Fiction in translation

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisConstantly bickering with her shallow friend Brow, beginning correspondence courses she will never finish, helping sage-like Grandpa Cloud Forest with his mystical healing and stealthily avoiding matrimony with her less-than-impressive fiancé Old Ran, Plum''s life appears to be puttering along what seems like a tediously predictable path. But when the village home she cherishes comes under threat from big city capitalists, she finds herself thrust into a series of adventures with a mercurial rogue called Chivalry.Jia Pingwa''s The Earthen Gate was an instant bestseller in his native China and now looks set to make waves in its first-ever English translation, two decades later. This raucous, and at times achingly poignant tale combines earthy humour, ancient wisdom and thrilling action to highlight the impact of creeping urbanisation on traditional country folk.

Read more less

Book SynopsisVivarium is a collection about connection and alienation, belonging and place. Pärtna explores the uneasy co-existence of the past and the present, on a national and global scale, and looks ahead to the future with anxiety as well as hope. She reflects on the effects of Soviet rule on Estonian society and the national mindset, and on humanity’s treatment of natural habitats. Stories of personal trauma play out against a backdrop of major environmental changes, loss of biodiversity, and global warming. Maarja Pärtna is part of the new generation of young Estonian poets, and this edition has been awarded funding by the Cultural Endowment of Estonia.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis remarkable Brazilian novel has been garlanded with multiple awards and accolades since its initial publication, as Desesterro: the prestigious Sesc Prize for Literature, the Machado de Assis award and the Jabuti award. The story follows four generations of female characters as they navigate the hardships of life in the parched landscape of the Brazilian sertao. Male figures are peripheral, but are also revealed as the origin of much of the suffering in the novel, generating for the women a kind of exile not only in relation to the land but to their sense of self. This is a ground-breaking feminist work, a bracing modernist fable, of sorts, formally reminiscent of A Girl Is a Half-formed Thing.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe story of an independent young woman whose life is changed forever by a chance encounter with a childhood friend. A magical blend of compelling action, exotic locations and intriguing characters, told with Paulo's characteristic power and insight.Pilar is an independent and practical young woman who is feeling bored and frustrated by the daily grind of her university life. Looking for a deeper meaning to her existence, she happens to meet an old childhood friend, now a handsome, mesmerizing spiritual teacher and a rumoured miracle worker. As he leads her on a magical journey through the Fench Pyrenees, Pilar begins to realize that this chance encounter is going to transform her life forever.With Paulo's trademark blend of mysticism, magical realism and folklore, Pilar's story is a poignant and deeply inspiring taleTrade Review‘One of the few to deserve the term“Publishing Phenomenon”’INDEPENDENT OF SUNDAY ‘His books have had a life-enancing impact on millions of people.’THE TIMES ‘this (is an) exceptional novel.’Laura Esquivel, author of LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE

Read more less

Book SynopsisOne of the most exciting Swedish crime novels of recent years' GöteborgspostenFrom the bestselling author of The Hypnotist comes the second high-octane thriller featuring Detective Inspector Joona LinnaHe is an artist in terrorThe lifeless body of a young woman is discovered on an abandoned boat. A man is found hanging alone in his apartment.This is his masterpieceShould the deaths be treated as suicide or murder? Four people know the answer. But a killer wants them dead.And only one man can destroy itCan Detective Inspector Joona Linna keep them alive long enough to find out the truth?Perfect for fans of Jo NesboPraise for Lars Kepler:A high-octane, taut thriller' Marie ClaireIt doesn't get much better than this' GöteborgspostenIntricate detective work and heart-ticking suspense' Boston GlobeKepler's plots are always thrilling' The Sunday TimesHurtles along full of nuanced detail which sets it far above the average thriller You'll be terrified' Evening StandardTaking Europe by stormTrade ReviewPraise for The Nightmare: ‘A high-octane, taut thriller’ Marie Claire ‘One of the most exciting Swedish crime novels of recent years…It doesn’t get much better than this’ Göteborgsposten ‘Intricate detective work and heart-ticking suspense’ Boston Globe ‘Joona Linna is quietly assured and as smart as a bag full of Morses’ Metro ‘The reader is ready to sell his own soul for the opportunity to read this book without interruption, at one sitting’ Arbetarbladet Praise for Lars Kepler: ‘Kepler’s plots are always thrilling, but The Sandman is one of the most hair-raising crime novels published this year’ The Sunday Times ‘Hurtles along … full of nuanced detail which sets it far above the average thriller … You’ll be terrified’ Evening Standard ‘Taking Europe by storm…ferocious, visceral storytelling that wraps you in a cloak of darkness’ Daily Mail ‘Deeply scarifying stuff’ Independent ‘Kepler has a direct line to a very dark place in the human soul’ Lev Grossman, Time

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Gives Jo Nesbo a run for his money' Sunday ExpressFrom the author of the bestselling Richard and Judy bookclub pick I'm Travelling AloneNo one is safe in the dark...When a young woman is found dead, the police are quick to respond.Trade ReviewTwo books into this stark but compelling series, Bjork’s trademark themes are the lethal intersection of technology with child abuse and misogyny. * The Sunday Times *Gives Jo Nesbo a run for his money * Sunday Express *‘A unique, twisting, unsettling thriller that really epitomises the phrase 'page-turner'.’ * Irish News *Kruger is strongly reminiscent of Lisbeth Salander . . . this is an engrossingly labyrinthine novel, with enough offbeat and downright bizarre detail to keep us intrigued and guessing right up to a tense finale. * Crime Scene Magazine *FANTASTIC sequel from Samuel Bjørk! . . . This is quality suspense at its very best and in my opinion a literary masterpiece. A delight to read! * Bokelskere.no *

Read more less

Book SynopsisOne of the greatest novels ever written, Anna Karenina is the story of a beautiful woman whose passionate love for a handsome officer sweeps aside all other ties. This major translation conveys Tolstoy's precision of meaning and emotional accuracy in an English version that is highly readable and stylistically faithful.Trade ReviewRosamund Bartlett's version draws on her acclaimed work as a prolific writer, translator and scholar of modern Russian literature and culture. * Carol Apollonio, The Times Literary Supplement *[It is] much the best English translation which has ever appeared ... Bartlett also offers a superb introduction - best thing ever written about the novel - and helpful notes. It is also a very beautifully produced book. * A. N. Wilson, TLS *Any excuse to reread Anna Karenina, and I enjoyed Rosamund Bartlett's new translation, published in a handsome hardcover edition by Oxford University Press. * Sara Wheeler, Book of the Year 2014, Observer *Rosamund Bartlett's translation is much the best English translation which has ever appeared. Bartlett also offers a superb introduction - best thing ever written about the novel - and helpful notes. It is also a very beautifully produced book. * A. N. Wilson, Books of the Year, Times Literary Supplement *A classically elegant translation... Rosamund Bartlett's introduction, a tour d'horizon of Tolstoy's life and work, is also excellent. * Sam Sacks, Wall Street Journal *Groundbreaking * Oxford Today *Rosamund Bartlett's achievement is magnificent. In particular, her translations of the descriptive passages are miniature masterpieces. The translation is fresh and immediate, but with all the elegance and power of the original. * Amy Mandelker, CUNY *Rosamund Bartlett's riveting new translation of Anna Karenina brings the reader into Tolstoy's many-faceted worlds with an immediacy, majesty and clarity that no other translator of this great novel has ever achieved. At the same time she represents "the idiosyncrasy of Tolstoy's inimitable style" through idiomatic, natural English. Whether it is Levin's series of epiphanies, the intimate workings of Anna's mind and heart, or the ever-present, sustaining worlds of families and of nature-the sky, the meadows, the bees or other creatures of the animal kingdom-each of Tolstoy's interlocking realms is powerfully yet exquisitely rendered by one of the finest translators of our time. Bartlett's Anna Karenina, with its brilliant introductory essay, explanatory notes and bibliography, will be the go-to English version of Tolstoy's-indeed the world's-precious masterpiece. * Robin Feuer Miller, Brandeis University *In this crisp new translation, Bartlett brings a refreshing tone to some of the novels traditional, didactic black spots, as well as to its classic moments the horse race, the railway station. Bartlett is a scholar with an in-depth knowledge of the man she is translating and this shines through in her instinctive ear for Tolstoys authorial voice and rhythm. * Helen Rappaport, Shiny New Books *This is a fine new translation, of which the scholarship demonstrates Bartlett's considerable knowledge of the author. It is a welcome contribution to the ongoing life of this enigmatic, divided, passionate work. * Catherine Brown, Independent *I am swept up in prose that is so beautiful it has moved me more than once to tears... And I am weighing in to say that I love Bartlett's language. It resonates with my concept of Tolstoy, and my concept of this magnificent novel. I recommend this book... I don't think a new reader of "Anna" could go wrong with Bartlett. * Anne Rice *

Read more less

Book SynopsisMy Documents is the latest work from Alejandro Zambra, the award-winning Chilean writer whose first novel was heralded as the dawn of a new era in Chilean literature. My Documents is unflinchingly human and essential evidence of a sublimely talented writer working at the height of his powers.Trade Review‘People kept mentioning his name, but I was slow to encounter the Chilean writer Alejandro Zambra. I hadn’t read anything by him before opening his new story collection, My Documents […] My Documents is the fourth book by Alejandro Zambra to be translated into English (this one very ably by Megan McDowell). All of them are very short and strikingly original, and display a wry self-consciousness about the obligations, difficulties, and pleasures of writing fiction. […] In his new book, Zambra returns to the twin sources of his talent—to his storytelling vitality, that living tree which blossoms often in these pages, and to his unsparing examination of recent Chilean history. These come together magnificently.’ — James Wood, New Yorker ‘[An] excellent collection […] rich and thought-provoking […] If you are going to read Alejandro Zambra, which you should, don't just read My Documents, read everything he's done.’ — Chris Power, Guardian‘These stories are graceful, grave, comical, disabused. I guess what I mean is: My Documents represents a new form. When I think about Alejandro Zambra, I feel happy for the future of fiction.’ — Adam Thirlwell, author of Lurid and Cute‘Alejandro Zambra’s My Documents is also his best: an eclectic, disconcerting, at times harrowing read. His voice is unique, honest and raw, and there is poetry on every page. Zambra’s fiction doubles as a kind of personal history, full of anguish, humour and verve. A truly beautiful book.’ — Daniel Alarcón, author of At Night We Walk in Circles ‘Zambra is the author of small classics – short in length, but enormous in every other way. My Documents elevates him to a entirely new level.’ — Valeria Luiselli, author of Faces in the CrowdTable of ContentsPart I My Documents | Part II Camilo, Long Distance, True or False, Memories of a Personal Computer | Part III National Institute, I Smoked Very Well | Part IV Thank You, The Most Chilean Man in the World, Family Life, Artist's Rendition

Read more less

Book SynopsisCRIMEA, 1914 When the Tzar''s head of security is assassinated, Erast Fandorin is called to investigate: the killer has been overheard mentioning a ''black city'' so Fandorin and his trusty companion, Masa, head to Baku, the burgeoning Russian capital of oil. But from the moment they arrive in the city - a hotbed of corruption and greed by the Caspian Sea - they realise someone is watching their every move, and they will stop at nothing to derail their investigation. Having suffered a brutal attack and with Masa''s life hanging by a thread, Fandorin is forced to rely on the help of an unexpected new ally, and he begins to suspect the plot might be part of something larger - and much more sinister. With war brewing in the Balkans and Europe''s empires struggling to contain the threat of revolution, Fandorin must try and solve his most difficult case yet - before time runs out.Trade ReviewThe Erast Fandorin detective novels are always meaty, packed with historical detail, old-fashioned in the best sense and intricately plotted. Readers can expect prime Akunin - ingenious, twisty, at times digressive, exotic - a challenge to which his translator, Andrew Bromfield, rises magnificently. * Daily Mail *One of the most distinctive characters in historical crime fiction... Twenty years after his debut, Fandorin remains a thoroughly engaging hero * Sunday Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe small town of Mordasov is all abuzz at the arrival of Prince K—, a wealthy, ageing landowner, after an absence of several years. Maria Alexandrovna Moskalyova, a local gossip and fearsome schemer, decides that he would be an advantageous match for her daughter Zina. But in her endeavours to make such a union come about, she must contend with rival matchmakers and Zina’s wilfulness. Written soon after Dostoevsky was released from the prison camp that inspired The House of the Dead, Uncle’s Dream shares very little of that novel’s gloomy tone and contains many elements of a light, drawing-room farce. Beneath the surface, however, lies a sharply satirical voice which looks ahead in part to later novels such as Devils.Trade ReviewNo novelist ever wrestled with materialism more fiercely and intelligently than Dostoevsky. -- Jonathan FranzenThe only psychologist from whom I have anything to learn. -- Friedrich NietzscheThe novels of Dostoevsky are seething whirlpools, gyrating sandstorms, waterspouts which hiss and boil and suck us in. They are composed purely and wholly of the stuff of the soul. Against our wills we are drawn in, whirled round, blinded, suffocated, and at the same time filled with a giddy rapture. Out of Shakespeare there is no more exciting reading. -- Virginia WoolfThe real nineteenth-century prophet was Dostoevsky, not Karl Marx. -- Albert CamusDostoevsky gives me more than any scientist, more than Gauss! -- Albert Einstein

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhen a woman fails to return from a retreat in Italy, investigative journalist Henning Juul discovers that she never left Oslo … and her disappearance leads to a chilling case that has unexpected and devastating links to the past. ‘One of the most unusual and intense talents in the field’ Barry Forshaw, Independent ‘A sophisticated and suspenseful tale’ Jessica Mann, Literary Review ‘Suspenseful, dark and gritty … this is a must-read’ Booklist –––––––––––––––––––––––– What secret would you kill to protect? When Hedda Hellberg fails to return from a retreat in Italy, her husband discovers that his wife’s life is tangled in mystery. Hedda never left Oslo, the retreat has no record of her and, what’s more, she appears to be connected to the death of an old man, gunned down on the first day of the hunting season in the depths of the Swedish forests. Henning Juul becomes involved in the case when his ex-wife joins in the search for the missing woman, and the estranged pair find themselves enmeshed both in the murky secrets of one of Sweden’s wealthiest families, and in the painful truths surrounding the death of their own son. When their lives are threatened, Juul is prepared to risk everything to uncover a sinister maze of secrets that ultimately leads to the dark heart of European history. Chilling, gritty and unputdownable, Cursed marks the return of one of Norway’s finest crime writers. –––––––––––––––––––––––– Praise for Thomas Enger ‘Satisfyingly tense and dark … a deep and complex book’ Sunday Times ‘MUST HAVE’ Sunday Express S Magazine ‘Intriguing’ Guardian ‘Full of suspense and heart’ Crime Monthly ‘Thomas Enger writes with verve, colour and a pace that builds to a thrilling climax’ European Literature Network ‘A crime series worth watching’ Library Journal ‘Superbly compelling … the characters leap right off the page, and the relationship between them is as twisted and complex as the story itself’ Shotsmag ‘Outstanding’ Ragnar Jónasson ‘A masterpiece of intrigue, fast-paced action and suspense that is destined to become a Nordic Noir classic’ Yrsa Sigurdardóttir ‘An intriguing new voice in crime’ NJ Cooper ‘Slick, compelling and taut’ Chris EwanTrade Review'A gripping narrative that begs comparison to Stieg Larsson' Bookpage * 'One of the most unusual and intense writers in the field' Barry Forshaw, Independent * 'An intriguing new voice in crime' NJ Cooper * 'Spine-chilling and utterly unputdownable. Thomas Enger has created a masterpiece of intrigue, fast-paced action and suspense that is destined to become Nordic Noir classic' Yrsa Sigurdardottir * 'Thomas Enger is one of the finest writers in the Nordic Noir genre, and this is his very best book yet. Outstanding' Ragnar Jonasson * 'Cursed is visceral and heartfelt - a gripping deep-dive into the secrets that hold families together and tear them apart' Crime by the Book * 'Slick, compelling and taut, Thomas Enger combines a sophisticated layers of mysteries with an intensely scarred hero embarked on a tragic quest. A dark and suspenseful blast of Nordic exposure' Chris Ewan * 'The Killing took us by surprise, The Bridge was a good follow-up, but the political drama Borgen knocked spots of both. For readers who enjoy these Scandinavian imports, this novel is a treat ... the dialogue is sharp and snappy, and the characters seem to come alive in this sophisticated and suspenseful tale' Jessica Mann, Literary Review * 'It has real strengths: the careful language, preserved in the fine translation, and its haunted journalist hero ... An intriguing series' Guardian * 'A powerful new voice and a writer I will follow with great interest' Raven Crime Reads

Read more less

Book Synopsis'I was just a regular idiot, a nutcase, a show-off and all that. Nothing to cry about. Seriously' Edgar W., teenage dropout, unrequited lover, unrecognized genius - and dead - tells the story of his brief, spectacular life. It is the story of how he rebels against the petty rules of communist East Germany to live in an abandoned summer house, with just a tape recorder and a battered copy of Goethe's The Sorrows of Young Werther for company. Of his passionate love for the dark-eyed, unattainable kindergarten teacher Charlie. And of how, in a series of calamitous events (involving electricity and a spray paint machine), he meets his untimely end. Absurd, funny and touching, this cult German bestseller is both a satire on life in the GDR and a hymn to youthful freedom.

Read more less

Book SynopsisInspired by real events and centring on the figure of Pelageya Vlasova – the mother of the title – and her son Pavel, Gorky’s masterpiece describes the brutal life of ordinary Russian factory workers in the years leading to the 1905 Revolution and explores the rise of the proletariat, the role of women in society and the lower classes’ struggle for self-affirmation. A book of the utmost importance, in the words of Lenin, and a landmark in Russian literature, The Mother – here presented in a brilliant new version by Hugh Aplin, the first English translation in almost a century – will enchant modern readers both for its historical significance and its intrinsic value as a work of art.Trade Review“Rereading The Mother in Hugh Aplin’s new translation, I found it surprisingly topical.” – The Spectator

Read more less

Book Synopsis A Times Book of the Year, 2019 THE SECOND WORLD WAR IS OVER. BUT THE WORLD IS FAR FROM SAFE. As victorious Russian troops sweep across East Prussia, a group of desperate children face a new battle. Confronted by critical food shortages and the onset of a bitterly cold winter, these 'wolf children' secretly cross the border into Lithuania in search of work or food to take back to their starving families. In a world still reeling from the devastation of war, the children must risk everything to survive. In the Shadow of Wolves is a story of resilience, devastation and, ultimately, hope. Based on meticulous research, Alvydas Šlepikas's stunningly powerful debut novel has won over readers and critics across the world. Trade Review‘This novel’s unflinching portrait of a forgotten tragedy is haunting.’ * The Times, Best New Historical Fiction: July 2019 *‘Has the simple narrative structure and heightened quality of a fable... Šlepikas has a vivid vision and lyricism which lifts the prose and ensures it is anything but derivative.’ * Big Issue *‘This is stunning. Cinematic, powerful... [In the Shadow of Wolves] has an irresistible, emotional pull that is as fascinating as it is brilliant, with a sense of heartbreak rather than trauma.’ * Victoria's Book Reviews *‘A heartbreaking blend of historical facts and literary prose.’ * Foreword Reviews *‘A raw and tender true tale... It’s no wonder that this elegant and intricate debut has garnered its Lithuanian author many awards.’ * LoveReading *‘Vivid, highly dramatic and compelling... Alvydas Šlepikas has broken the dam of silence.’ * Dresdner Neueste Nachrichten *‘In the Shadow of Wolves...reminded me in some ways of reading the work of Cormac McCarthy... Šlepikas imbues barren East Germany and the forests of post-war Lithuania with the dark undertones of a fairytale.’ * Splice *‘This novel finds the perfect balance between documentary and literary narrative.’ * Kieler Nachrichten *‘A significant work of memorialisation... Šlepikas – who is also a scriptwriter and director – injects his writing with a dramatic urgency that seeks to capture the scale of extraordinary suffering.’ * The Calvert Journal *‘In the Shadow of Wolves is a gem of Lithuanian literature. It touches a nerve as it tells the story of those who survived an awful fate, who have experienced the most terrible things.’ * Alfa.lt *'The novel portrays the unending suffering of children, themselves innocent of the actions of their fathers, subject to indiscriminate cultural and political prejudice... Examples of kindness only throw into sharp relief the cruelty of social and cultural dislocation.' * Otago Daily Times *‘Alvydas Šlepikas uses direct yet poetic language to write about a period of history that has remained almost entirely buried until now. His concise prose conveys the tragedy of the situation and contains rich details about that time and place.’ * Šiaurės Atėnai *‘This novel is intriguing, important and innovative – Alvydas Šlepikas confronts present with past, and cruelty and agony go hand in hand with love and self-sacrifice. His aim was to help young readers understand some of the horrors of war, and he achieves this.’ * Election Year Books *‘This novel differs from other works of its kind; in its narration, and its sensitive, poetic style. Alvydas Šlepikas paints a beautiful picture of the world through a child’s eyes – with the help of fairy tales and dreams, creating a complete contrast to the bitter reality.’ * bernardinai.lt *‘In the Shadow of Wolves paints a very realistic, bleak picture of life after the Second World War. The novel is unique in its story, which focuses on the life of Germans and Lithuanians after the war, and because it will not only warm readers’ hearts, but will also inspire them to live.’ * 15min.lt *‘Alvydas Šlepikas has written a sensitive novel that takes us back to a time filled with death, violence, hunger and bitter cold. This novel broke the taboo of silence in Lithuania.’ * Eckard Scheld, Leipzig Book Fair *‘Alvydas Šlepikas uses concise language and fast-paced scenes to portray the children's will to survive, the unimaginable cruelty as well as the help that some of the children received. Highly recommended.’ * ekz service for libraries *‘In poetic language that is by turns concise and compact, Alvydas Šlepikas brings justice for his young heroes and victims. Readers can almost smell the cold sweat of the women and girls as they encounter drunken soldiers, feel the deep, penetrating hunger, the biting winter cold, the beatings suffered and handed out by children as they fight for a single morsel of food, and share in their despair and their sheer will to survive.’ * hansen & munk *'In the Shadow of Wolves is fast-paced, with the children sharing one experience after another. And the reader is always there too, hiding with the children in old railway trains, praying and hoping with them.' * BR24 (Germany) *‘This story is complex… [and] dramatises the real lives of the “wolf children” of East Prussia.’ * Spectrum magazine, Sydney Morning Heral *‘There are many reasons to read this book...an incredible sense that [it] is going to rip your heart out.’ * The Bookshelf (ABC Radio, Australia) *

Read more less

Book SynopsisWritten in the 1830s and early 1840s, these comic stories tackle life behind the cold and elegant façade of the Imperial capital from the viewpoints of various characters, such as a collegiate assessor who one day finds that his nose has detached itself from his face and risen the ranks to become a state councillor (‘The Nose’), a painter and a lieutenant whose romantic pursuits meet with contrasting degrees of success (‘Nevsky Prospect’) and a lowly civil servant whose existence desperately unravels when he loses his prized new coat (‘The Overcoat’). Also including the ‘Diary of Madman’, these Petersburg Tales paint a critical yet hilarious portrait of a city riddled with pomposity and self-importance, masterfully juxtaposing nineteenth-century realism with madcap surrealism, and combining absurdist farce with biting satire.Trade ReviewGogol was a strange creature, but then genius is always strange. -- Vladimir NabokovTable of ContentsContains: Nevsky Prospect, The Nose, The Overcoat, Diary of a Madman

Read more less

Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE WINGATE PRIZE 2021SUNDAY TIMES MUST READS PICKECONOMIST BEST BOOKS OF 2020 PICKKIRKUS REVIEWS 10 BOOKS TO LOOK FOR IN 2021 PICKBoundless imagination and a vibrant style . . . a heroine of unforgettable grit DAVID GROSSMANA story of great beauty and surprise GARY SHTEYNGARTThe townsfolk of Motal, an isolated, godforsaken town in the Pale of Settlement, are shocked when Fanny Keismann - devoted wife, mother of five, and celebrated cheese-maker - leaves her home at two hours past midnight and vanishes into the night.True, the husbands of Motal have been vanishing for years, but a wife and mother? Whoever heard of such a thing. What on earth possessed her?Could it have anything to do with Fanny''s missing brother-in-law, who left her sister almost a year ago and ran away to Minsk, abandoning their family to destitution and despair?Or cTrade ReviewWith boundless imagination and a vibrant style, Yaniv Iczkovits creates a colorful family drama that spins nineteenth century Russia out of control, and he delivers a heroine of unforgettable grit. Iczkovits wields his pen with wit and panache. A remarkable and evocative read -- David GrossmanA story of great beauty and surprise. A necessary antidote for our times -- Gary ShteyngartThe Slaughterman's Daughter is a miraculous patchwork-quilt of individual stories within stories told by different voices through which Fanny, the Belorussian Jewish slaughterman's daughter, cuts with her butcher's knife in search of justice. That quest for justice is the master story: a feminist picaresque set in a landscape of visionary and intimate historical and physical detail -- George SzirtesTotally compulsive reading -- Rosemary SullivanWith the sweeping grandeur of a Russian epic and the sly, sometimes bawdy humour of the Yiddish greats, The Slaughterman's Daughter is a magnificent triumph -- Bram Presser, author of The Book of Dirt"An extraordinarily vivid portrayal of life in the Pale of Settlement, an area of the pre-revolutionary Russian Empire where Jews were allowed, begrudgingly, to live" -- Antonia Senior * The Times *A narrative full of invention and surprises . . . Iczkovits mixes real history, fable and the products of his imagination into an intoxicating, thoroughly enjoyable brew -- Nick Rennison * Sunday Times *Yaniv Iczkovits' brilliant, sweeping novel is set in czarist Russia during the late nineteenth century, but feels highly relevant and resonant today . . . filled with exquisitely drawn characters . . . bold and provocative -- Elaine Margolin * TLS *A born storyteller . . . Iczkovits is clearly a talent to watch and The Slaughterman's Daughter is the place to start -- David Herman * Jewish Chronicle *Echoes of Russian and Yiddish literature resound in this delightful picaresque, but you need not hear them to enjoy it . . . Technicolour characters, pathos and humour are all wonderfully captured in a nimble translation from the Hebrew * Economist (Books of the Year, 2020) *It's a genuine pleasure to see all of the different strands of the story come together in the final act. If the Coen brothers ever ventured beyond the United States for their films, they would find ample material in this novel . . . An ultimately hopeful search for small comforts and a modicum of justice in an absurd and immoral world -- New York Times * Shay K. Azoulay *Approaches history in a fabulist style reminiscent of Sholem Aleichem and his disciples . . . The folktale tradition evoked in the storytelling has an estimable history, but perhaps even more old-fashioned is this novel's length and leisurely tempo. Mr. Iczkovits slowly elaborates his scenes, indulging in every tangent and scrap of context, as though there weren't countless forms of instant entertainment vying for the reader's attention. I appreciated the pace . . . Today it would be a quick drive to Minsk; once upon a time the trip was the stuff of epics -- Sam Sacks * Wall Street Journal *Occasionally a book comes along so fresh, strange, and original that it seems peerless, utterly unprecedented. This is one of those books. Iczkovits is a superb talent, and this novel is a resounding success * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) *What begins as a small family drama explodes in every possible direction in its virtuosity * Haaretz *An adventure story with few like it in modern Hebrew literature . . . a simply outstanding novel * Walla *A major novel that zigzags between characters and plots, between history and psychology, rooted in a brilliant narrative * Haaretz Gallery *We should keep an eye on Iczkovits. He is an amazing talent who will be talked about for a long time to come * Time Out, on ADAM AND SOPHIE *

Read more less

Book SynopsisMeet Sofie. The history of her sexuality begins when she loses her virginity to Walter the recruitment consultant. So, naturally, she thought that things could only improve from there. But she was wrong. It seems Sofie's been wrong about a lot of things. First, she thought she was into men: wrong. Then she met Frida and thought she was set for life: wrong again. Turns out, facing up to everything she thought she knew about herself requires a lot of trial and error. Will Sofie ever be able to untangle the impossible knot of sex, love, loneliness, family relationships and grief that constitutes a life? Does it even matter? The History of My Sexuality is a frank, funny, exuberant journey through the highs and lows of your 20s, and making peace with getting it wrong again and again...Trade ReviewA fiery story... Unrelenting and funny * NRC Handelsblaad *An important literary announcement: here is Tobi Lakmaker. And he's here to stay. * De Standaard *

Read more less

Book SynopsisDaníel and Áróra hunt a brutal killer when a shipping container with the bodies of five women is found outside Reykjavik, as Áróra continues the search for her missing sister. Book three in the addictive, chilling An Áróra Investigation series. ‘Lilja Sigurðardóttir is good at describing the dark and cold of her native Iceland — and making you laugh … telling a terrific tale with twist after twist’ The Times BOOK OF THE MONTH ‘Another action-packed and pacy thriller … The writing is crisp and clear, plotting ingenious and characterisation so vivid’ Liz Nugent ‘Icelandic crime queen Lilja Sigurðardóttir goes from strength to strength, as is proved by White as Snow … protagonists tackling sub-zero temperatures and baffling crimes’ Financial Times –––– On a snowy winter morning, an abandoned shipping container is discovered near Reykjavík. Inside are the bodies of five young women – one of them barely alive. As Icelandic Police detective Daníel struggles to investigate the most brutal crime of his career, Áróra looks into the background of a suspicious man, who turns out to be engaged to Daníel's former wife, and the connections don’t stop there… Daníel and Áróra’s cases pit them both against ruthless criminals with horrifying agendas, while Áróra persists with her search for her missing sister, Ísafold, whose devastating disappearance continues to haunt her. As the temperature drops and the 24-hour darkness and freezing snow hamper their efforts, their investigations become increasingly dangerous … for everyone. Atmospheric, twisty and breathtakingly tense, White as Snow is the third instalment in the riveting, award-winning An Áróra Investigation series, as crimes committed far beyond Iceland’s shores come home… Shortlisted for The Blood Drop – Icelandic Crime Novel of the Year, 2022 –––––––– Praise for the An Áróra Investigation series: 'Icelandic crime-writing at its finest’ Shari Lapena 'Lilja Sigurdardottir is rapidly becoming my favourite Icelandic writer' The Times 'Chilly and chilling … another tense and thrilling read!' Tariq Ashkanani 'The Icelandic scenery and weather are beautifully evoked…' Daily Mail ‘A stand-out voice in Iceland Noir' James Oswald 'Sure to please Scandi-noir fans' Publishers Weekly 'So atmospheric' Crime Monthly 'Another bleak, unpredictable classic' Metro 'Tough, uncompromising and unsettling' Val McDermid 'Tense and pacey' Guardian 'Deftly plotted' Financial Times ‘Breathtakingly original' New York Journal of Books 'Taut, gritty and thoroughly absorbing' Booklist 'A stunning addition to the icy-cold crime genre' Foreword Reviews ‘A thrilling ride, super-addictive, fast-paced and atmospheric’ From Belgium with Booklove ‘Another emotional, pacy, tension-filled and highly topical investigation’ Jen Med’s Book Reviews

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhen the Basque dragoon Don José meets a Gypsy woman at the factory he is guarding, he is immediately ensnared by her wiles. After she is arrested for injuring a co-worker and he helps her to flee, he is imprisoned and demoted, but she repays him at their next meeting with a day of excess and a night of love. As Carmen continues to exert her spell, José is dragged further and further into a seedy world of smugglers, robbers, fiery passions and uncontrollable jealousy – one that he will find difficult to escape alive. Carmen, the archetype of the amoral femme fatale, is Prosper Mérimée’s highest creation, and a model for many subsequent literary heroines. First published in 1846, this story of crime and desire – here accompanied by another famous novella by Mérimée, The Venus of Ille – has been adapted into a number of dramatic works, including the famous 1875 opera of the same name by Georges Bizet.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe inspiration for the hit Netflix show, Lupin, Arsène Lupin is charming, clever and bold. A master of disguise, he steals from the rich, he outsmarts the police and he’s generous to those in need. And above all, he never takes himself too seriously.This French Robin Hood has charmed readers for generations and the stories about his dazzling escapades have been adapted countless times for television, stage and film, including the hit manga series Lupin III.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 of The Adventures of Arsène Lupin by Maurice Leblanc is translated from the French by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos and features an introduction by Emma Bielecki.In the opening stories, Lupin is arrested, only to engineer his own incredible escape. What follows are wonderfully entertaining and action packed stories that finish with a brief encounter with none other than Sherlock Holmes. Originally published together in 1907, this collection of the gentleman thief's very first adventures is the perfect place to start exploring his world of daring escapes, cunning disguises and ambitious heists.Trade ReviewA French cult classic * Evening Standard *An all-knowing, sublime, mutable thief transcending both time and language * Guardian *Does Leblanc measure as much as his literary rivals? On the proof of this enticing pocket version of his brief tales, the reply is most actually, sure. -- Barry Turner * EFCNews *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThis powerful novel evokes the works of Gabriel García Marquez ... vivid and beautifully expressive * Kirkus *A "rich, heartbreaking novel. . . . Benedetti's tender yet unflinching portrait of a family in the crushing straits of history is a welcome addition to the small (and hopefully growing) catalogue of his work that has been translated into English * Publishers Weekly *Equal parts funny and tragic [...] a wise, lonely novel about political exile * New Yorker *An exercise in empathy and a visceral record of the ravages of exile, torture and incarceration on revolutionaries and their families ...moments of descriptive grace are overshadowed by devastating details ... Interspliced with the family story are accounts of exiles around the world, including Benedetti's own, highlighting the documentary value of this book, which will continue to grow with time. * The New York Times *Springtime in a Broken Mirror is written like a psalm; a beautiful meditation on exile, dictatorships and the lives elevated and isolated by the struggle against both. -- Fatima BhuttoThis is the perfect way to enter the rich and luminous world of Mario Benedetti, one of the great Latin American writers of the past century. He was a prolific poet, novelist, journalist, and master of the short story form, and this sad and beautiful novel brings all of his many talents into focus. It's the portrait of Santiago, a prisoner of conscience, a man separated not only his family but cut off from the possibilities of taking a relevant stand in the face of political winds that seem destined to tear him apart. And yet hope keeps pushing through what Benedetti calls "the tiny jungle of his astonishment." Despite the note of alienation that inevitably haunts this novel, Springtime in a Broken Mirror left me in a mood of exultation. The human spirit presses through the cracks in history here, and this novel feels wonderfully fresh, its hero unbowed in the face of exile and bereavement -- Jay Parini, author of THE LAST STATION and THE DAMASCUS ROAD

Read more less

Book SynopsisA first-person diary of a prisoner's final day before being executed for an unspecified crime, Victor Hugo's poignant tale vividly conveys the mental anguish of a man confronted with the intransigent mechanism of justice, as his mind seeks refuge in recollections from his past and philosophical musings on his inevitable fate. As relevant today as when it was first published in 1829, The Last Day of a Condemned Man is an eloquent plea for compassion and a masterpiece of realist fiction. This edition includes the Preface to the 1832 edition of the book, a manifest of Hugo's personal opinions, 'A Comedy about a Tragedy' and 'Claude Gueux', an early example of "true crime" fiction.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn 1861 French silkworm merchant Hervé Joncour travels to Japan, where he encounters the mysterious Hara Kei. He develops a painful longing for Kei's beautiful concubine - but they cannot touch; they don't even speak. And he cannot read the note she sends him until he has returned to his own country. But the moment he does, Joncour is enslaved.Subtle, tender and surprising, Silk is an evocative tale of erotic possession.Trade ReviewMesmerising and starkly beautiful * * Observer * *A heart-breaking love story told in the form of a classic fable . . . A stylistic tour de force, a literary gem of bewitching power * * Sunday Times * *Deeply moving . . . A delicately crafted love story and an anatomy of desire * * Guardian * *An intensely powerful and perceptive drama of the deepest human desires . . . One of the most astonishing and moving novels I have ever read * * Daily Telegraph * *Haunting and delicately erotic * * Mail on Sunday * *

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn 1978, Haruki Murakami was 29 and running a jazz bar in downtown Tokyo. One April day, the impulse to write a novel came to him suddenly while watching a baseball game. That first novel, Hear the Wind Sing, won a new writers' award and was published the following year. More followed, including A Wild Sheep Chase and Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, but it was Norwegian Wood, published in 1987, which turned Murakami from a writer into a phenomenon. His books became bestsellers, were translated into many languages, including English, and the door was thrown wide open to Murakami's unique and addictive fictional universe.Murakami writes with admirable discipline, producing ten pages a day, after which he runs ten kilometres (he began long-distance running in 1982 and has participated in numerous marathons and races), works on translations, and then reads, listens to records and cooks. His passions colour his non-fiction output, from What I Talk About WhTrade ReviewMurakami writes of contemporary Japan, urban alienation and journeys of self-discovery, and in this book he combines recollections of the war with metaphysics, dreams and hallucinations into a powerful and impressionistic work * Independent *Deeply philosophical and teasingly perplexing, it is impossible to put down * Daily Telegraph *Murakami weaves these textured layers of reality into a shot-silk garment of deceptive beauty * Independent on Sunday *Critics have variously likened him to Raymond Carver, Raymond Chandler, Arthur C. Clarke, Don DeLillo, Philip K. Dick, Bret Easton Ellis and Thomas Pynchon - a roster so ill assorted as to suggest Murakami is in fact an original * New York Times *Mesmerising, surreal, this really is the work of a true original * The Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn irresistible story of childhood adventure from the international phenomenon, Karl Ove Knausgaard.* Karl Ove Knausgaard''s dazzling new novel, The Morning Star, is available to pre-order now *Childhood is exhilarating and terrifying. For the young Karl Ove, new houses, classes and friends are met with manic excitement and creeping dread. Adults occupy godlike positions of power, benevolent in the case of his doting mother, tyrannical in the case of his cruel father.In the now infamously direct style of the My Struggle cycle, Knausgaard describes a time in which victories and defeats are felt keenly and every attempt at self-definition is frustrated. This is a book about family, memory and how we never become quite what we set out to be.''Knausgaard finds the sublime in the everyday... Boyhood Island reverberates with the joys and anxieties of early youth, and Knausgaard brilliantly recreates their exaggerated feTrade ReviewVia his visceral, immersive art, Knausgaard makes the heart visible -- Boyd Tonkin * Independent *Knausgaard finds the sublime in the everyday... Boyhood Island reverberates with the joys and anxieties of early youth, and Knausgaard brilliantly recreates their exaggerated feel -- Thomas Meaney * Times Literary Supplement *Compelling and addictive... One of the most grown-up works of fiction we have -- Hermione Hoby * Observer *Powerfully hypnotic and addictive… a Norwegian Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha -- Theo Tait * Sunday Times *My Struggle is already the most significant literary achievement of the 21st century and we still have three volumes to go -- Matt Thorne * Sunday Express *Knausgaard's Proustian attention to detail and scrupulous analysis of emotional nuance is almost maddening – but ultimately magnificent * Vogue *Knausgaard continues masterfully -- Malcolm Forbes * Literary Review *One of the most anticipated books of the year (the decade) -- Emily Stokes * Financial Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTurgenev''s first major prose work is a series of twenty-five Sketches: the observations and anecdotes of the author during his travels through Russia satisfying his passion for hunting. His album is filled with moving insights into the lives of those he encounters - peasants and landowners, doctors and bailiffs, neglected wives and bereft mothers - each providing a glimpse of love, tragedy, courage and loss, and anticipating Turgenev''s great later works such as First Love and Fathers and Sons. His depiction of the cruelty and arrogance of the ruling classes was considered subversive and led to his arrest and confinement to his estate, but these sketches opened the minds of contemporary readers to the plight of the peasantry and were even said to have led Tsar Alexander II to abolish serfdom.

Read more less

Book SynopsisNatsume Soseki's only coming-of-age novel, Sanshiro depicts the eponymous twenty-three-year-old protagonist as he leaves the sleepy countryside to attend a university in the constantly moving real world of Tokyo. Baffled and excited by the traffic, the academics, and-most of all-the women, Sanshiro must find his way among the sophisticates that fill his new life. An incisive social and cultural commentary, Sanshiro is also a subtle portrait of first love, tradition, and modernization, and the idealism of youth against the cynicism of middle age.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn overlooked classic of Italian literature, this epic and unforgettable novel recounts one man''s long and turbulent life in revolutionary Italy.At the age of eighty-three and nearing death, Carlo Altoviti has decided to write down the confessions of his long life. He remembers everything: his unhappy childhood in the kitchens of the Castle of Fratta; romantic entanglements during the siege of Genoa; revolutionary fighting in Naples; and so much more. Throughout, Carlo lives only for his twin passions in life: his dream of a unified, free Italy and his undying love for the magnificent but inconstant Pisana. Peopled by a host of unforgettable characters - including drunken smugglers, saintly nuns, scheming priests, Napoleon and Lord Byron - this is an epic historical novel that tells the remarkable and inseparable stories of one man''s life and the history of Italy''s unification.Ippolito Nievo was born in 1831 in Padua. Confessions of an Italian, written in 1858 and published posthumously in 1867, is his best known work. A patriot and a republican, he took part with Garibaldi and his Thousand in the momentous 1860 landing in Sicily to free the south from Bourbon rule. Nievo died before he reached the age of thirty, when his ship, en route from Palermo to Naples, went down in the Tyrrhenian Sea in early 1861. He was, Italo Calvino once said, the sole Italian novelist of the nineteenth century in the ''daredevil, swashbuckler, rambler'' mould so dear to other European literatures. Frederika Randall has worked as a cultural journalist for many years. Her previous translations include Luigi Meneghello''s Deliver Us and Ottavio Cappellani''s Sicilian Tragedee and Sergio Luzzatto''s Padre Pio: Miracles and Politics in a Secular Age.Lucy Riall is Professor of Comparative History at the European University Institute. Her many books include Garibaldi. Invention of a Hero. ''Of all the furore that came out of the Risorgimento, only Manzoni and Nievo really matter today'' - Umberto Eco ''The one 19th century Italian novel which has [for an Italian reader] that charm and fascination so abundant in foreign literatures'' - Italo Calvino ''Perhaps the greatest Italian novel of the nineteenth century'' - Roberto Carnero ''A spirited appeal for liberté, égalité and fraternité, the novel is also an astute, scathing and amusing human comedy, a tale of love, sex and betrayal, of great wealth and grinding poverty, of absolute power and scheming submission, of idealism and cynicism, courage and villainy'' - The Literary EncyclopediaTrade ReviewA sprawling story of love, valor, and the Risorgimento ... in a wonderful translation by Frederika Randall -- Elizabeth Kolbert * New Yorker *Unfailingly lively ... a masterpiece ... The plot of Confessions is rich, picaresque, extravagant, and all is delivered in a fresh, lively prose ... The translator Frederika Randall has been remarkably successful in keeping the novel's flavor and sustaining Nievo's quirkiness and readability over so many pages ... As the governments of the post-Risorgimento period set about imposing a cultural homogeneity on the country, Alessandro Manzoni's conservative and very Catholic masterpiece, The Betrothed (1827), safely set in the distant past, was always going to be preferred to Nievo's rich and wild account of love and politics, where so much was dangerously close to home ... Yet there is no doubt in my mind which author English-speaking readers will prefer now that Confessions of an Italian is at last attractively translated in its entirety -- Tim Parks * New York Review of Books *A wonderful blend of wit, political perspicuity and exuberant comic invention, The Confessions of an Italian has been called the great novel of the Risorgimento [...] Frederika Randall's admirable new translation now makes it available in all its sprawling, teasing, snook-cocking glory [...] This is a humane piece of fiction, funny and wise, but it is also a candid, astute account of what it feels like to combine lofty patriotic illusions about a People, with a realistic view of how ignoble and mistaken people generally are -- Lucy Hughes-Hallett * The Times Literary Supplement *Of all the furore that came out of the Risorgimento, only Manzoni and Nievo really matter today -- Umberto EcoThe one 19th century Italian novel which has [for an Italian reader] that charm and fascination so abundant in foreign literatures -- Italo CalvinoPerhaps the greatest Italian novel of the nineteenth century -- Roberto Carnero

Read more less

Book SynopsisA landmark in the development of the twentieth-century novel, the Notebooks is the story of a young Danish aristocrat , told in a series of notes that explore Malte's life in Paris, childhood memories and reflections in highly crafted poetic prose. A radical departure from literary realism, it is an archetypal confrontation with the modern.Trade ReviewThis edition, as so many Oxford World's Classics editions do, has just the perfect cover image... [an] excellent introduction by Robert Vilain. * Lisa Hill, ANZLitLovers *For its notes this edition will be invaluable. * Charlie Louth, Times Literary Supplement *A brilliant new translation. * JC, the Lady *masterly translation * Translation and Literature *Reading Notebooks had a strange, dreamlike effect on me; the lines between past and present, real and unreal seemed blurred and it's a book that in many ways is hard to get a handle on.g the effort worthwhile, and I'm keen now to read some of Rilke's poetry. * Shiney New Books *"Notebooks" was an absorbing read, with the often beautiful and evocative prose making the effort worthwhile, and I'm keen now to read some of Rilke's poetry. * Kaggsy's Bookish Ramblings *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewOne of the greatest writers of the twentieth century . . . Simenon was unequalled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories * Guardian *A supreme writer . . . unforgettable vividness * Independent *The most addictive of writers . . . a unique teller of tales * Observer *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewOne of the greatest writers of the twentieth century . . . Simenon was unequalled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories * Guardian *A supreme writer . . . unforgettable vividness * Independent *The most addictive of writers . . . a unique teller of tales * Observer *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewOne of the greatest writers of the twentieth century . . . Simenon was unequalled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories * Guardian *A supreme writer . . . unforgettable vividness * Independent *The most addictive of writers . . . a unique teller of tales * Observer *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewOne of the greatest writers of the twentieth century . . . Simenon was unequalled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories * Guardian *A supreme writer . . . unforgettable vividness * Independent *The most addictive of writers . . . a unique teller of tales * Observer *

Read more less

Book SynopsisClarice Lispector''s masterly second novel, now available in English for the first time''She found the best clay that one could desire: white, supple, sticky, cold ... She would get a clear and tender material from which she could shape a world''Like the clay from which she sculpts figurines as a girl, Virginia is constantly shifting and changing. From her dreamlike childhood on Quiet Farm with her adored brother Daniel, through an adulthood where the past continues to pull her back and shape her, she moves through life, grasping for the truth of existence. Illuminating Virginia''s progress through intense flashes of image, sensation and perception, The Chandelier, Lispector''s landmark second novel, is a disorienting and exhilarating portrait of one woman''s inner life. ''Utterly original and brilliant, haunting and disturbing'' Colm TóibínTranslated by Benjamin Moser and Magdalena EdwardsTrade ReviewProlific and peerless ... a Brazilian national treasure ... Clarice sought a knowledge beyond knowledge, a wisdom that left wisdom behind ... through her texts emerges the struggle of life: how to live each day, what the painful process of loving is, why one should pick up a pen and respond to indignity in the first place -- Carlos Valladares * Gagosian Quarterly *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewA superb translation... alerts us to the strangeness of Kafka's world - often funnier or happier than we give it credit for - without using the word "Kafkaesque", which should be retired as it now means little more than "frustratingly bureaucratic". Kafka's world is richer, and more rewarding than that. -- Nick Lezard * Guardian *Kafka's posthumously published short fiction cry out for a critical exegesis... newly translated by Michael Hofmann, the stories collected in The Burrow mingle dark comedy with a proto-surrealist intent to unsettle...excellent new translations -- Ian Thomson * New Statesman *Hofmann, with his taste for mischief, makes Kafka, often translated in a buttoned-up key, a writer capable of blending old-fashioned literary parlance and contemporary media-speak... the modern touches also emphasise the timelessness of Kafka's themes, the horror of institutions being just one of them. -- Anna Aslanyan * Financial Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA masterful tale of murder and intrigue in a small French town, from the celebrated author of the Maigret seriesNot only had the rain in the dark streets, with a halo around each light and reflections on the ground, always given him a certain thrill, it also made it easier for him to move around.It has been raining for twenty days in La Rochelle - ever since the first murder. Since then, five more bodies have been found. In the cafes, over card games, a quiet terror of the killer in their midst spreads through the little town. But unknown to anyone, Kachoudas, a poor, timid tailor, has discovered, quite by accident, who the murderer is. As a twisted cat and mouse game begins, Simenon''s chilling novel takes us into the darkness of the criminal mind. ''Dark, disturbing ... Simenon discovered something fundamental about the soul'' GuardianTrade ReviewA unique teller of tales ... What interested Simenon was the average man losing control of his own fate * Observer *

Read more less

Book SynopsisBotchan is a modern young man from the Tokyo metropolis, sent to the ultra-traditional Matsuyama district as a Maths teacher after his the death of his parents. Cynical, rebellious and immature, Botchan finds himself facing several tests, from the pupils - prone to playing tricks on their new, naïve teacher; the staff - vain, immoral, and in danger of becoming a bad influence on Botchan; and from his own as-yet-unformed nature, as he finds his place in the world. One of the most popular novels in Japan where it is considered a classic of adolescence, as seminal as The Catcher in the Rye, Botchan is as funny, poignant and memorable as it was when first published, over 100 years ago.Translated by J. CohnTrade ReviewSoseki's lightest and funniest workThis rollicking rebel, and the spice and pace of the narrative, will appeal to parent, teacher, and schoolchild alike * Times Literary Supplement *

Read more less

Book SynopsisSix severed arms are discovered buried in a forest clearing. They are arranged in a mysterious circle, and appear to belong to missing girls between the ages of eight and thirteen. But the rest of the bodies are nowhere to be found.Criminologist Goran Gavila is given the case. A dishevelled, instinctively rebellious man, he is forced to work with young female police officer Mila Vasquez. Lithe, boyish, answering to no one, Mila has a reputation as a specialist in missing children. She also has a tragic history of her own that has left her damaged, unable to feel or to relate to others.Theirs is a fiery but strangely affecting working relationship - and as they uncover more secrets about the dark secrets in the forest, their lives are increasingly in each other''s hands...A gripping literary thriller that has taken Italy by storm, The Whisperer has been as sensational a bestseller in Europe as the Stieg Larsson novels. It is that rare creation: a thought-provoTrade ReviewGruesome and gripping...a taut psychological thriller * The Times *More than delivers on its ghoulish promise...you might not want to read this alone in the house * Time Out *Gripping, multi-layered and difficult to put down, this is a top class literary thriller * Choice *A gripping read...I defy anyone to guess the denouement * Guardian *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA twenty-year-old murder A chain of unsolvable mysteries Can one detective solve this epic riddle?When a man is found murdered in an abandoned building in Osaka in 1973, unflappable detective Sasagaki is assigned to the case. He begins to piece together the connection of two young people who are inextricably linked to the crime; the dark, taciturn son of the victim and the unexpectedly captivating daughter of the main suspect. Over the next twenty years we follow their lives as Sasagaki pursues the case - which remains unsolved - to the point of obsession. Stark, intriguing and stylish, Journey Under the Midnight Sun is an epic mystery by the bestselling Japanese author of The Devotion of Suspect X.Trade ReviewA journey not only to the heart of a dark criminal mystery but also into the recesses of the human soul . . . Higashino will hold you with his glittering eye . . . -- Barry Forshaw * Independent *A stark insight into human depths and a stylish tale of morality and failure . . . -- Maxim Jakubowski * Lovereading *As fiendishly clever as The Devotion of Suspect X...Higashino offers one twist after another, all of which touch on the theme suggested by the book's title. Readers will marvel at the artful way the plot builds to the solution of Hidaka's murder. * Publishers Weekly on Malice *Keigo Higashino again proves his mastery of the diabolical puzzle mystery with Malice, a story with more turns, twists, switchbacks and sudden stops than a Tokyo highway during Golden Week. * New York Times *An exceptional study of the psychology of murder as well as a skilfully plotted narrative. * Independent on Malice *Keigo Higashino combines Dostoyevskian psychological realism with classic detective-story puzzles reminiscent of Agatha Christie and E.C. Bentley. * Wall Street Journal *Smart and original...a true page turner...Higashino continues to elevate the modern mystery as an intense and inventive literary form. * Library Journal, Starred Review on Malice *Intricate... At the outset, [Higashino's] approach seems unsettling, but the Edgar nominee knows his business; Malice soon becomes awfully hard to put down. * Booklist *The creator of Detective Galileo returns with another fiendishly clever Chinese - make that Japanese - box of a whydunit....Each time you're convinced Higashino's wrung every possible twist out of his golden-age setup, he comes up with a new one. If you still miss the days of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, you can't do better than this fleet, inventive retro puzzler. * Kirkus Reviews on Malice *Intricate and beguiling...if you like riddles inside enigmas, it will please you no end. * Guardian on The Devotion of Suspect X *A detective story about writers is often particularly satisfying, and this one is no exception...The plot is satisfyingly twisty and gathers pace as the revelations come thicker, faster, and more and more unexpected. * Sydney Morning Herald on Malice *A psychological thriller of the highest order...Each time Higashino makes a revelation, he quickly pulls the carpet from under one's feet, fuelling the reader to finish the book as quickly as possible. * Singapore Straits Times on Malice *Edgar-nominated Higashino revisits the dangerous codependence of bonds forged in murder with this complex, elegant psychological thriller * Booklist *Higashino has crafted a compelling and epic crime novel that entangles the culprits, victims, and police in a complex web * Library Journal *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA brutal killer is on the streets of Rome.He leaves no trace. And shows no mercy.A series of gruesome murders leaves the police force in Rome reeling, with no real clues or hard evidence to follow. Assigned to the case is Sandra Vega, a brilliant forensic analyst, struggling to come to terms with the crimes and her own past. Sandra''s shared history with Marcus, a member of the ancient Penitenzeri - a unique Italian team, linked to the Vatican, and trained in the detection of true evil, means that the two are brought together again in the pursuit of a malignant killer.Soon Marcus and Sandra notice the emergence of a disturbing pattern running alongside the latest killings - and every time they think they have grasped a fragment of the truth, they are led down yet another terrifying path. A sensational new literary thriller from the bestselling author of The Whisperer, this novel captures the beautiful atmosphere of Rome and explores its dark and hiTrade ReviewMore Steig Larsson than Henning Mankell, more Jo Nesbo than Karl Ove Knausgaard ... a gallopingly fun read: dark, disturbing -- Alison Flood Observer Proceeds at breakneck speed ... offers a series of clever shocks The Sunday Times Shiveringly intelligent The Times

Read more less

Book SynopsisA modern saga spanning the whole of the 20th century, by one of Iceland''s most celebrated writers.At the beginning of this story there is death, and yet it is a celebration of life - the passion between a man and a woman, forbidden love, violence, sorrow, betrayal. Happiness and misfortune are passed down from one generation to the next. The sorrow over what was and what might have been weighs heavily on the characters and at the end of this chain, for now, stands Ari, on his way to his dying father, with a score still to be settled. The raw beauty of life is written into the dramatic Icelandic landscape, and into a society that has undergone great transformation within a century. In language both archaic and lyrical, and yet entirely contemporary and full of humour, Jón Kalman Stefánsson proves himself one of the finest European writers of his generation.A companion volume to Fish Have No Feet (longlisted for the Man Booker International PrTrade ReviewStefánsson's prose rolls and surges with oceanic splendour. -- Boyd Tonkin * Spectator. *A wonderful, exceptional writer . . . A timeless storyteller. -- Carsen JensenPowerful and sparkling . . . Prize-winning translator Philip Roughton's feather-light touch brings out the gleaming, fairy-tale quality of the writing -- Nora Mahoney * Irish Times *Stefansson shares the elemental grandeur of Cormac McCarthy -- Eileen Battersby * Times Literary Supplement *

Read more less

Book Synopsis''Horst is brilliant on the day-to-day details of investigation, while keeping tension to the end'' SUNDAY TIMES''Horst, a former Norwegian police detective, is often compared to Sweden''s Henning Mankell for his moody, sweeping crime dramas'' NEW YORK TIMESIf you loved Wallander, meet Wisting - your next Scandi crime obsession . . .15 years ago, Simon Meier walked out of his house and was never seen again.With no leads, the case quickly ran cold. Until now. Because one day ago, politician Bernard Clausen died. And in his cabin on the Norwegian coast, police make a shocking discovery. Boxes of bank notes, worth millions of dollars. Collecting dust.Chief Inspector William Wisting thinks it could link to Meier''s disappearance.But solving both cases will mean working with an old adversary, and delving into a dark underworld - which leads closer to home than he could have imagined Trade ReviewHorst is brilliant on the day-to-day details of investigation, while keeping tension to the end * Sunday Times *Impeccably crafted police procedural * Sunday Times Crime Club *A well-crafted, atmospheric, character-driven thriller - I couldn't put it down! * Alex Dahl, author of The Boy At The Door *Up there with the best of the Nordic crime writers -- Marcel Berlin * The Times *Jørn Lier Horst is one of the most brilliantly understated crime novelists writing today -- Joan Smith * Sunday Times *Plotting reigns supreme. Fortunately, that's Horst's primary skill * Barry Forshaw, Financial Times *A good Nordic police procedural with well-drawn characters * Choice Magazine *A nail biting deftly plotted thriller by a Norwegian police officer turned bestselling author * Saga Magazine *Lier Horst's novels stand comparison with the best police procedurals from anywhere in the world . . . polished and stylish . . . Wisting is a cracking creation . . . this is a riveting police procedural, it's a page turner, inventive and thrilling by turns * NB Magazine *If you liked Wallander you'll enjoy this too * Crime Fiction Lover *One of the finest novels in one of the best police procedural series out there and a more than decent slice of scandi-noir too * NB *Jørn Lier Horst writes some of the best Scandinavian crime fiction available. His books are superbly plotted and addictive, the characters wonderfully realised * Yrsa Sigurdardóttir *Another good, solid police procedural * Connaught Telegraph *Praise for Jørn Lier Horst * - *Up there with the best of the Nordic crime writers -- Marcel Berlin * The Times *Jørn Lier Horst is one of the most brilliantly understated crime novelists writing today -- Joan Smith * Sunday Times *A good Nordic police procedural with well-drawn characters * Choice Magazine *Pure evil in a solid Wisting crime novel. /..../ Jørn Lier Horst delivers credible crime fiction as always * Norway *With Ill Will, Jørn Lier Horst claims the number one spot on the winner's podium. /.../ Ill Will is the most brutal and ruthless novel penned by Horst to date. A ruthlessness that Horst delivers with elegance. /.../ The interplay between father and daughter, the police man and the journalist, is once again brilliantly portrayed * Norway *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe chilling and heart-pounding new novel from Norwegian superstar Jørn Lier Horst THE INSPIRATION FOR THE HIT BBC FOUR SHOW WISTING ''Up there with the best of the Nordic crime writers'' THE TIMES''Tense, fast-paced, compelling'' SUNDAY TIMES________ Five years ago, serial killer Tom Kerr was imprisoned. Today, he''s out to reveal the resting place of his final victim.However, Detective Wisting is taking no chances. Kerr is chained and handcuffed. The police have dogs and guns. But minutes after entering the forest, Wisting''s officers lie broken and bleeding. And Kerr has vanished into the woods. Too late, Wisting realises their error. What''s worse, Kerr had an accomplice who was never caught . . . Now two murderers are on the loose - and Wisting has just hours to find them . . .________ ''One of the most brilliantly understated crime novelists writing Trade ReviewTense, fast-paced . . . compelling * Sunday Times *Relentlessly exciting . . . creates a sense of real menace * The Times *Jørn Lier Horst claims the number one spot on the winner's podium * Tvedestrandsposten, Norway *Jørn Lier Horst delivers credible crime fiction as always * Verdens Gang, Norway *Praise for Jørn Lier Horst * - *Up there with the best of the Nordic crime writers * The Times *If you liked Wallander you'll enjoy this too * Crime Fiction Lover *Jørn Lier Horst writes literary crime with high credibility and keen-eyed societal depictions - he's Norway's own Henning Mankell -- Hjorth & RosenfeldtImpeccably crafted police procedural * Sunday Times Crime Club *Jørn Lier Horst writes some of the best Scandinavian crime fiction available. His books are superbly plotted and addictive, the characters wonderfully realised * Yrsa Sigurdardóttir *Jørn Lier Horst is one of the most brilliantly understated crime novelists writing today * Sunday Times *Horst, a former Norwegian police detective, is often compared to Sweden's Henning Mankell for his moody, sweeping crime dramas * New York Times *Jørn Lier Horst raises the suspense level to horror proportions -- Lotta Olsson * Dagens Nyheter, 'Best Crime Novels of 2020' *

Read more less

Book Synopsis''A magnificent writer'' KARIN SLAUGHTERA murdered woman. A missing child. And a father intent on revenge.On a cold day in Reykjavik, a baby goes missing from her pram. When the child''s blanket washes up on the beach, and the mother is found dead, everyone''s worst fears seem to have been realised.Eleven years later, and detective Huldar and child psychologist Freyja are now working in the same police building, on the same team. Freyja believes that personal and professional relationships must remain separate, however hard that may be. But when a woman''s dismembered body is found in a deserted car, her head missing, and Freyja and Huldar find themselves working on the same case, the secrecy around their affair threatens to crack. And when Freyja is accused of a serious breach of police protocol, will Huldar be able to help her? Meanwhile, their search to identify the body takes the case back into secrets of the past, and the unsp

Read more less