book of Clouds *This short novel is one of the most startling I have read. Kang is well served by Deborah Smith's subtle translation in this disturbing book -- Julia Pascal * Independent *Kang belongs to a generation of writers that aim to discover secret drives, ambitions, and miseries behind one's personal destiny... [The Vegetarian] deals with violence, sanity, cultural limits, and the value of the human body as the last refuge and private space * Tiempo Argentino *Disturbing and beautiful, The Vegetarian is translated by Deborah Smith into poetic yet matter-of-fact prose -- Richard Eves * Big Issue in the North *A fine novel -- David Hebblethwaite * Shiny New Books *This off-kilter novel from Korea is simultaneously beautiful and sinister * Absolutely Dulwich *The Vegetarian is so strange and vivid it left me breathless upon finishing it. I don't think I've ever read a novel as mouth-wateringly poetic, or as drenched in hypnotic oddities, taboos and scandal. It seems to have been plucked out of the ether, ready-made to take us all by surprise. Exciting and compelling -- Lee Rourke * New Humanist *Elegantly translated into bone-spare English by Deborah Smith... The Vegetarian whispers so clearly, it can be heard across the room, insistently and with devastating, quiet violence -- Joanna Walsh * New Statesman *Fascinating and powerful. A really engrossing read * Guardian *Unsettling... [a] strange and ethereal fable, rendered stranger still by the cool precision of the prose -- Peter Brown * TLS *In The Vegetarian Han Kang ruthlessly targets South Korea's social codes, using the story of a simple, personal rebellion to expose a callous patriarchy. Sharply ironic -- Ruairi Casey * Totally Dublin *[A] heady, unsettling novel... Kang writes in a coolly unsentimental style, and achieves a delicate balance of restraint and passion in a story pulsing with desire, betrayal and destruction. Haunting -- Mireille Juchau * The Australian *Visceral and terrifying, The Vegetarian is a startling reminder of the utter unknowability of another's mind. Nonetheless, reading it, you will feel it in your flesh: the desire for peace, a plea for safety, for escape from your own inevitable mortality. It is artfully plotted yet reads like a fever dream, sweeping and surreal. It will leave you aching -- Sarah Gerard, author * Binary Star *Considering this book just as a story about a vegetarian is a mistake. It is rather a meticulously constructed and haunting novel. Right at the moment you turn the last page, you'll feel grateful for your ordinary life -- Kyung-Sook Shin, Man Asian Literary Prize-winning author * Please Look After Mom *Like a small seed, Han Kang's startling and unforgettable debut goes to work quietly, but insistently. Her prose is so balanced, so elegant and assured, you might overlook the depths of this novel's darkness - do so at your own peril -- Colin Winnette, author * Haints Stay and Coyote *Brutal and beautiful - the translation alone is a work of art - this is a book for anyone who believes that the novel's job is to turn its reader inside out -- Eimear McBride, ‘Summer Read’ * Guardian *Subtle, provocative... a beautiful book -- Chad W Post * Frankfurt Show Daily *Immediately absorbing...It's the kind of story where every word matters -- Lesley McDowell * Sunday Herald *An irresistibly weird and sensuous story -- Daniel Hahn, Books of the Year * New Statesman *Han Kang's vivid and at times violent storytelling will wake up even the most jaded of literary palates * Independent *A transformative fable about desire, frustration and individual will -- Best Books of 2015 * Guardian *Paradoxically, both enlightening and incomprehensible. It is a strange book, with overtones of Kafka, and a plot that has no resolution. And yet it continues its reader, turning the seeming banality of a woman's decision not to eat meat into a surreal psychological odyssey -- Xenobe Purves * Litro *This compact, exquisite and disturbing book will linger long in the minds, and maybe the dreams, of its readers. -- Boyd Tonkin, chair of judges for Man Booker International Prize 2016Split into three parts, Kang's narrative dances tantalisingly around her central character, the too-often silent Yeong-hye... As a character she appears the twisted product of the multitude of watchful eyes, the switching preoccupations, and the opinions of those around her. She herself remains mysteriously elusive, her own thoughts only ever revealed in sparing flashes interspersed throughout the narrative... Teetering between explanations both 'ordinary' and 'extra-ordinary', she leaves no room for certainty, constantly teasing the reader, and the ambiguity that remains both torments and delights. This masterpiece of Korean fiction is finally made available to English readers in Deborah Smith's achingly elegant prose, the first of Han Kang's novels to be translated. Thankfully I am certain it will not be the last. -- Thea Hawlin * London Magazine *While the narrative exposes the plight of women in a male-dominated Korean society, it also takes a broader, philosophical look at suffering and grief, loneliness and the death of hope. It explores the brutal power shifts in relationships. On all levels, artistic and moral, it is a remarkable meditation with universal resonance. At its heart is the individual trying, and failing, to live. Deborah Smith's translation, magnificently alert to the sensitive, sophisticated nuances and tonal variations, can only be described as inspired. -- Eileen Battersby * Irish Times *A truly memorable novel [with] visceral and unfaltering writing that is innately uneasy to read [...] Han Kang expertly structures the novel around the three long chapters that explore the voices around Yeong-Hye. Though the narrative is never hers, Yeong-Hye remains the focus of the novel throughout. Each chapter features dream sequences which blur the everyday and ethereal and provide the reader with rich and dynamic prose. The fact that these sequences work so well in The Vegetarian is a huge credit to the work of Deborah Smith who achieves a translation that is wonderfully readable in English whilst at the same time profoundly different to English language novels. * Words Shortlist *One of the most erotic literary novels of the season... The Vegetarian has been praised on both sides of the Atlantic as strange visionary and transgressive. * Economist *A haunting, hypnotic read, Han Kang's novel is a bold example of what world literature has to offer us here in Britain. -- Erica Wagner * Harper's Bazaar *The winner of the 2016 Man International Booker Prize is an unsettling, sensual and surreal novel about a dutiful wife who rebels against her stultifying marriage. * i *No blurb that I have read for this book does it justice. That's because the premise is peculiar; an unremarkable man meets an unremarkable woman and they get married. Their lives are ordinary, until one day she has a dream that compels her to become a vegetarian. At which point the tale goes nuclear. -- Summer books round up * The Times *Intriguing -- Charlotte Mendelson, summer books round up * Observer *At once dreamy and nightmarish, a beautiful horror and easily one of the best books I've read in years. -- Lisa McInerney * Guardian *[An] engrossing read which takes you deep into the fascinating and complex world of another culture, South Korea. The harrowing but beautifully told story of a woman who would not conform. -- Top ten books chart * Western Morning News *Fraught, disturbing and beautiful, The Vegetarian is a novel about shame, desire and our faltering attempts to understand others. * Western Morning News *Kang has crafted a wounding, unsettling book. The fantastical imagery of plants, trees and flowers reinforce Yeong-hye's purity. The book is a journey in trying to understand her and the reactions she inspires in others... Han Kang's great achievement is crafting a small tale from which great things grow * Irish Examiner *A violent, magical and surreal tale... Unforgettable -- Fiona Wilson, Best Books of 2016 * The Times *I loved this haunting [novel] -- Lionel Shriver, Best Books of 2016 * Observer *Visceral -- Best Books of 2016 * Financial Times *This slim novel from South Korea is one of the most erotic literary novels of the season -- Best Books of 2016 * Economist *[An] unsettling novel... This spare and elegant translation renders the original Korean in pointed and vivid English, preserving Han's exploration of whether true innocence is possible in a vicious and bloody world -- The Ten Best Books of 2016 * New York Times *Scary and sad, but also deeply tender. It made me question my autonomy, which is exactly what I look for in a book -- Brie Larson * Stylist *A disturbingly cerebral analysis of conformity, autonomy and patriarchy * Dumfries and Galloway Life *[An] eerie modern classic * Metro *

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Book Synopsis''Odd and evocative, a frolicking rumination'' TIMES CRITICS'' BEST BOOK OF 2024''Hilarious, unsettling and unexpectedly moving'' FINANCIAL TIMES BEST TRANSLATED BOOK OF 2024''Resonant and spiky'' DAILY MAIL''Brilliantly caustic'' i PAPERRealising he and she are the very worst kind of people, a middle-aged man embarks on a dubious road trip through Switzerland with his eighty-year-old mother, recently discharged from a mental institution. Traversing the country in a hired cab, they attempt to give away the wealth she has amassed from investing in the arms industry, but a fortune of such immensity is surprisingly hard to squander. Haunted in different ways by the figure of her father, an ardent supporter of Nazism, mother and son can no longer avoid delving into the darkest truths about their past.Eurotrash is a bitterly funny, vertiginous mirror-cabinet of familial and historical reckoning. The pair''s tragicomic quest is punctuated by the tenderness and spite meted out between two people who cannot escape one another. Intensely personal and unsparingly critical, Eurotrash is a disorientingly brilliant novel by a writer at the pinnacle of his powers.Praise for Christian Kracht:''Christian Kracht is the great German-language writer of his generation'' Joshua Cohen''Astonishing and captivating'' Karl Ove KnausgaardTRANSLATED BY DANIEL BOWLES

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for the Prix Goncourt Winner of the Goncourt du Premier Roman Winner of the Prix des Cinq Continents Winner of the Prix François Mauriac THE NOVEL THAT HAS TAKEN THE INTERNATIONAL LITERARY WORLD BY STORM He was the brother of ‘the Arab’ killed by the infamous Meursault, the antihero of Camus’s classic novel. Angry at the world and his own unending solitude, he resolves to bring his brother out of obscurity by giving him a name – Musa – and a voice, and by describing the events that led to his senseless murder on a dazzling Algerian beach. A worthy complement to its great predecessor, The Meursault Investigation is not only a profound meditation on Arab identity and the disastrous effects of colonialism in Algeria, but also a stunning work of literature in its own right, told in a unique and affecting voice.Trade Review'A splendid achievement...Daoud has an angry and loquacious register...both beguiling and arresting. It's reminiscent of Italo Calvino: magical, labyrinthian, rhetorical and playfully dark'. * The Tablet * 'Daoud has created his own memorable fiction in which he brilliantly exposes the rise of Islamism in Algeria and his nation's failures post-independence.' * Huffington Post *'[A] wonderfully entangled novel. Establishing a conversation across time, Daoud not only uses Camus's words to expose the hypocrisy and inherent violence of the French 'civilising mission', but also deploys them in order to convey the cultural, political and social suffocation that is the lot of so many contemporary Algerians. This is a crucial novel for our times' * Literary Review * 'Daoud's work stands on its own as it tackles grief, growing up, post-independence Algeria and conservative Islam today...a clever and suspenseful work that is a masterpiece in its own right'. * The Times (Saturday Review) *'A tour-de-force... Daoud has performed a great service for his country: he has taken a western classic and used it to illuminate the Algerian mind'. * The Sunday Times (Culture) *'Wholly astonishing...There are no illusions to be found in this wonderfully embittered, beautiful book.' * Observer *'An indispensable companion to Camus...superlative writing, beautifully translated...brilliantly metaphorical. For its incandescence, its precision of phrase and description, and its cross-cultural significance, The Meursault Investigation is an instant classic.' * Guardian *'A dazzling appropriation of L'Etranger' * London Review of Books *'An accomplished work of fiction, the anger of Daoud’s hero convinces' * Spectator *‘There is far more to his book than a clever deconstruction of a canonical novel… suspenseful…its narrative vitality never flags…beautifully taut…Despite the gravity of its concerns, Daoud’s writing maintains a wryness that makes its moments of sharp insight even more arresting. It is a testament to Daoud’s subtle, profound talent that his story works both as a novelistic response to Camus and as a highly original story in its own right. The Meursault Investigation is perhaps the most important novel to emerge out of the Middle East in recent memory’ * FT *'An impressive, provocative undertaking...that might not prove easy to put down...the polemic is balanced by artistic ingenuity...A relentlessly adroit blend of fire and clinical precision ensures that Kamel Daoud's iconoclastic deliberation is about far more than a renowned novel by Albert Camus' * Irish Times *‘[An] extraordinary novel.’ * London Review of Books *'A tour de force.' * The New Yorker *‘Clever… Daoud is in equal measure a thoughtful and provocative writer’ * Times Literary Supplement *'[Kamel Daoud’s] book, The Meursault Investigation, is a retelling of Albert Camus’s classic The Stranger, from an Algerian perspective. Within its 160 pages, Mr. gives voice to the brother of the nameless Arab murder victim who is shot five times on a beach in Algiers by the antihero, Meursault.' * New York Times *‘A thrilling retelling of Albert Camus’s 1942 classic … ingenious.’ * New York Times Magazine *‘a scorching debut novel that is sure to become an essential companion to Camus’s masterpiece.’ * The Economist *‘Daoud’s novel has the magnetism of its forebear, but its themes of voicelessness and vengeance feel utterly present day’ * Vogue (US) *‘[A] mesmerizing first novel … The Meursault Investigation has an inescapable topical resonance, given the role played by political Islam in Algeria in recent times … an absorbing, independent story and a shrewd critique of a country trapped in history’s time warp.’ * Wall Street Journal *‘Humour erupts in The Meusrsault Investigation every time there is tragedy, and this recipe for the Algerian absurd gives Daoud’s book its literary sting.' * The Nation *‘Give Kamel Daoud credit for audacity. In his debut novel, The Meursault Investigation, the Algerian journalist goes head-to-head with a pillar of 20th century literature…The true measure of the novel…is that Daoud realizes critique is not enough…the power – and, yes, the beauty – of The Meursault Investigation is that it moves … to an unexpected integration in which we recognize that for all the intractable divides of faith or nationality, our humanity remains (how can it not?) essentially the same.’ * Los Angeles Times *‘Mr. Daoud’s writing is like a live wire flowing with anger. It sparks fresh insights, raises important questions about the links between literature and politics, and challenges us to view the literary past and political present in new ways.’ * Pittsburgh Post Gazette *‘Camus’s The Outsider is vividly reimagined in Daoud’s intensely atmospheric novel … readers will be captivated.’ * Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) *‘In the hands of Algerian journalist Kamel Daoud, The Outsider has become the springboard for another novel that serves as both homage and rebuke to Camus’ masterpiece … It is a brilliant, infinitely rich tour de force of the imagination that never mentions Camus by name but gives Meursault’s victim not only a name – Musa – but a history, a family and a would-be future … Its originality of vision carries the book a long way toward mastery of its form … The Meursault Investigation stirs our imagination, showing that literary classics are never finished.’ * Wichita Eagle *‘Very beautiful writing, original, located between suppressed anger and bursts of elation.’ * Les Echos *‘A breathtaking and effectively realized novel. The Outsider becomes a palindrome ... The Meursault investigation approaches the incredible, in that it reverses the perspective and point of view not without an emphatic ferociousness, all while playing with the prose and perspective of The Outsider.’ * La Croix *‘A remarkable homage to its model.’ * Le Nouvel Observateur *‘Fiction with a strong moral edge, offering a Rashomon-like response to a classic novel.’ * Kirkus *‘A superb novel … In the future, The Outsider and The Meursault Investigation will be read side by side.’ * Le Monde des Livres *‘An intense and surprising story.’ * La Montagne *'A labyrinth of dilemmas, absurdities and personal crisis. Camus started it and Daoud finished it. you’ll think of The Stranger in a different way after reading this book.' -- World Translations Review

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Book Synopsis'You only see clearly with your heart. The most important things are invisible to the eyes.'Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful hardbacks make perfect gifts for book lovers, or wonderful additions to your own collection. This edition features a specially commissioned translation by Ros and Chloe Schwarz, as well as the charming original illustrations by Saint-Exupéry himself, coloured by Barbara Frith.After crash-landing in the Sahara Desert, a pilot encounters a little prince who is visiting Earth from his own planet. Their strange and moving meeting illuminates for the aviator many of life's universal truths, as he comes to learn what it means to be human from a child who is not. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's delightful The Little Prince has been translated into over 180 languages and sold over 80 million copies.Trade ReviewEver since its original publication in French in 1943, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s story has enchanted audiences of all ages . . . The story’s wisdom on loneliness – in cities crowded with people – and consumerism – in a world replete with natural joys – remains as resonant as eve -- Samuel Earle * The Guardian *Of all the books written in French over the past century, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s Le Petit Prince is surely the best loved in the most tongues -- Adam Gopnik * The New Yorker *Every chapter in this book has a unique lesson; every encounter is an allegory. It is whimsical and magical . . . Saint-Exupéry created a masterpiece that has lived in the hearts of adults and children for decades -- Farah Masud * The Daily Star *

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Book Synopsis 'I'm in story heaven with this book.' Cecelia Ahern, author of P.S. I Love You A charming tale of friendship, love and loneliness in contemporary Japan Sentaro has failed. He has a criminal record, drinks too much, and his dream of becoming a writer is just a distant memory. With only the blossoming of the cherry trees to mark the passing of time, he spends his days in a tiny confectionery shop selling dorayaki, a type of pancake filled with sweet bean paste. But everything is about to change. Into his life comes Tokue, an elderly woman with disfigured hands and a troubled past. Tokue makes the best sweet bean paste Sentaro has ever tasted. She begins to teach him her craft, but as their friendship flourishes, social pressures become impossible to escape and Tokue’s dark secret is revealed, with devastating consequences. Sweet Bean Paste is a moving novel about the burden of the past and the redemptive power of friendship. Translated into English for the first time, Durian Sukegawa’s beautiful prose is capturing hearts all over the world.Trade Review‘Simply delicious.’ * Guardian *‘I'm in story heaven with this book.’ * Cecelia Ahern, author of PS, I Love You *‘Charmingly written, the plot is a continual surprise. A tale of sorrow that feels uplifting by its end.’ * i (The Independent) *‘As wise as it is moving, Sukegawa’s novel beguiles and seduces the reader from evocative opening to compassionate close.’ * The Herald *‘A poignant, poetic fable.’ * Denis Thériault, author of The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman *‘Sweet Bean Paste is a subtle, moving exploration of redemption in an unforgiving society... Sukegawa’s writing style, delicately translated by Alison Watts, is well-matched to the subject matter: a slow, muted movement that gently guides the reader, while leaving the unnecessary unsaid... It is an original twist on the “odd couple” genre, in which two unlikely companions find they have much to offer each other, and retains much of the humour that genre entails. A book with deceptive heft and lingering resonance.’ * Japan Times *‘Enthralling...This is that rare book that leaves readers truly humbled, reminding us of everything we should be thankful for, and that it is never too late to do something with our lives.’ * The Bookbag *‘A polished piece of work, and a decent, touching read.’ * Complete Review *‘A beautifully rendered tale of outsiders coming together.’ * B&N Reads *‘Charming and uplifting.’ * Press Association *‘Sukegawa – enabled by Watts's lucid translation – tells an endearing, thoughtful tale about relationships and the everyday meaning of life... Readers in search of gently illuminating fare – e.g., Shion Miura's The Great Passage, Jeff Talarigo's The Pearl Diver – will appreciate this toothsome treat.’ * Library Journal *‘Although Tokue’s past is a reflection of a dark chapter of Japanese history, her wisdom, patience, and kindness shape this touching and occasionally wistful novel. Through Tokue’s story, Sukegawa eloquently explores the seeds of biases and challenges us to truly listen to the natural world and the messages it artfully hides.’ * Booklist *‘A perfect example of cover and content in total harmony – I love this little masterpiece.’ * Gary Powell, Foyles *‘An ode to cuisine and to life. Poignant, poetic, sensual: a treat.’ * Lausanne Cités *‘Sweet Bean Paste is a short book that can be read quickly, yet it unfolds at a relaxed pace. The changing seasons provide reference points for the changes in the characters, but never in a way that seems forced.’ * The Japan News *‘This mixture of grief and solace, cherry blossoms and red beans is a recipe for happiness.’ * Radio SRF 2 Kultur Kompakt *‘Sweet Bean Paste is a book for your heart, mind...and appetite... It feels important, significant and far-reaching. It really is a moving and inspiring story which is as heart-warming as a delicious dorayaki, well maybe with a bit of salt. It is not often that a book touches your very soul and, therefore, Sweet Bean Paste deserves the highest of marks.’ * Thoughts on Papyrus blog *

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Book SynopsisThe Book of Disquiet is one of the great literary works of the twentieth century. Written over the course of Fernando Pessoa's life, it was first published in 1982, pieced together from the thousands of individual manuscript pages left behind by Pessoa after his death in 1935. Now this fragmentary modernist masterpiece appears in a major new edition that unites Margaret Jull Costa's celebrated translation with the most complete version of the text ever produced. It is presented here, for the first time in English, by order of original composition, and accompanied by facsimiles of the original manuscript. Narrated principally by an assistant bookkeeper named Bernardo Soares - an alias of sorts for Pessoa himself - The Book of Disquiet is 'the autobiobraphy of someone who never existed', a mosaic of dreams, of hope and despair; a hymn to the streets and cafés of 1930s Lisbon, and an extraordinary record of the inner life of one of the century's most important writers. This new edition represents the most complete vision of Pessoa's genius.Trade ReviewThe very book to read when you wake at 3am and can't get back to sleep - mysteries, misgivings, fears and dreams and wonderment. Like nothing else. -- Philip PullmanIn a time which celebrates fame, success, stupidity, convenience and noise, here is the perfect antidote -- John Lanchester * Daily Telegraph *A complete masterpiece, the sort of book one makes friends with and cannot bear to be parted with -- Paul Bailey * Independent *A meandering, melancholic series of reveries and meditations ... beguiling and mysterious -- William BoydIt's hard to explain how this modernist hymnal of boredom, fatigue, dejection and jadedness is so beautiful and life affirming -- Mike McCormack * New Statesman Books of the Year *To read and then contemplate him is to be lifted a little bit above the earth in a floating bubble. One becomes both of the world and not of it. There's no one like him, apart from all of us. -- Nicholas Lezard * Guardian *An odd, occasionally exasperating and sometimes beautiful book and one that will be your friend at 3am on a sleepless night. -- Sophia Martelli * Observer *Fernando Pessoa was simply one of the best 20th-century writers ever... captivating... a series of beautifully wistful reminiscences, diary entries and aphoristic snippets... we recommend it like crazy. Pick one up and open it anywhere and we promise you'll be richly rewarded. -- Stuart Hammond * Dazed and Confused *Gorgeous ... utterly original * The New York Times *A reading experience unlike any other ... you will never forget it, or stop waiting to return to it -- Chris Power * New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisText in Arabic. Afghanistan in the 1970s: Twelve-year-old Amir is desperate to win the local kite-flying tournament and his loyal friend Hassan promises to help him. What happens to Hassan that afternoon will shatter their lives. After the Russians invade and the family is forced to flee to America, Amir realises that one day he must return, to find the one thing that his new world cannot grant him: redemption.Trade ReviewThe Kite Runner is a first novel of unusual generosity, honesty and compassion The Guardian, UK 'A devastating, masterful and painfully honest story ... it is a novel of great hidden intricacy and wisdom, like a timeless Eastern tale. It speaks the most harrowing truth about the power of evil' Daily Telegraph 'The shattering first novel by Khaled Hosseini... a rich and soul-searching narrative ... a sharp, unforgettable taste of the trauma and tumult experienced by Afghanis as their country buckled' Observer

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Book SynopsisCatharina Ingelman-Sundberg is a Swedish author who has written numerous books in several genres, including popular science, cartoon, children's and historical fiction.Her individual writing style, featuring depth of insight, and sense of surprise and humour, gives her books a special appeal. So much so that in 1999 she won the prestigious Widding Prize as the best writer of popular history and historical novels.Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg is a former journalist and marine archaeologist. She now works full-time as an author and her books include the Little Old Lady series.Trade ReviewA good-natured, humorous crime caper * Independent on Sunday *A quirky, offbeat delight and a heart-warming reminder that one is never too old for some mischief and adventure -- Tom Winter, author of Lost & Found‘A shining expression of how joyous life is. It is not dangerous to grow old if you are like Märtha and the gang’ Hyllan, blogg‘The funniest book this year!’ Magazine Familjen, Norway‘A book which should be read by people of all ages’ Radio P4‘A hilarious farce . . . highly entertaining with very well crafted characters’ Frettabladid newspaper, Iceland‘It has humour, brilliant dialogue, irony and warmth. A light-hearted and enjoyable detective comedy with breath-taking events, which provide many smiles but also reflection on life’ PRO Pensionären‘Criminally fun!’ Bonniers Bokklubb‘Very imaginative, fun and filled with gallons of humour!’ Katarina Mazetti

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Book Synopsis**THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO IS BACK!****The sixth in the Millennium series - more than 100 million copies sold worldwide**"Expertly told, the plot crackles with life" DAILY MAIL"Salander is centre stage . . . A pacy read" SUNDAY EXPRESS"Exciting and disturbing" LITERARY REVIEW**********************************************************************************THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO HAS FRESH OUTRAGE TO AVENGEAs Salander follows the scorched trail of her twin sister to Moscow, Blomkvist fears for her safety. He should, perhaps, be more concerned for himself. The murder of a homeless man on the streets of Stockholm has drawn him into a conspiracy that scales the heights of Everest and plunges to the depths of Russia's criminal underworld.And now Lisbeth will face her nemesis. For the girl with the dragon tattoo, the personal is always political - and ultimately deadly. "A unique concoction that should leave Salander's legion of followers clamoring for more" Tom Nolan, Wall Street JournalTranslated from the Swedish by George GouldingTrade ReviewA murder mystery inside an espionage conspiracy wrapped in an action thriller-a unique concoction that should leave Salander's legion of followers clamoring for more * Wall Street Journal *Larsson had grand ambitions for his Millennium series, projecting a total of 10 novels. In Lagercrantz's hands, the series is realizing grand ambitions of another sort. * Washington Post *He has developed Larsson's rage at right-wing perfidy and men who hate women, mixing it with his ability to depict physical beauty and superhuman survival skills to create fast-paced thrillers . . . The Girl Who Lived Twice is both exciting and disturbing * Literary Review *Lagercrantz's compassion for the underdog adds genuine emotion to his baroque plotting. There is much to admire in the way he has grasped a tricky assignment - to continue one of the biggest hits of recent years. Roll on the next "girl" * South China Morning Post *Salander is centre-stage again in Lagercrantz's latest sequel . . . This is a pacy read . . . while still finding room for some nice eccentric touches * Sunday Express *David Lagercrantz is a pro. This is stylish, straight forward, classic Swedish crime . . . supporting characters are distinctly illustrated, larger than life . . . the dialogue is voluble; full of knives, Berettas, rich Russians and divinely gifted hackers. * Svenska Dagbladet *A book to devour . . . Difficult, or near impossible to put down, the plot is lavish, complex, remarkably well-composed and filled with unbearable suspense in certain places * Le Parisien *Salander is what she's always been: a force to be reckoned with, and one of the most remarkable series leads in the history of crime fiction. Salander fans, who long ago put aside any misgivings about Lagercrantz taking over the Millennium series, will be eager to follow the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo as she attempts to sweep clean her family closet. * Booklist *A tantalizing ending hints at important changes for Blomkvist and Lisbeth ahead. Series fans will be pleased with the thoughtful way Lagercrantz develops the character of their beloved action heroine in this worthy outing. * Publishers Weekly *The Girl Who Lived Twice is the sixth, last and best from Stieg Larsson's universe. It is a vivacious and suitable conclusion of the Millennium saga * Aftenposten *David Lagercrantz has with professionalism and respect consolidated Lisbeth Salander as an archetype of current pop culture, and at the same time written very entertaining novels. * La Vanguardia *The result will satisfy any Lagercrantz fans, since the story goes on without pause until the last page, where the author uses fireworks to surprise the reader. * El Periodico *A great novel made of twists and turns, cliffhangers and detailed researches. Lagercrantz . . . An accomplished and elegant style . . . One of the most beautiful and innovative series of the last two decades. * La Repubblica *Lagercrantz perfectly knows how to embrace the atmosphere and the suspense of the Stieg Larsson saga. * Corriere della Sera *[A] fast-paced adventure * Irish Independent *

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Book SynopsisDostoesky's drama of sin, guilt and redemption transmutes the sordid story of an old woman's murder by a desperate student into the nineteenth century's profoundest and most compelling philosophical novel. Grim in theme and setting, the book nevertheless seduces by its combination of superbly drawn characters, narrative brilliance and manic comedy.

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Book SynopsisRead the award-winning, critically acclaimed, multi-million-copy-selling science-fiction phenomenon – soon to be a Netflix Original Series from the creators of Game of Thrones. Imagine the universe as a forest, patrolled by numberless and nameless predators. In this forest, stealth is survival – any civilisation that reveals its location is prey. Earth has. Now the predators are coming. Crossing light years, the Trisolarians will reach Earth in four centuries' time. But the sophons, their extra-dimensional agents and saboteurs, are already here. Only the individual human mind remains immune to their influence. This is the motivation for the Wallfacer Project, a last-ditch defence that grants four individuals almost absolute power to design secret strategies, hidden through deceit and misdirection from human and alien alike. Three of the Wallfacers are influential statesmen and scientists, but the fourth is a total unknown. Luo Ji, an unambitious Chinese astronomer, is baffled by his new status. All he knows is that he's the one Wallfacer that Trisolaris wants dead. Praise for The Three-Body Problem: 'Your next favourite sci-fi novel' Wired 'Immense' Barack Obama 'Unique' George R.R. Martin 'SF in the grand style' Guardian 'Mind-altering and immersive' Daily Mail Winner of the Hugo and Galaxy Awards for Best NovelTrade ReviewWildly imaginative, really interesting... The scope of it was immense -- Barack Obama, 44th President of the United StatesA milestone in Chinese science fiction * New York Times *A marvellous mélange of awe-inspiring scientific concepts, clever plotting and quirky yet plausible characters, all conveyed in in a plain style capable of signalling hidden depths * The Times *The best kind of science fiction -- Kim Stanley RobinsonVivid, imaginative and rooted in cutting-edge science... Cixin stands at the top tier of speculative fiction in any language' -- David BrinFull of surprises and wondrous ideas... The depth of feeling here is extraordinary. Emotion and science brilliantly co-exist. To call the vision grand and ambitious seems a ridiculous understatement... I await the conclusion, Death's End, in the spring with enormous anticipation. I have no doubt that when this trilogy is complete we will have a masterpiece on our hands' * For Winter Nights *Hauntingly gentle in its delivery and gorgeous in its own wondrous atmosphere, The Dark Forest is a quiet slice of lovely science fiction... it's bursting with character and ingenuity' * Starburst magazine *Chinese SF has been neglected in the wider world for far too long * Interzone *A breakthrough book... a unique blend of scientific and philosophical speculation, politics and history, conspiracy theory and cosmology, where kings and emperors from both western and Chinese history mingle in a dreamlike game world, while cops and physicists deal with global conspiracies, murders, and alien invasions in the real world' -- George R.R. Martin.[The Three-Body Problem and The Dark Forest are] the works of fiction I am most enthusiastic about * Bloomberg. *Even what doesn't happen is epic * London Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisA young boy returns obsessively to a supermarket sandwich counter, entranced by the beauty of the woman who works there. Her aloof demeanour and electric blue eyelids make him feel the most intense joy he's ever known. He calls her Ms Ice Sandwich, and he wants nothing more than to spend his days watching her coolly slip sandwiches into bags. But life keeps getting in the way - there's his beloved grandmother's illness, and a faltering friendship with his classmate Tutti, who she invites him into her private world. Wry, intimate and wonderfully skewed, Ms Ice Sandwich is a poignant depiction of the naivety and wisdom of youth, just as it is passing.Trade ReviewOne of John Freeman's 29 Writers to Watch"Whimsical… Described as Haruki Murakami’s “favorite young novelist,” Kawakami is destined to charm Anglophone audiences as well." — Library Journal"Mieko Kawakami is a master of the novella. . . A moving and surprisingly funny tale of growing up and learning how to lose, it is no overstatement to assert that Ms Ice Sandwich is Mieko Kawakami at her very best. . . Very highly recommended." — Midwest Book Review"Delightful… Kawakami’s dialogue, fluidly rendered into English by Louise Heal Kawai, captures beautifully and with great humor the eager dynamism of a child’s mind." — World Literature Today"A subtle and endearing novella with a sweet sense of humor. Kawakami touches on loss, societal perceptions, first loves and new beginnings through the eyes of a grade-school boy and his relationships with the women closest to him." --Sara S., Vroman’s Bookstores"Mieko Kawakami’s 2008 novel Breasts & Eggs won Japan’s prestigious Akutagawa Prize. The reissued novella Ms Ice Sandwich... is a delightful distraction, and an appetiser for her work." — The Irish Times"A touching novella. . . Poignant." — Culture Trip"Easily digestible…a book that ultimately lives longer in the memory than the hour or so it takes to read." — Financial Times"Among many other awards, Haruki Murakami listed Mieko Kawakami as his favorite young writer, so you're obviously going to want to snatch up Ms. Ice Sandwich, her first book translated into English. This is a lovely coming-of-age story about a boy who becomes obsessed with a woman who sells sandwiches." — Bustle"In Louise Heal Kawai’s translation, the novella is a wonderful example of the power of narrative voice." — Japan Times"Reading this quirky coming of age novella was one of the best hours I've spent in sometime." — The Word’s Shortlist (blog)"Haruki Murakami’s favourite young writer. . . a funny, touching story." — A Life in Books

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"This is not your ordinary campus novel or another Groundhog Day. In magical, irreverent, and often humorous prose that calls up both Murakami and Moshfegh, The Tatami Galaxy repeatedly reimagines the existential crises of a college misfit in a kaleidoscopic display of imagination, character, and genre. There is no question why this mash-up of multiverse adventure and philosophy has already become a new classic." — Sequoia Nagamatsu, national bestselling author of How High We Go in the Dark "The team of Tomihiko Morimi and Emily Balistrieri is unbeatable: this novel vibrates with a voice that is sharp and funny, wacky and winning. It's a perfect slice of contemporary Japanese pop: a tangle of fates, simultaneously cosmic and comic. I loved my voyage through The Tatami Galaxy." — Robin Sloan, New York Times bestselling author of Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore and Sourdough "Rich, unusual, and surprisingly profound, The Tatami Galaxy is a gorgeous application of the fantastic to celebrate the precious parts of life that we often forget." — Ada Palmer, award-winning author of Too Like the Lightning Tomihiko Morimi’s novel of burned out gods and misanthropic students jumping between alternate dimensions as they face their regrets proves to be just as touching and hilarious as the anime series it spawned. A surprisingly timely mash-up of Catcher in the Rye and Russian Doll, The Tatami Galaxy will resonate with anyone that’s found themselves too often stuck in looping isolation. — Tim Maughan, Locus Award-nominated author of Infinite Detail “Morimi’s delightful campus novel follows the quixotic adventures of an unnamed student dreaming of the perfect college experience…Light and sweet in its confection, this satisfies like a spongy piece of castella.” — Publishers Weekly "Beautiful and satisfying...Pick it up when you have the chance" — Tor.com "Translator Balistrieri meticulously deciphers the protagonist’s ' "rotten" university student voice' for English readers...anime aficionados will greatly appreciate the prose original that inspired the award-winning celluloid series of the same title." — Booklist “Who can deny the pleasures of a good time-loop narrative?... there’s a memorable payoff to several ongoing threads when the novel reaches its climax; you also may never look at moths the same way again.” — Words Without Borders "[The Tatami Galaxy] is a frolicking novel packed with slacker hijinks and escapades. At its core lies pithy wisdom about choice and destiny... Morimi’s sci-fi fusion of fun and the unfathomable offers a light touch that makes a lasting impression." — The Japan Times "[A] treat better left unspoiled." — The New York Times Book Review

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Book SynopsisTHE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERIlja Leonard Pfeijffer's moving and addictive masterpiece of European identity, nostalgia and the end of an era.A masterpiece: grandiose style, brilliant and rich. It will defy the ages' Trouw (The Netherlands)The love of my life lives in my past. That is, despite the alliteration, a terrible sentence to write. I do not want to come to the conclusion that, as it is the case for the hotel where I am staying and the continent after which it is named, the best time is behind me and that I have little more to expect from the future than to live on my past.'A writer takes residence in the illustrious but decaying Grand Hotel Europa, to think about where things went wrong with Clio, with whom he fell in love in Genoa and moved to Venice. He reconstructs a compelling story of love in times of mass tourism, about their trips to Malta, Palmaria, Portovenere and the Cinque Terre and their thrilling search for the last painting of Caravaggio. Meanwhile, he becomes fascTrade Review‘It wants to impress, and it impresses. It is that big-bigger-biggest grip which makes the novel into an astounding masterpiece. It is also a wonderful book, which you will read with increasingly feverish eagerness. Pfeijffer captures the zeitgeist and serves it up irresistibly. He wrote the novel of the year’ NRC Handelsblad (The Netherlands) ‘A masterpiece: grandiose style, brilliant and rich. It will defy the ages’ Trouw (The Netherlands) ‘Grand Hotel Europa is not only an overwhelming reading experience, but Pfeijffer also gives you lots of food for thought. Who else in contemporary Dutch literature could do what he does, to turn up the heat on our zeitgeist in such a great way and to thumb the nose at all those timid, tiny novels full of first world problems?’ De Morgen (Belgium) ‘A pageturner. The most admirable thing about the novel is Pfeijffer’s fascination with these subjects, his involvement. […] Grand Hotel Europa is not only an reflection on our identity, but also a contribution to its continuation’ de Volkskrant (The Netherlands) ‘A lively, clever and sometimes malicious book. […] Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer conceived his Grand Hotel Europa not only as a homage to the aged, mythically charged continent, but also as a stage and forum for debate for the contradictions and upheavals of our time. […] The pleasure of reading it all for yourself, right up to the amazing end, shouldn’t be taken away from you anyway’ Süddeutsche Zeitung (Germany) ‘The new Magic Mountain is perhaps called Grand Hotel Europa’ Neue Ruhr Zeitung (Germany) ‘A powerful and intriguing novel that one doesn’t forget easily’ La Stampa (Italy) ‘A great novel, brilliantly told and absolutely worth reading’ Ruhr Nachrichten (Germany)

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2022From the bestselling author of Breasts and Eggs and international literary sensation Mieko Kawakami comes a sharp and illuminating novel about a fourteen-year-old boy subjected to relentless bullying.In Heaven, a fourteen-year-old boy is tormented for having a lazy eye. Instead of resisting, he chooses to suffer in silence. The only person who understands what he is going through is a female classmate, Kojima, who experiences similar treatment at the hands of her bullies. Providing each other with immeasurable consolation at a time in their lives when they need it most, the two young friends grow closer than ever. But what, ultimately, is the nature of a friendship when your shared bond is terror?Unflinching yet tender, sharply observed, intimate and multi-layered, this simple yet profound novel stands as yet another dazzling testament to Mieko Kawakami’s uncontainable talent. TIME's 100 Must-Read Books of the Year'Mieko Kawakami is a genius' - Naoise Dolan, author of Exciting Times'An expertly told, deeply unsettling tale of adolescent violence' - VogueTranslated from the Japanese by Sam Bett and David Boyd.Trade ReviewTaking two outcast teens as its unhappy protagonists, it is an expertly told, deeply unsettling tale of adolescent violence that will, no doubt, only grow the author's fan base * Vogue *This is the real magic of Heaven, which shows us how to think about morality as an ongoing, dramatic activity. -- Merve Emre * New Yorker *To read Heaven, by the author of Breasts and Eggs, and newly translated into English from Japanese by Sam Bett and David Boyd, is to bear witness to an unrelenting horror film of one boy’s youth * The Washington Post *The second novel to appear in English by the bestselling Japanese author Mieko Kawakami is tauter and even more perceptive than its predecessor . . . Heaven is less than half the length and holds double the emotional force * New Statesman *For me this is a perfect novel, and one I know I will return to before long -- Megan Nolan, author of Acts of DesperationHeaven is a thoughtful novel about the value of the flaws that make us who we are * Literary Review *Short but assured. . .by the end, the reader is so dizzily absorbed in its visceral details and philosophical complexity that, when the twist comes, it hits you with a strange and unexpected force * Financial Times *Impeccably translated by Sam Bett and David Boyd, the book is full of masterly set pieces of violence, scenes of senseless bullying so lucid you can almost feel the pain yourself . . . * New York Times Book Review *Heaven is told with astonishing frankness and economy. It will cut through all your defences down to every layer of fear, isolation, hope and need you’ve ever felt . . . Mieko Kawakami is a genius -- Naoise DolanA raw, painful, and tender portrait of adolescent misery, reminiscent of both Elena Ferrante's fiction . . . I cannot, in good conscience, endorse it without a warning: This book is very likely to make you cry * NPR *Brilliant . . . This captivating, quietly devastating book is about the relationship between two school misfits. The same vulnerabilities that expose them to their tormentors allow them to see one another with a pure sort of attention -- Megan Nolan * New Statesman *In this horror film, oblivious authority figures walk on by as you grope for breath, wondering what it even means to be alive and free * Independent *Simple and profound, Heaven is an undeniable masterpiece -- Mitsuyoshi NumanoA poignant odyssey into the haunted caverns of adolescence . . . Kawakami writes with jagged, visceral beauty about those early antagonists we carry around in our heads, scars we bear into adulthood, ‘caught in the undertow’ of hormones and sorrow * Oprah Daily *Mieko Kawakami pulls from the all too familiar places we learn to accept as normal in our youth and gives them to us to reflect on as adults in a painful yet necessary way. Even if we could never learn the absolute truths behind humans' capacity for violence as well as empathy, we are certainly closer now with Heaven -- An Yu, author of Braised PorkKawakami unflinchingly takes the reader through the abyss of depraved, dehumanizing behavior with keen psychological insight, brilliant sensitivity, and compassionate understanding. With this, the author’s star continues to rise * Publishers Weekly *Mieko Kawakami has spun a poignant tale on the theme of bullying . . . Heaven is a tour de force * Tokyo Shimbun *Heaven covers new terrain, masterfully broadening the literary landscape * Yomiuri Shimbun *Kawakami has a unique knack for burrowing into discomfort, and she does it in a startlingly graceful way. Like her last novel—an unsparing treatise on the pressures of being a woman in male-dominated Japan—this book isn’t for the fainthearted. Told from the perspective of a 14-year-old boy in present-day Japan, Kawakami’s tale follows the volatile lives of two teenagers relentlessly bullied by their peers . . . An unexpected classic * Kirkus *Rises above the philosophical questions at its depths and delivers the reader to a devastating conclusion * Elle Japan *Kawakami’s powerful and unassuming novel explores horrific accounts of bullying in a Japanese school . . . Her sensitive, evocative storytelling sets her apart as an incredible literary talent * BookList *Kawakami is a writer who doesn’t shy away from hard truths and painful experiences, so Heaven will not be an easy read, but it’s guaranteed to be a rewarding one * The Japan Times *It is difficult to write young voices well: easy to forget how smart teenagers are, or to portray them in terms of what adults might wish for them. Mieko Kawakami, however, is adept at understanding their perspective and capturing the despair and intractability of those difficult years . . . As with Kawakami's previously translated work, Breasts and Eggs, this is an adroit novel of real feeling and insight from a writer who wants her readers to think for themselves -- Rónán Hession * Irish Times *Mesmerizing . . . Kawakami is a master of the interior voice. There is something about her prose that is so immediate and pressing it blocks out the future almost as if it were a threatening force. We are forced to deal with her characters as they are living now: alone, vulnerable, and unprotected * World Literature Today *These raw and realistic portrayals of bullying are counterbalanced by textured exposition of the philosophical and religious debates concerning violence to which the weak are subjected * Paperback Paris *Moving and intelligent. Kawakami gives us characters who speak to the heart and illustrate in one form or another the dilemma facing everyone in adolescence. Hopeful yet chilling in equal measures * American Booksellers Association *Heaven takes on the issue of bullying, and why a victim might choose not to fight back. Two teenagers bond over their torment, and their passive response reveals many kinds of societal injustice * Washington Post *This sharp new novel from Mieko Kawakami [is] a sucker-punch of a story that implores you to question even your own morality * Cosmopolitan *With grace and clarity, Kawakami explores destructive nature of adolescent violence, and the power of empathetic friendships * The Millions *How can a relationship really last when its foundation is built on shared experiences of humiliation? The author moves toward an answer in this quietly devastating tale of middle school drama * TIME *If you enjoyed Mieko Kawakami’s brilliant Breasts and Eggs, you’re certain to be astonished by her latest novel exploring violence and bullying with fierce, feminist and damning candor * Ms. Magazine *While Kawakami refuses to give us answers, the elegance and care with which she describes her characters’ lives invite the reader to ask such questions of themselves. This is not a cruel story, but rather one that understands hurt and pain for what it is: universal, unjust and material for new life * BookPage *Mieko Kawakami is the reigning queen of contemporary Japanese literature for good reason * Japan Times *Kawakami is taking the reader by the hand and guiding us through someone’s small, interior life as a method of contemplating wide-ranging, universal issues such as the body, ethics, and meaning * Bad Form Review *A poignant and unsettling look at what makes a friendship and, on a macro level, what makes an unequal society. Kawakami’s writing is meticulous and assured, and Heaven leaves a bruise * The Skinny *Exceptional -- David Hayden * White Review 'Books of the Year' *

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Book Synopsis''One of the greatest love stories in world literature'' Vladimir NabokovThe heroine of Tolstoy''s epic of love and self-destruction, Anna Karenina has beauty, wealth, popularity and an adored son, but feels that her life is empty until she encounters the impetuous officer Count Vronsky. Their subsequent affair scandalizes society and family alike, and brings jealousy and bitterness in its wake. Contrasting with this is the vividly observed story of Levin, a man striving to find contentment and a meaning to his life - and also a self-portrait of Tolstoy himself. This award-winning translation has been acclaimed as the definitive English version of Tolstoy''s masterpiece.Translated by RICHARD PEVEAR and LARISSA VOLOKHONSKY with a Preface by JOHN BAYLEY

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Book SynopsisA mysterious stranger named Chichikov arrives in a small provincial Russian town and proceeds to visit a succession of landowners, making each of them an unusual and somewhat macabre proposition. He offers to buy the rights to the dead serfs who are still registered on the landowner's estate, thus reducing their liability for taxes. It is not clear what Chichikov's intentions are with the dead serfs he is purchasing, and despite his attempts to ingratiate himself, his strange behaviour arouses the suspicions of everyone in the town.A biting satire of social pretensions and pomposity, Dead Souls has been revered since its original publication in 1842 as one of the funniest and most brilliant novels of nineteenth-century Russia. Its unflinching and remorseless depiction of venality in Russian society is a lasting tribute to Gogol's comic genius.Trade Review"Gogol was a strange creature, but then genius is always strange." - Vladimir Nabokov

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Book SynopsisThe sixth in the Millennium series featuring THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO - more than 100 million copies sold worldwide.Trade ReviewA murder mystery inside an espionage conspiracy wrapped in an action thriller-a unique concoction that should leave Salander's legion of followers clamoring for more -- Tom Nolan * Wall Street Journal *Larsson had grand ambitions for his Millennium series, projecting a total of 10 novels. In Lagercrantz's hands, the series is realizing grand ambitions of another sort. -- Maureen Corrigan * Washington Post *He has developed Larsson's rage at right-wing perfidy and men who hate women, mixing it with his ability to depict physical beauty and superhuman survival skills to create fast-paced thrillers . . . The Girl Who Lived Twice is both exciting and disturbing -- Natasha Cooper * Literary Review *Lagercrantz's compassion for the underdog adds genuine emotion to his baroque plotting. There is much to admire in the way he has grasped a tricky assignment - to continue one of the biggest hits of recent years. Roll on the next "girl" -- James Kidd * South China Morning Post *Salander is centre-stage again in Lagercrantz's latest sequel . . . This is a pacy read . . . while still finding room for some nice eccentric touches -- Jake Kerridge * Sunday Express *David Lagercrantz is a pro. This is stylish, straight forward, classic Swedish crime . . . supporting characters are distinctly illustrated, larger than life . . . the dialogue is voluble; full of knives, Berettas, rich Russians and divinely gifted hackers. * Svenska Dagbladet *A book to devour . . . Difficult, or near impossible to put down, the plot is lavish, complex, remarkably well-composed and filled with unbearable suspense in certain places * Le Parisien *Salander is what she's always been: a force to be reckoned with, and one of the most remarkable series leads in the history of crime fiction. Salander fans, who long ago put aside any misgivings about Lagercrantz taking over the Millennium series, will be eager to follow the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo as she attempts to sweep clean her family closet. * Booklist *A tantalizing ending hints at important changes for Blomkvist and Lisbeth ahead. Series fans will be pleased with the thoughtful way Lagercrantz develops the character of their beloved action heroine in this worthy outing. * Publishers Weekly *The Girl Who Lived Twice is the sixth, last and best from Stieg Larsson's universe. It is a vivacious and suitable conclusion of the Millennium saga * Aftenposten *David Lagercrantz has with professionalism and respect consolidated Lisbeth Salander as an archetype of current pop culture, and at the same time written very entertaining novels. * La Vanguardia *The result will satisfy any Lagercrantz fans, since the story goes on without pause until the last page, where the author uses fireworks to surprise the reader. * El Periodico *A great novel made of twists and turns, cliffhangers and detailed researches. Lagercrantz . . . An accomplished and elegant style . . . One of the most beautiful and innovative series of the last two decades. * La Repubblica *Lagercrantz perfectly knows how to embrace the atmosphere and the suspense of the Stieg Larsson saga. * Corriere della Sera *[A] fast-paced adventure -- Miles McWeeney * Irish Independent *

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE 'Beautiful, horrible... the most exciting discovery I've made in fiction for some time' Kazuo Ishiguro 'Smoky, carnal, dazzling' Lauren Groff Welcome to Buenos Aires, a place of nightmares and twisted imaginings, where missing children come back from the dead and unearthed bones carry terrible curses. Thrumming with murderous intentions, family betrayals and morbid desires, these stories shine a light on a violent city gripped by urban madness; giving voice to the lost, the oppressed and the forgotten. Lucid and darkly poetic, unsettling and otherworldly, these tales of revenge, witchcraft and fetishes are a masterpiece of contemporary Gothic and a bewitching exploration of the dark inclinations that threaten to lead us over the edge. 'I loved these twisted, lustful whispers in the dark' Daisy Johnson 'Queen of Latin American gothic' Financial TimesTrade ReviewAfter you've lived in Enriquez's marvellous brain for the time it takes to read The Dangers of Smoking in Bed, the known world feels ratcheted a few degrees off centre. Smoky, carnal and dazzling -- Lauren Groff, author of Fates and FuriesI loved these twisted, lustful whispers in the dark. There is serious power in this writing -- Daisy Johnson, author of SistersA weird and wonderful exploration of contemporary horror - cities falling apart, society turning on itself, the loneliness of the internet age. But more than that: these stories are fun. Wild, triggering, sinister, button-pushing fun -- Lisa McInerney, author of The Glorious HeresiesRotting little ghosts, heartbeat fetishes, curses and witches and meat: each of these stories is a luscious, bewitching nightmare. I adore this book -- Kirsty Logan, author of The GracekeepersEnriquez's work: tainted rivers, corrupted streets, spoiled meat, slain children, deeply registers the horror of known commonplace. She writes her stories, based in the atmosphere of truth, with a darkly descriptive poetic turn -- Patti SmithEnriquez is a mesmerizing writer who demands to be read. Like Bolaño, she is interested in matters of life and death, and her fiction hits with the full force of a train -- Dave Eggers, author of The CircleSpine-tingling but stunning... these glittering, gothic stories are a force to be reckoned with, and Enriquez's talent and fearlessness is something to behold * Financial Times *Brilliantly unsettling... Tricking us into waiting for a ghost to "put out its head", Enriquez surprises us with real horror -- Chris Power * Guardian *Reminds us what a remarkable and twisted instrument [Enriquez's] imagination is... A heady brew -- Jane Graham * Big Issue *When it comes to book reviewing clichés, the word "haunting" is surely one of the tattiest, yet Mariana Enriquez's newly translated short story collection restores to that tired adjective all its most mysterious, fearful strangeness... an arrestingly original talent -- Hephzibah Anderson * Observer *A twisted mix of nightmarish desires and ink-black gothic... that will leave you shaken but secretly rather thrilled. Everything about these tales feels shockingly alive... Darkly comic * The Times *[Mariana Enriquez] reaffirms her claim to the title of queen of Latin American gothic * Financial Times *[A] spine-tingling, luminous collection whose enthralling characters all dance across the spectral line between our world and the beyond -- Best books of 2021 * Oprah Daily *Argentinian writer Mariana Enriquez is a highly persuasive cinematic and visceral spell-caster with an apparent desire to plant immovable nightmarish seeds in the brains of her readers... The Dangers of Smoking in Bed showcase[s] her extraordinary imagination * Big Issue *

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Book SynopsisIn the wake of the Great Blackout, faced with the near-extinction of humanity, a pair of lovers speak to each other. They parse, with precision, with familiarity, the endless aspects of their love. Out of their dialogues, piece by piece, a composite image of love takes form, one that moves outwards beyond the realm of relationships and into metaphysics, geology, linguistics, AI. Years previously, a writer and her husband, a Latin professor, stay in Venice while she works on a text. As they roam the city, strange occurrences accumulate, signalling that the world around them is heading towards a point of no return. Blending fiction and essay, poetry and philosophy, Agustín Fernández Mallo’s The Book of All Loves is a startling, expansive work of imaginative agility, one that renders love unfamiliar so as to renew it, and makes the case for hope in the midst of a disintegrating present. Trade Review‘Here, a sense of menace and a kind of melancholy tension are beautifully realised in Mallo’s brooding prose.’ — Michael Cronin, Irish Times‘There are certain writers whose work you turn to knowing you’ll find extraordinary things there. Borges is one of them, Bolaño another. Agustín Fernández Mallo has become one, too.’ — Chris Power, author of A Lonely Man‘A protean taxonomy of love whose shape veers between three modes, that of commonplace book, gendered dialogue and metafiction. Agustín Fernández Mallo finds not one but many envelopes to contain the cosmos.’ — Jesse Ball, author of Autoportrait‘The Book of All Loves defies definition. The prose gallops on from one shining brilliance to the next, both disarmingly playful and devastating. Gorgeous, melancholic, mysterious – it is a book to be read again, many times.’ — Claire Oshetsky, author of Chouette‘In his Book of All Loves, Fernández Mallo offers us an encyclopaedia of loves, each one sounding – as if for the first time – as a pure tone, from an infinite spectrum of tones. Here is a book unlike any other, a book that recreates and regenerates love, even as it asks us whether it is strong enough to hold.’ — Amy Arnold, author of Lori & Joe‘The Book of All Loves is a deeply poetic novel ... Fernández Mallo reflects on the present through the past, and projects us into a future where the conditions of the self, the environment, relationships and the body are all called into question.’ — El Mundo‘Reading Agustín Fernández Mallo is the closest thing in literature to putting on a VR headset.' — La Vanguardia‘The Book of All Loves is at once an essay, an ode and a gospel, where two lovers become the link between one world ending and another being born, and using deep geological time to explain why some people stay with us our whole lives.’ — ABC España‘The most original and powerful author of his generation in Spain.’ — Mathias Enard, author of The Annual Banquet of the Gravediggers' Guild‘One of the best writers in Spanish, with an absolutely unique style and fictional world.’ — Jorge Carrión, New York Times in Spanish‘A strange and original sensibility at work – one that combines a deep commitment to the possibilities of art with a gonzo spirit and a complete absence of pretention.’ — Christopher Beha, Harper’s

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Book SynopsisOn a dark and stormy night, an unnamed narrator is visited by two women: one a former lover, the other a stranger. They ruthlessly question their host and claim to know his greatest secret: that he is, in fact, a woman. In increasingly desperate attempts to defend his masculinity, perplexed by the stranger’s dubious claims to be the writer Amparo Dávila, he finds himself spiralling deeper into a haunted past that may or may not be his own. This surreal novel enfolds a masterful exploration of gender in taut, atmospheric mystery.Trade Review`A key work of Mexican literature.’ Elena Poniatowska ---------- `An intelligent, beautiful story about bodies disguised as a story about language disguised as a story about night terrors. Cristina Rivera Garza does not respect what is expected of a writer, of a novel, of language. She is an agitator.’ Yuri Herrera --------- `Warning: Cristina Rivera Garza is an explosive writer yet to be fully accounted for in English. An insubordinate stylist, a skilled creator of atmospheric and haunting language, The Iliac Crest is a willfully queer piece where the workings of her wild imagination destabilize everything.’ Lina Meruane ---------- `Like the ocean itself, Cristina Rivera Garza writes a world where borders shift and dissolve. In the curves of the fantastic, the highest realism is born. This world is weird. This world is so deeply true. I love this wholly perfect book.’ Samantha Hunt

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Book SynopsisIdealistic young officer Giovanni Drogo is full of determination to serve his country well. But when he arrives at a bleak border station in the Tartar desert, where he is to take a short assignment at Fort Bastiani, he finds the castle manned by veteran soldiers who have grown old without seeing a trace of the enemy. As his length of service stretches from months into years, he continues to wait patiently for the enemy to advance across the desert, for one great and glorious battle . . . Written in 1938 as the world waited for war, and internationally acclaimed since its publication, The Tartar Steppe is a provocative and frightening tale of hope, longing and the terrible sorcery of dreams and desires.Trade ReviewA strange and haunting novel, an eccentric classic -- J.M. COETZEEIt is not often that a masterpiece falls into one's hands. But The Tartar Steppe is undoubtedly a masterpiece, a sublime book, and Buzzati a master of the written word * * Sunday Times * *There are names that the coming generations will not resign themselves to forget. Surely one of them is that of Dino Buzzati -- JORGE LUIS BORGESA beautiful, masterly novel that shimmers like a mirage, bringing into sharp focus the rise and fall of our ambitions and the pitiless erosion of time. It is the story of one Giovanni Drogo - yet how many of us will be stricken to recognise something of ourselves in him? -- YANN MARTELThe Tartar Steppe is a nightmare, a comedy of errors, a beautiful and anguished fable, a call to resistance against folly, the inspired assurance that one last act may justify our lifelong struggle to remain human -- ALBERTO MANGUEL

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Book SynopsisThis saga brings alive the world of the 10th century AD when the Vikings raided the coasts of England.Acclaimed as one of the best historical novels ever written, this engaging saga of Viking adventure in 10th century northern Europe has a very appealing young hero, Orm Tostesson, whose story we follow from inexperienced youth to adventurous old age, through slavery and adventure to a royal marriage and the search for great treasure. Viking expeditions take him to lands as far apart as England, Moorish Spain, Gaardarike (the country that was to become Russia), and the long road to Miklagard. The salt-sea spray, the swaying deck awash in slippery blood are the backdrop to fascinating stories of King Harald Blue Tooth, the Jomsvikings, attempts to convert the Northmen to Christianity, and much else. Like H. Rider Haggard, Bengtsson is a master of the epic form.Trade Review‘A masterpiece’New York Times ‘The author and his excellent translator bring that old, warrior world alive with such vigorous enjoyment and simplicity that the deeds of those men roving about the world in their dragon ships seem as marvellous as those of our atomic age’Daily Telegraph ‘A boldly illuminated picture of the Northmen… confidently recommended’The Times ‘A banquet of adventure by sea and land, with man-size helpings of battle and murder, robbery and rape’New Statesman

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