Fiction in translation

Book Synopsis''Pavese''s novels are works of an extraordinary depth where one never stops finding new levels, new meanings'' Italo CalvinoJune, 1943. Allied aircraft are bombing Turin; fascist Italy is on its knees. Every evening, after a day''s teaching in the city, Corrado returns to the safety of the hills and the care of his two doting landladies. He has no attachments, no obligations. Yet against his better judgement he is drawn to the easy warmth of a circle of anti-fascists who congregate at a nearby tavern, and confronted with a painful choice: emotional and political commitment, with all its dangers - or devastating retreat. Pavese''s extraordinary semi-autobiographical novel is a lucid portrayal of missed opportunities and human weakness, set against the seductive intensity of the Italian countryside.Translated with an introduction by Tim ParksShortlisted for The Society of Authors Translation Award 2022Trade ReviewPavese is one of the few essential novelists of the mid-twentieth century -- Susan SontagPavese's nine short novels make up the most dense, dramatic, and homogeneous narrative cycle of modern Italy ... But above all they are works of an extraordinary depth where one never stops finding new levels, new meanings -- Italo CalvinoCesare Pavese's cool, contemplative voice was the most important among postwar Italian writers -- W. S. DiPieroInsinuating, haunting and lyrically pervasive * The New York Times Book Review *

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Book SynopsisDistinguished literary critic Bodour is trapped in a loveless marriage and carries with her a dark secret. She fell in love in her youth and gave birth to an illegitimate daughter, Zeina, whom she abandoned on the streets of Cairo. Bodour doesn''t know that Zeina has blossomed into one of Egypt''s most beloved entertainers. Pining for her estranged daughter, she writes a fictional account of her life in an attempt to find solace. But as the revolution in Cairo begins to gain fire, the novel goes missing and Bodour must find who has stolen it. Will her hunt for the thief bring mother and daughter together? Or is Bodour destined to lose her daughter to Cairo forever?Trade Review`The leading spokeswoman on the status of women in the Arab world' Guardian; 'At a time when nobody else was talking, [El Saadawi] spoke the unspeakable.' Margaret Atwood, BBC Imagine; `El Saadawi writes with directness and passion' New York Times; `A poignant and brave writer' Marie Claire; `El Saadawi has come to embody the trials of Arab feminism' San Francisco Chronicle

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Book SynopsisRejected by his tribe and hunted by the kin of the man he killed, Ukhayyad and his thoroughbred camel flee across the desolate Tuareg deserts of the Libyan Sahara. Between bloody wars against the Italians in the north and famine raging in the south, Ukhayyad rides for the remote rock caves of Jebel Hasawna. There, he says farewell to the mount who has been his companion through thirst, disease, lust, and loneliness. Alone in the desert, haunted by the prophetic cave paintings of ancient hunting scenes and the cries of jinn in the night, Ukhayyad awaits the arrival of his pursuers and their insatiable hunger for blood and gold. Gold Dust is a classic story of the brotherhood between man and beast, the thread of companionship that is all the difference between life and death in the desert. It is a story of the fight to endure in a world of limitless and waterless wastes, and a parable of the struggle to survive in the most dangerous landscape of all: human society.Trade ReviewAl-Koni's descriptive powers and the urgency of his narrative make Gold Dust [italic] a gripping, moving tale that sweeps the reader on towards its tragic conclusion. -- BanipalImagine Cormac McCarthy's savage lyricism in a Paul Bowles desert landscape and you begin to enter the bleakly beautiful world of this mesmerising, fable-like novel. -- The IndependentIts lyrical prose exudes the unique breath of desert life and a mystical taste of the afterlife. -- Arab NewsA magnificent novelist. -- Marilyn Booth, University of Oxford, UKOne of the Arab world’s most innovative novelists. -- Roger Allen, University of Pennsylvania

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Book SynopsisMeasuring the World recreates the parallel but contrasting lives of two geniuses of the German Enlightenment - the naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt and the mathematician and physicist Carl Friedrich Gauss. Towards the end of the 18th century, these two brilliant young Germans set out to measure the world. Humboldt, a Prussian aristocrat schooled for greatness, negotiates savannah and jungle, climbs the highest mountain then known to man, counts head lice on the heads of the natives, and explores every hole in the ground. Gauss, a man born in poverty who will be recognised as the greatest mathematician since Newton, does not even need to leave his home in Göttingen to know that space is curved. He can run prime numbers in his head, cannot imagine a life without women and yet jumps out of bed on his wedding night to jot down a mathematical formula. Measuring the World is a novel of rare charm and readability, distinguished by its sly humour and unforgettable characterization. It brings the two eccentric geniuses to life, their longings and their weaknesses, their balancing act between loneliness and love, absurdity and greatness, failure and success.Trade Review'A dazzling success ... Fantastically imagined' * Daily Telegraph *'Pulsing with fictional energy ... Here for once is a popular hit as sophisticated as it is engaging' * Sunday Times *'Nothing less than a literary sensation' * Guardian *'This is a masterpiece' * Independent on Sunday *'Kehlmann is one of the brightest, most pleasure-giving writers at work today, and he manages all this while exploring matters of deep philosophical and intellectual import. He deserves to have more readers' * Jeffrey Eugenides *

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Book SynopsisHaruki Murakami's third novel, A Wild Sheep Chase is the mystery hybrid which completes the odyssey begun in Hear the Wind Sing and Pinball, 1973.The man was leading an aimless life, time passing, one big blank. His girlfriend has perfectly formed ears, ears with the power to bewitch, marvels of creation. The man receives a letter from a friend, enclosing a seemingly innocent photograph of sheep, and a request: place the photograph somewhere it will be seen. Then, one September afternoon, the phone rings, and the adventure begins. Welcome to the wild sheep chase.'Mr. Murakami's style and imagination are closer to that of Kurt Vonnegut, Raymond Carver and John Irving' New York TimesTrade ReviewWonderfully easy to read and just as wonderfully difficult to make sense of...like the narrator, who slowly accepts the presence in his life of mystery, we slowly recognize the possibility of a new kind of world. Like him, we lean forward and topple headlong into magic * Washington Post *It begins as a detective novel, dips into a screwball comedy, and at its close becomes a tale of possession...A highly accomplished piece of craftsmanship * New Yorker *Mr. Murakami's style and imagination are closer to that of Kurt Vonnegut, Raymond Carver and John Irving * New York Times *A Wild Sheep Chase has the conventional hull of a thriller - a quest, a mystery, an extraordinary woman, and plenty of elegant duress - but its fantastic superstructure transforms it into something quite different...a science fiction fantasy, a romance, a metaphysical tease, or a dramatisation of philosophical ideas * Independent *If you consider yourself an intelligent, sensitive common reader but wish to accommodate something a little removed from your experience, and probably your imagination, I dare you to turn your eyes towards Murakami and head off on a wild sheep chase. * Glasgow Herald *

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Book SynopsisFrom cult sensation Mariana Enriquez, author of the International Booker Prize-shortlisted The Dangers of Smoking in Bed "...one of the best novels of the 21st century" - Paul Tremblay "...a magnificent accomplishment and a genuine work of power" - Alan Moore His father could find what was lost. His father knew when someone was going to die. His father had talked to him about the dead who rode in on the wind. The dead travel fast. Gaspar is six years old when the Order first come for him. For years, they have exploited his father's ability to commune with the dead and the demonic, presiding over macabre rituals where the unwanted and the disappeared are tortured and executed, sacrificed to the Darkness. Now they want a successor. Nothing will stop the Order, nothing is beyond them. Surrounded by horrors, can Gaspar break free? Spanning the brutal decades of Argentina's military dictatorship and its aftermath, Our Share of Night is a haunting, thrilling novel of broken families, cursed inheritances, and the sacrifices a father will make to help his son escape his destiny.Trade ReviewA gorgeous, dazzling novel... Startlingly brilliant... An enchanting, shattering, once-in-a-lifetime reading experience. * New York Times *A masterpiece of supernatural horror... Our Share of Night is a literary achievement, gorgeous and exacting in its execution * Washington Post *With realism in its magic and magic in its realism, this is a magnificent accomplishment and a genuine work of power. -- Alan MooreA gothic horror epic... Has the makings of a cult read * The Times *Very dark, very powerful, very compelling... An extraordinary thing -- John LanchesterA novel so disquieting, so unsettling I could neither put it down, nor read it late at night. Enriquez's short stories had already made me a fan for life - her novel is going to haunt me for the rest of my life -- Kelly Link, author of White Cat, Black Dog and Get in Trouble, finalist for the Pulitzer PrizeDazzling... Towering, electric, wild - this novel is a masterpiece and a true original. -- Laura van den Berg, author of The Third HotelThrilling and engaging, it is a staggering accomplishment. Mariana Enriquez has written the novel that other novels will be compared to -- John LanganBinds together the terror of Stephen King with the history and aftermath of Argentina's military dictatorship which saw thousands "disappeared"... This horror is a must-read * Evening Standard *Compelling... unlike most Gothic fictions, this book is truly frightening -- Adam Thirlwell * London Review of Books *Epic and intimate, lyrical and brutal, horrifying and defiantly hopeful, and one of the best novels of the 21st century. I'm going to press this book into the hands of everyone I know -- Paul Tremblay, author of A Head Full of Ghosts and The Pallbearers ClubA hugely ambitious, inventive and compelling work of modern fantasy * Interzone *Macabre and unsettling, some of the imagery is so horrific that it is hard to keep reading, yet the story so captivating it is impossible to stop... Lest this all sound too horrific, there is profound and enduring love here as well * New Internationalist *This is a literary work of huge significance... [A] fully unfurled psychic map of a country, the claustrophobia and inescapable horror of a haunted house story told over the length and breadth of a nation * The List *Enriquez is a masterful world builder. And the one she creates here devastates. This engrossing mixture of supernatural horror and intimate storytelling will leave an indelible but instructive mark on readers -- Sergio de la Pava, author of A Naked SingularityThere is a high gothic flavour to this material, as well as lurid, brilliantly over-the-top moments of grotesquery, of high violence... It has teeth, claws and a beating heart difficult to resist for those hardy of stomach -- Stuart Evers * Spectator *This is a proper gothic door stopper * Times Literary Supplement *An old-fashioned flesh-creeper... it is done with absolute relish and evident delight... Entirely unique - a long serious novel which has all the delights of horror fiction * Literary Review *A bone-chilling behemoth of a book, and another treasure in Enriquez's trove * nb. Magazine *A singular, soul-rattling novel... Mariana Enriquez's terrifying, lush, blood-soaked epic masterfully uses the occult to depict unspeakable brutality, political oppression, and the tragedy of Argentina's disappeared to devastating effect, while powerfully exploring the lengths a parent will go to protect their child. I've never read anything like it and I'll never forget my time in Enriquez's mesmerizing world. -- Jessamine Chan, New York Times bestselling author of The School for Good Mothers

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Book SynopsisHaruki Murakami (Author) In 1978, Haruki Murakami was twenty-nine 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, that turned Murakami from a writer into a phenomenon.In works such as The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, 1Q84, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running and Men Without Women, Murakami's distinctive blend of the mysterious and the everyday, of melancholy and humour, continues to enchant readers, ensuring his place as one of the world's most acclaimed and well-loved writers.Philip Gabriel (Translator) Philip Gabriel is the author of

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Book SynopsisWATERSTONES BEST FICTION BOOKS OF 2023 PICK WOMAN & HOME NOVEMBER BOOK OF THE MONTH iPaper TOP FICTION PICK 'An absolutely charming novel that all bookworms will adore' Red 'A balm for the soul and a glorious love letter to books and reading' iPaper There was only one thing on her mind. 'I must start a bookshop.' Yeongju did everything she was supposed to, go to university, marry a decent man, get a respectable job. Then it all fell apart. Burned out, Yeongju abandons her old life, quits her high-flying career, and follows her dream. She opens a bookshop. In a quaint neighbourhood in Seoul, surrounded by books, Yeongju and her customers take refuge. From the lonely barista to the unhappily married coffee roaster, and the writer who sees something special in Yeongju - they all have disappointments in their past. The Hyunam-dong Bookshop becomes the place where they all learn how to truly live. A heart-warming story about finding comfort and acceptance in your life – and the healing power of books. 'Delightful, reflective and heart-warming' Woman's Weekly ‘Profound and healing … a beautiful story at its heart’ Woman & Home 'An incredibly exciting debut novel. At once gentle and invigorating. I devoured it' Sarah Crossan, author of Here is the Beehive Reader Reviews: 'Love love love this book! Cosy, heart warming, wholesome...Will be recommending this to everyone. It makes me smile when I think about it!' 'Such a beautiful book, I adored the story and characters, The writing style was gorgeous. 100% recommend.' 'A love letter to books, bookshops and all who love them' 'Such a warm and cosy read! Was completely here for it...and the appreciation for books was magical' 'A heart-warming cosy read that makes you think about how important it is to be happy, and that we can all find a place to call ‘home’.'Trade ReviewProfound and healing … a beautiful story at its heart * Book of the Month, Woman & Home *An incredibly exciting debut novel. At once gentle and invigorating. I devoured it -- Sarah Crossan, author of Here is the BeehiveThis was a word of mouth Korean sensation when it was first published and now translated into English it isn’t hard to see why. This novel is both a balm for the soul and a glorious love letter to books and reading * Top Fiction Pick, iPaper *A story that embraces its sentimentality * Observer *Quirky… It’s a tale about community and finding comfort in the small things * Monocle *A real love letter to reading... wonderful * Good Housekeeping *Delightful, reflective and heart-warming … we challenge you not to fall in love with it * Woman's Weekly *All readers who love books about books will fall in love with this charming story * Prima *This is a love letter to bookshops and to the people who find solace among their shelves … An absolutely charming novel that all bookworms will adore * Red *Reader Reviews:'Love love love this book! Cosy, heart warming, wholesome...Will be recommending this to everyone. It makes me smile when I think about it!''Such a beautiful book, I adored the story and characters, The writing style was gorgeous. 100% recommend.''A love letter to books, bookshops and all who love them''Such a warm and cosy read! Was completely here for it...and the appreciation for books was magical''A heart-warming cosy read that makes you think about how important it is to be happy, and that we can all find a place to call ‘home’.'

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED for the International Booker Prize 2022After Rita is found dead in a church she used to attend, the official investigation into the incident is quickly closed. Her sickly mother is the only person still determined to find the culprit. Chronicling a difficult journey across the suburbs of the city, an old debt and a revealing conversation, Elena Knows unravels the secrets of its characters and the hidden facets of authoritarianism and hypocrisy in our society.Trade ReviewInternational Booker Prize (Shortlist)Edward Stanford Travel Writing Award - Fiction (Shortlist)LiBeraturpreis (Winner)"Short and stylish…a piercing commentary on mother-daughter relationships, the indignity of bureaucracy, the burdens of caregiving and the impositions of religious dogma on women." —New York Times"A lyrical portrait of a woman unable to grieve...incisive commentary on Catholic society’s control of women’s bodies." —Publishers Weekly"A murder mystery with a twist." —The Globe and Mail"Its true brilliance, though, is in how it flips Elena’s insular daily reality into a much broader commentary on how the hypocrisy of Catholic society manifests in the lives and judgments of ordinary people. A highly accomplished and original novel, translated with great sensitivity to tone and atmosphere by Frances Riddle." —Irish Times"A gloriously taut and haunting tale…astonishingly assured."" —Denise Mina , author of GODS AND BEASTS and THE LONG DROP"A fascinating, twisty tale." —The Listener"Contending with sorrow and illness, as well as the burdens of caregiving, bodily horrors, and forced presumptions in the lives of women, Elena Knows is a bold, visceral work of fiction." —Jeremy Garber, Powell's Bookshop"[Piñeiro's] words work a kind of magic only very masterful literature does." —Lucy Writers"In Elena, Piñeiro has created an uncommon Virgil who reminds readers of the damaging and even deadly effects of imposing one’s convictions on others." —Necessary Fiction"A subtle and skilful exploration of how far women have the right to control their own bodies." —The Conversation"Riveting, revelatory and brilliantly imaginative." —Lonesome Reader"Subverting genre expectations." —The Arts Fuse************Praise for Claudia Piñeiro"Not for nothing is Claudia Piñeiro Argentina's most popular crime writer. Betty Boo is original, witty and hugely entertaining; it mixes murder with love, political power and journalism. Delightful characters include a morose veteran hack and a young trainee known only as Crime Boy. Iscar falls in love and the homicide count has moved up the ladder of Argentine politicians." —The Times"At the start of this thought-provoking mystery from Piñeiro (A Crack in the Wall), maid Gladys Verela arrives at the Maravillosa Country Club, where industrialist Pedro Chazaretta has a house on the grounds. In the living room, Gladys spots Chazaretta sitting in a chair, apparently asleep, but in fact his throat has been slit. In Piñeiro's artful hands, each of her investigators learns as much about himself or herself as about the murder on the way to the surprising, perfectly executed ending." —Publisher's Weekly"Those willing to take the time to enjoy the style and the unusual denouement will find themselves wondering why more crime authors don't take the kinds of risks Piñeiro does." —Booklist"Piñeiro is AWESOME. Her books are dark, have buckets of atmosphere, and they all feel entirely different even though she revisits some of the same issues again and again. She deals with the culture and social structure within gated communities; shows how walling ourselves in seems safer, but actually promotes fear and claustrophobia; she deals with gender roles and prejudice and economic class and long-held secrets that fester." —Book Riot"A striking meditation on loss and the search for home." —Publishers Weekly"A moving story about the courage to face the past and earn a chance at redemption." —Kirkus"An investigation into the limits of narrative, Claudia Piñeiro's latest cements the writer as a giant of Argentine literature. (5 stars)" —The Skinny"A Little Luck is a thrilling read, a page turner, a mystery, a psychological deep dive into character."" —Julia Alvarez , author of HOW THE GARCÍA GIRLS LOST THEIR ACCENTS and IN THE TIME OF THE BUTTERFLIES|IN THE NAME OF SALOMÉ"Piñeiro excels at creating poignant, emotive fiction which aims for both heart and head." —Jeremy Garber, Powell's Bookshop"I highly recommend A Little Luck by Claudia Piñeiro." —Harvard Bookstore"Piñeiro is quickly establishing herself to English readers as a novelist capable of utter devastation, but she consistently offers a little hope in the dark. " —The Big Issue"A must-read." —Morning Star"Piñeiro once again demonstrates her expertise in suspense and intrigue." —Sounds & Colours"The writing and pacing are superb...there’s not a dull moment to be had." —Tony's Reading List**********"Like fabric, this book is woven from different textualities. Intermittently, a chorus appears who comment, in the style of Ancient Greek theatre, on what is happening. (…) Combined with these voices are texts from well-known figures: Rebecca Solnit, Rita Segato, Judith Butler, Vivian Gornick, Marguerite Duras..." —Infobae"The novel portrays the new life of the main character and the culture shock she experiences on encountering a world that is much more feminist than the one she remembers, when she only knew a single way to be a woman." —elDiarioAR"The intellectual, artistic and creative challenges expressed in Time of the Flies confront us with the destruction of the archetypes of specific periods, where the resistances and oppositions are intense and come from all sides." —Diario Cine y Literatura CL"A detective novel that corroborates this writer’s experience with the genre and her capacity to travel to the darkest corners of the human soul, always from multiple perspectives." —Hermeneuta Revista Cultural"Once inside (as you will find out for yourself) there is no let-up." —El Español"As they try to rebuild their lives on release from prison, Inés and Manca experience ups and downs that show them that love is not always what we call love and that we do not always feel what we really think we feel. In the realm of the emotions, there are no absolute truths either." —Tiempo Argentino"It is a stimulating exercise to imagine the challenges characters who embody a particular period would face in the present day. This is what Piñeiro attempts here, and hits the nail on the head with Inés, who resonates with irreverent questions about the possibility of being contemporary and wholly genuine at the same time." —La Nación"Piñeiro interweaves the stories of Inés and Manca in a kind of suburban Thelma and Louise, with a chorus of women who debate subjects such as the achievements of feminism, inclusive language and abortion, among other matters" —Pagina/12**********

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Book SynopsisFROM THE AUTHOR OF THE JAPANESE BESTSELLER IF CATS DISAPPEARED FROM THE WORLD WHICH HAS SOLD OVER TWO MILLION COPIES

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2020, an enthralling Orwellian novel about the terrors of state surveillance from one of Japan's greatest writers.'Beautiful... Haunting' Sunday Times'A dreamlike story of dystopia' Jia Tolentino__________Hat, ribbon, bird rose.To the people on the island, a disappeared thing no longer has any meaning. It can be burned in the garden, thrown in the river or handed over to the Memory Police. Soon enough, the island forgets it ever existed.When a young novelist discovers that her editor is in danger of being taken away by the Memory Police, she desperately wants to save him. For some reason, he doesn't forget, and it's becoming increasingly difficult for him to hide his memories. Who knows what will vanish next?__________Finalist for the National Book Award 2019 Longlisted for the Translated Book Award 2020New York Times 100 Notable Books of the Year'This timeless fable of control and loss feels more timely than ever' Guardian, Books of the Year'Echoes the themes of George Orwell's 1984, but it has a voice and power all its own' Time'A novel that makes us see differently... A masterpiece' Madeleine ThienTrade ReviewThe Memory Police is a masterpiece: a deep pool that can be experienced as fable or allegory, warning and illumination. It is a novel that makes us see differently, opening up its ideas in inconspicuous ways, knowing that all moments of understanding and grace are fleeting. It is political and human, it makes no promises. It is a rare work of patient and courageous vision -- Madeleine Thien * Guardian *It's an age since I read a book as strange, beautiful and affecting… this haunting work reaches beyond…to examine what it is to be human… a remarkable writer * Sunday Times *Masterly...Like Colson Whitehead's Underground Railroad and Mohsin Hamid's Exit West, Yoko Ogawa's novel transforms a familiar metaphor into imaginative truth. -- Jia Tolentino * The New Yorker *In a feat of dark imagination, Yoko Ogawa stages an intimate, suspenseful drama of courage and endurance while conjuring up a world that is at once recognizable and profoundly strange * Wall Street Journal *Explores questions of power, trauma and state surveillance...particularly resonant now, at a time of rising authoritarianism across the globe. * New York Times, pick of the month *

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Book SynopsisIn his latest tragicomedy Hamid Ismailov interrogates the intersection between tradition and modernity. A former radio-presenter wrongly interprets one of his dreams and thinks that he has been initiated into the world of spirits as a manaschi, one of the Kyrgyz bards and healers reciting Manas – the longest human epic, consisting nearly of a million verses – who are revered as people who are connected with supernatural forces. Travelling to a mountainous village populated by Tajiks and Kyrgyzs, he instead witnesses the full scale of the epic’s wrath on his life. Following on from the award-winning The Devils' Dance and Of Strangers and Bees, this is the third and final book in Ismailov's Central Asia trilogy.

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Book SynopsisCandide, or the Optimist is Voltaire’s hilarious and deeply scathing satire on the Age of Enlightenment. This classic of French literature has been a bestseller for over two hundred years.Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library, a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold-foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This classic of French literature features an introduction by Dr Marine Ganofsky.Young nobleman Candide lives a sheltered and comfortable life under the tutorship of the ridiculous Dr Pangloss who espouses the prevailing 18th-century philosophy of Optimism. Following an indiscretion, Candide is cast out into the world which according to Pangloss is ‘the best of all possible worlds’. But this is not so, Candide and his companions encounter nothing but ludicrous calamities in their madcap travels around the world – war crimes, earthquakes, inquisitions and chain gangs – all based with horrible closeness on real events of the 18th century.Trade ReviewCandide remains politically topical and its McCarthy-era satire has, unfortunately, lost little relevance -- John Allison * Telegraph *It was no fable inhabiting some make-believe or symbolic location; rather, it was a report on the current state of the world, deliberately set among the headlines of the day -- Julian Barnes * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisA wealthy Icelandic family gathers for a reunion in a remote hotel on the isolated lava fields, but when someone goes missing, dark secrets are exposed and everyone is a suspect … the chilling, gripping prequel to the addictive, award-winning Forbidden Iceland series… ‘A country house mystery worthy of Agatha Christie’ The Times Crime Book of the Month ‘As storms rage, people fall prey to a sinister figure. A canny synthesis of modern Nordic Noir and Golden Age mystery’ Financial Times 'In a Forbidden Iceland novel, there's no terrain more treacherous than the mind … a deep-dark thriller to read with the lights on' A J Finn 'Riveting, exciting, entertaining and packed with intrigue … like Succession on ice' Liz Nugent **WINNER of the STORYTEL AWARD for Crime Book of the Year*** –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– The wealthy, powerful Snæberg clan has gathered for a family reunion at a futuristic hotel set amongst the dark lava flows of Iceland's remote Snæfellsnes peninsula. Petra Snæberg, a successful interior designer, is anxious about the event, and her troubled teenage daughter, Lea, whose social-media presence has attracted the wrong kind of followers. Ageing carpenter Tryggvi is an outsider, only tolerated because he's the boyfriend of Petra's aunt, but he's struggling to avoid alcohol because he knows what happens when he drinks … Humble hotel employee, Irma, is excited to meet this rich and famous family and observe them at close quarters … perhaps too close… As the weather deteriorates and the alcohol flows, one of the guests disappears, and it becomes clear that there is a prowler lurking in the dark. But is the real danger inside … within the family itself? Masterfully cranking up the suspense, Eva Björg Ægisdóttir draws us into an isolated, frozen setting, where nothing is as it seems and no one can be trusted, as the dark secrets and painful pasts of the Snæberg family are uncovered … and the shocking truth revealed. Succession meets And Then There Were None … A Golden Age mystery for the 21st Century, with a shocking twist. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 'A tense, twisty page-turner that you'll have serious trouble putting down' Catherine Ryan Howard 'Your new Nordic Noir obsession' Vogue 'Confirms Eva Bjorg Aegisdottir as a leading light of Icelandic noir … a master of misdirection' The Times Praise for the Forbidden Iceland series **Winner of the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger** **Shortlisted for the Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime** **Shortlisted for the CWA Crime in Translation Dagger** **Shortlisted for the Capital Crime Award for Best Thriller** 'Chilling and addictive, with a completely unexpected twist … I loved it' Shari Lapena 'Beautifully written … one of the rising stars of Nordic Noir'Victoria Selman 'Fans of Nordic Noir will love this' Ann Cleeves 'Eerie and chilling. I loved every word!' Lesley Kara 'Creepily compelling' Heidi Amsinck 'Elma is a memorably complex character' Financial Times 'Exciting and harrowing' Ragnar Jónasson 'Fantastic' Sunday Times 'So atmospheric' Heat

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Book SynopsisNew Year's Eve, 1975. Two hunted men leave Mexico City in a borrowed white Impala.Their quest: to track down the mythical, vanished poet Cesárea Tinajero. But, twenty years later, they are still on the run. The Savage Detectives is their remarkable journey through our darkening universe. Told, shared and mythologised by a generation of lovers, rebels and readers, their testimonies are woven together into one of the most dazzling Latin American novels of all time.TRANSLATED BY NATASHA WIMMERRoberto Bolaño was a game changer: his field was politics, poetry and melancholia. He could be funny, he could be literate, he could be devastating. And his writing was always unparalleled' Mariana Enríquez, author of Our Share of NightBolaño makes you feel changed for having read him; he adjusts your angle of view on the world' Guardian

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Book SynopsisWild Thorns offers a glimpse of social and personal relations under Israeli occupation. Featuring unsentimental portrayals of everyday life, its uncompromising honesty and rich emotional core plead elegantly for the cause of survival in the face of oppression.Trade Review'An impressive narrative of life in the West Bank in which simple profundities are asserted powerfully and poetically.' Morning Star‘Written with astonishing candor and erudition, Sahar Khalifeh’s novel Wild Thorns is a poignant commentary on the psychological impacts of living under occupation ... an exhaustive and embracing meditation on Palestinian society, trauma, and resilience.’ * The Markaz Review *Sahar Khalifeh’s ‘Wild Thorns’ shines a light on the West Bank * Arab News *

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Book SynopsisBaba Yaga is an old hag who lives in a house built on chicken legs and kidnaps small children. She is one of the most pervasive and powerful creatures in all mythology. She appears in many forms: as Pupa, a tricksy, cantankerous old woman who keeps her legs tucked into a huge furry boot; as a trio of mischievous elderly women who embark on the trip of a lifetime to a hotel spa; and as a villainous flock of ravens, black hens and magpies infected with the H5N1 virus. But what story does Baba Yaga have to tell us today? This is a quizzical tale about one of the most pervasive and poerful creatures in all mythology, and an extraordinary yarn of identity, secrets, storytelling and love.Trade ReviewUgrasic's retelling may be blisteringly postmodern in its execution but at its heart is a human warmth and even a silliness that infuses it with the sweet magic of storytelling. -- Melissa Katsoulis * * The Times * *Packed with intellectual surprises and emotional revelations -- Tina Jackson * * The Metro * *The message that old crones are the product of "long-lived, labyrinthine, fertile, profoundly misogynistic but also cathartic work of the imagination" is expressed with humour, eloquence and anger. -- Alyssa McDonald * * New Statesman * *Ugresic has a unique tone of voice, a madcap wit and a lovely sense of the absurd. Ingenious. -- Marina WarnerShe is a writer to follow. A writer to be cherished. * * Susan Sontag * *Ugresic is sharp, funny and unfazed in the face of the little dictators who have torn apart her former country. Orwell would be proud. -- Timothy Garton-Ash on THE MINISTRY OF PAINContains some of the most profound reflections on culture, memory and madness you wiill ever read. -- Carole Angier on THE MINISTRY OF PAIN * * Independent * *

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Book SynopsisThe expression 'Sicilian uncle' has the same sense in Italian as 'Dutch uncle' does in English, but with sinister overtones of betrayal and inconstancy. The four novellas in Sicilian Uncles, originally published in 1958, are political thrillers of a kind - the first fruits of Sciascia's maturity. In these stories, illusions about ideology and history are lost in mirth, suffering and abandoned innocence. Each novella has its historical moment: the Allied invasion of Sicily, the Spanish Civil War, the death of Stalin, the 'events' of 1848. These occasions and their consequences are registered in the lives of Sciascia's wonderfully drawn characters. Each has voice, wit and a private history which opens out onto the wider circumstances of his time.

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Book SynopsisBorn into wealth and privilege, Rudolf Kerkhoven is destined to follow his father's footsteps into the Dutch colonies, with its uncleared jungle foothills and potential for riches. When he arrives in Java he is immediately smitten by the landscape and the life, and over the seasons, Rudolf's dedication and diligence gradually transform the land into a productive estate for tea, coffee and quinine. When he meets the independent-minded Jenny and their two sons are born, Rudolf is happier than he thought possible. But for Jenny, the damp austerity of their home, her fertility, her father's secret, and the native spirits of the land grow to overshadow their marriage and the life they've strived for together. Lusciously atmospheric and masterfully drawn, this is an unforgettable story of aspiration, determination, rivalry and romance on a tropical plantation.Trade ReviewA graceful, marvellously achieved improvisation that only a novelist of the greatest imagination and sympathy could have written -- Julian Evans * Guardian *Put it at the top of your reading list * Stylist *Haasse has created a compelling piece of innovative historical fiction ... [She] effortlessly combines an evocation of the plantation's heady, lush vegetation with her articulation of the growing distance between man and wife. And her aptly chosen metaphors are all skillfully conveyed in Ina Rilke's translation * Sunday Times *Displays a knowledgeable and intimate empathy for plantation life, sucking you into the steaming Indonesian jungles and cut-glass propriety of Dutch colonial society without suspending judgement on colonialism itself -- Claire Allfree * Metro *The large cast of characters is convincingly displayed and deftly manipulated. The evocation of Java is vivid and full of feeling -- Allan Massie * Scotsman *Haasse's atmospheric historical novel receives an elegantly idiomatic translation from Ina Rilke ... an affecting portrait of a life devoted to duty, which asks whether the sacrifice was worth the emotional costs. -- Adrian Turpin * Financial Times *Translated into graceful prose, this morally challenging work, constructed from documents and letters, has already become a novel by which others, inside and outside its tradition, can be judged. -- Paul Binding * Independent *

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Book SynopsisMinor Detail begins during the summer of 1949, one year after the war that the Palestinians mourn as the Nakba – the catastrophe that led to the displacement and expulsion of more than 700,000 people – and the Israelis celebrate as the War of Independence. Israeli soldiers capture and rape a young Palestinian woman, and kill and bury her in the sand. Many years later, a woman in Ramallah becomes fascinated to the point of obsession with this ‘minor detail’ of history. A haunting meditation on war, violence and memory, Minor Detail cuts to the heart of the Palestinian experience of dispossession, life under occupation, and the persistent difficulty of piecing together a narrative in the face of ongoing erasure and disempowerment.Trade Review‘All novels are political and Minor Detail, like the best of them, transcends the author’s own identity and geography. Shibli’s writing is subtle and sharply observed.’ — Fatima Bhutto, Guardian‘A sophisticated, oblique novel about empathy and the urge to right wrongs’ — Anthony Cummins, Observer‘An intense and penetrating work about the profound impact of living with violence—Shibli’s work is powerful and this translation by Elisabeth Jaquette is rendered with exquisite clarity and quiet control.’ — Katie da Cunha Lewin, Los Angeles Review of Books‘This is probably my novel of the year so far.’ — Anthony Cummins, Daily Mail‘Though Minor Detail initially promises to be a kind of counterhistory or whodunit—a rescue of the victim’s story from military courts and Israeli newspapers–it turns out to be something stranger and bleaker. Rather than a discovery of hidden truths, or a search for justice, it is a meditation on the repetitions of history, the past as a recurring trauma ... For Shibli, the emblematic experience of occupation is the longue duree of ennui and isolation rather than a dramatic moment of crisis.’ — New York Review of Books

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Book Synopsisthe English-language debut of an outstanding Colombian writer about the many meanings of motherhood and love.

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Book SynopsisIn 1999, in the small provincial town of Beauval, France, twelve-year-old Antoine Courtin accidentally kills a young neighbor boy in the woods near his home. Panicked, he conceals the body and to his relief--and ongoing shame--he is never suspected of any connection to the child''s disappearance. But the boy''s death continues to haunt him, shaping his life in unseen ways. More than a decade later, Antoine is living in Paris, now a young doctor with a fiancée and a promising future. On a rare trip home to the town he hates and fears, Antoine thoughtlessly sleeps with a beautiful young woman from his past. She shows up pregnant at his doorstep in Paris a few months later, insisting that they marry.Meanwhile, the newly discovered body of Antoine''s childhood victim means that the case has been reopened, and all of his old fears rush back. With the gravitational pull of his hometown strengthening its grip, Antoine may finally be forced to confront his past. Is Trade ReviewNo one is writing quirkier thrillers than Lemaitre, who gets inside the head of his unhinged protagonist with wicked delight while capturing the madness of the modern world ... A feverish, wickedly entertaining work * Kirkus Review *Pierre Lemaitre continues his upward movement with Three Days and a Life ... typically astringent and accomplished fare -- Barry Forshaw * Guardian *Thought-provoking and unsettling, Three Days And A Life is another work of genius from a master storyteller at the top of his game -- Jon Coates * Express *Lemaitre is surely France's most elegant and imaginative crime writer -- Marcel Berlins * The Times *Lemaitre may be the best current French writer of crime fiction * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisIn the latest thrilling multi-stranded epic from the award-winning author of The Devils’ Dance, an Uzbek writer in exile traces the fate of the medieval polymath Avicenna, who shaped Islamic thought and science for centuries. Following a strange dream Uzbek writer Sheikhov is convinced that the medieval polymath Avicenna has been condemned to roam the world for centuries. The novel follows Avicenna in various incarnations across the ages from Ottoman Turkey to medieval Germany and Renaissance Italy. Sheikhov plies the same route, though his troubles are distinctly modern as he endures the petty humiliations of exile. Drawing from his own experience as a writer in exile, Hamid Ismailov has crafted another masterpiece, combining traditional oral storytelling and contemporary global fiction in a modern reincarnation of a famous Sufi parable.Trade Review"Learned, strange and charming." –– The Guardian

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Book SynopsisThis celebration of Chinese Science Fiction — thirteen stories, all translated for the first time into English — represents a unique exploration of the nation’s speculative fiction from the late 20th century onwards, curated and translated by critically acclaimed writer and essayist Xueting Christine Ni.From the renowned Jiang Bo’s ‘Starship: Library' to Regina Kanyu Wang’s ‘The Tide of Moon City', and Anna Wu’s ‘Meisje met de Parel', this is a collection for all fans of great fiction.Award winners, bestsellers, screenwriters, playwrights, philosophers, university lecturers and computer programmers, these thirteen writers represent the breadth of Chinese SF, from new to old: Gu Shi, Han Song, Hao Jingfang, Nian Yu, Wang Jinkang, Zhao Haihong, Tang Fei, Ma Boyong, Anna Wu, A Que, Bao Shu, Regina Kanyu Wang and Jiang Bo.Trade Review"The masterful result validates Xueting’s endeavor—and will only whet readers’ appetite for more translations." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review * Publishers Weekly *"Sinopticon is an engaging brew of unsettling ideas and lively prose." * ParSec Magazine *"Sinopticon reads like Black Mirror and Love, Death, and Robots squeezed together and poured onto the page. I laughed, I cried, I read and re-read, I stayed up through the early hours if it meant finishing one of the longer stories. This book is everything I love about Science Fiction." -- FanFiAddict“Superb” -- Lavie Tidhar, The Washington Post * The Washington Post *“Important” -- Locus Magazine * Locus Magazine *“A must-read for science fiction fans.” -- AurealisTable of Contents Foreword, Xia Jia Introduction, Xuenting Christine Ni The Last Save, Gu Shi Tombs of the Universe, Han Song Qiankun and Alex, Hao Jingfang Cat’s Chance in Hell, Nian Yu The Return of Adam, Wang Jinkang Rendezvous: 1937, Zhao Haihong The Heart of the Museum, Tang Fei The Great Migration, Ma Boyong Meisje met de Parel, Anna Wu Flower of the Other Shore, A Que The Absolution Experiment, Bao Shu The Tide of Moon City, Regina Kanyu Wang Starship: Library, Jiang Bo

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Book SynopsisIn this masterful novel by the acclaimed Indian writer Vivek Shanbhag, a close-knit family is delivered from near-destitution to sudden wealth after a miraculous change in fortune. As the narrator, along with his sister, his parents, and his uncle move from a cramped shack to a larger house and encounter new-found wealth, the family dynamics begin to shift. As the dream of middle-class, aspirational living comes true, allegiances and desires realign; marriages are arranged and begin to falter; and conflict brews ominously in the background.

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1861, Humiliated and Insulted plunges the reader into a world of moral degradation, childhood trauma, unrequited love and irreconcil­able relationships. At the centre of the story are a young struggling author, an orphaned teenager and a depraved aristocrat, who not only foreshadows the great figures of evil in Dostoevsky’s later fiction, but is a powerful and original presence in his own right. This new translation catches the verve and tumult of the original, which – in concept and execution – affords a refreshingly unfamiliar glimpse of the author.Trade ReviewThe real nineteenth-century prophet was Dostoevsky, not Karl Marx. -- Albert CamusDostoevsky gives me more than any scientist, more than Gauss! -- Albert EinsteinIrrespective of its value as a work of art, this novel possesses a deep autobiographical interest also, as the character of Vanya, the poor student who loves Natasha through all her sin and shame, is Dostoevsky’s study of himself. -- Oscar WildeThis note of personal feeling, this harsh reality of actual experience, undoubtedly gives Humiliated and Insulted something of its strange fervour and terrible passion, yet it has not made it egotistic; we see things from every point of view, and we feel not that action has been trammelled by fact, but that fact itself has become ideal and imaginative. -- Oscar WildeThe 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 only psychologist from whom I have anything to learn. -- Friedrich Nietzsche

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Book SynopsisA beautifully moving tale of loss and reaching out to the ones we love.Our narrator’s days are numbered. Estranged from his family, living alone with only his cat Cabbage for company, he was unprepared for the doctor’s diagnosis that he has only months to live. But before he can set about tackling his bucket list, the Devil appears with a special offer: in exchange for making one thing in the world disappear, he can have one extra day of life. And so begins a very bizarre week . . .Because how do you decide what makes life worth living? How do you separate out what you can do without from what you hold dear? In dealing with the Devil our narrator will take himself – and his beloved cat – to the brink.Genki Kawamura's If Cats Disappeared from the World is a story of loss and reconciliation, of one man’s journey to discover what really matters in modern life.This beautiful tale is translated from the Japanese by Eric Selland, who also translated The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide. Fans of The Guest Cat and The Travelling Cat Chronicles will also love If Cats Disappeared from the World.Trade ReviewA warm, quirky novel on life, love, family estrangement and what remains when we are gone with a surprising emotional charge. * Observer *If you're a fan of The Guest Cat (or even just cats generally), you'll love this. * Sunday Times #StyleReads *This brief existential enquiry into life’s priorities is gently charming. * The Skinny *A moral tale. * The Express *A poignant, affecting story about facing up to one's mortality, taking responsibility for one's choices and deciding what truly holds value. * The Herald *Reminiscent of Johnathan Livingston Seagull, this was a quick read – it only took me a few hours – but it will stay with you long after you finish it. * My Weekly *

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Book SynopsisTHE NO. 1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR27 MILLION BOOKS SOLDWINNER OF THE GLASS KEY AWARDJussi Adler-Olsen returns with his most captivating and suspenseful novel yet...In a Copenhagen park the body of an elderly woman is discovered. Though the case bears a striking resemblance to another unsolved homicide from over a decade ago, the police cannot find any connection between the two victims. Across town a group of young women are being hunted down. The attacks seem random, but could these brutal acts of violence be related? Detective Carl Mørck of Department Q is charged with solving the mystery.Back at headquarters, Carl and his team are under pressure to deliver results: failure to meet his superiors' expectations will mean the end of Department Q. Solving the case, however, is not their only concern. After a breakdown, their colleague Rose is struggling to deal with the ghosts of her past - a past seemingly connected to one of the division's most sinister case-files. It is up to Carl, Assad and Gordon to unearth the dark and violent truth plaguing Rose before it is too late.Translated by William FrostPerfect for fans of Stieg Larsson and Jo Nesbo.Trade ReviewThe new "it" boy of Nordic Noir * Times *Gripping story-telling * Guardian *Adler-Olsen's prose is superior to Larsson's, his tortures are less discomfiting, and he has a sense of humour * Booklist on Mercy *[A] sordid tale . . . inspired by actual events during a dark period of Danish history. Ah, but there is more, so much more in this frenzied thriller * New York Times on Guilt *Mesmerising writing * Independent *Scandinavian crime novels don't get much darker than Jussi Adler-Olsen's Department Q police procedurals * New York Times Book Review *

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewHow simple this novel is. How subtle. How strong. How unlike any other. It is unique. It is unforgettable. It is extraordinary. -- Doris Lessing * Independent *It is hard to do justice to The Ice Palace . . . The narrative is urgent, the descriptions relentlessly beautiful, the meaning as powerful as the ice piling up on the lake. * The Times *Vesaas's laconic sentences are as cold and simple as ice - and as fantastic. * The Telegraph *The atmosphere created is magical: rather than explaining something, he will just plant a poetic statement and let it grow within you. * The Telegraph *But if I had to choose a book I'm surprised isn't the most famous book in the world it might be The Ice Palace by Tarjei Vesaas. -- Max Porter * Times Literary Supplement *A haunting story, full of ice and wind and poetry. -- Dea Brøvig * The Guardian *If I had to choose a book I'm surprised isn't the most famous book in the world it might be The Ice Palace by Tarjei Vesaas. -- Max Porter * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisPaulo's writing is a visionary blend of spirituality, magical realism and folklore. His stories are simple and direct, yet they have the power to change lives and inspire you with the courage to follow your dreamsHis fifth novel, The Fifth Mountain, is set in the 9th century BC. Elijah is a young man struggling to maintain his sanity amidst a chaotic world of tyranny and war. Forced to flee his home, then choose between his new found love and security and his overwhelming sense of duty, this is a moving and inspiring story about how we can transcend even the most terrible ordeals by keeping faith and love alive.Trade Review‘His books have and a life-enhancing impact on millions of people’The Times ‘His writing is like a path of energy that inadvertently leads readers to themselves, toward their mysterious and faraway souls.’Figaro Litteraire, France ‘Paulo Coelho represents the legend of the wise storyteller.’Corriere della Sera, Italy

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Book SynopsisWhen the body of a young girl is found hanging from a tree, the only clue the police have is an airline tag around her neck. It reads "I'm travelling alone." In response, police investigator Holger Munch is immediately charged with assembling a special homicide unit. But to complete the team, he must track down his former partner, Mia Kruger...Trade ReviewTerrific . . . Intelligent and gripping . . . May well propel [Bjork] to deserved international fame * The Times *Samuel Bjork’s formidable I’m Travelling Alone is despatched with real élan . . . Mia’s confrontation with both her own demons and a very human one is mesmerising fare * Independent *A compelling novel, with plenty of intrigue and some splendid action sequences * Guardian *Perfect for fans of Jo Nesbo's Harry Hole series and Danish crime drama The Bridge * Crime Scene *Tense, thrilling and genuinely scary ***** * Heat *A tense and smartly constructed narrative * Wall Street Journal *The story is exciting, the setting cleverly evoked, the translation excellent . . . Welcome to a new voice. * Literary Review *

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Book SynopsisMike Mitchell has revised his translation and a new introduction has been added.''A superbly atmospheric story set in the old Prague ghetto featuring the Golem, a kind of rabbinical Frankenstein''s monster, which manifests every 33 years in a room without a door. Stranger still, it seems to have the same face as the narrator. Made into a film in 1920, this extraordinary book combines the uncanny psychology of doppelganger stories with expressionism and more than a little melodrama... Meyrink''s old Prague ? like Dickens''s London ? is one of the great creation of city writing, an eerie, claustrophobic and fantastical underworld where anything can happen.'' Phil Baker in The Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisFor decades the painting was believed to be lost. But, just as mysteriously as it disappeared, it reappears, an anonymous donation to a gallery in Sydney. The art world is stunned but so are the three men who loved the woman in the painting, the woman on the stairs. One by one they track her down to an isolated cottage in Australia. Here they must try to untangle the lies and betrayals of their shared past - but time is running out. The Woman on the Stairs is an intricately-crafted, poignant and beguiling novel about creativity and love, about the effects of time passing and the regrets that haunt us all.Trade ReviewFans of Bernhard Schlink will recognise in his latest novel the themes of an unconventional love affair played out in the shadow of recent German history * DAILY MAIL *an ingenious set-up * THE TIMES *

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Book SynopsisA well-know bibliophile is found hanged days after selling a rare manuscript of Alexander Dumas's classic, The Three Musketeers. Across Madrid, Spain's wealthiest book dealer has finally laid his hands on a 17th-century manual for summoning the devil.Trade ReviewA dizzyingly complicated, dazzlingly allusive, breathlessly exciting novel of adventure and detection -- Michael Kerrigan * Scotsman *A noir meta-fiction. Even a reader armed with a Latin dictionary and a copy of The Three Musketeers cannot anticipate the thrilling twists of this Escher-like mystery * New Yorker *A sophisticated and exciting intellectual game which brilliantly illustrates the sheer delight of fiction -- Stephanie Merritt * Daily Telegraph *A rip-roaring entertainment - tongue in cheek and sword in hand * Mail on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisOne day, at dinner, Aschenbach notices an exceptionally beautiful young boy who is staying with his family in the same hotel. Soon his days begin to revolve around seeing this boy and he is too distracted to pay attention to the ominous rumours that have begun to circulate about disease spreading through the city.Trade ReviewThe real theme is fading creativity and the search for inspiration...A deep and highly complex drama of the psyche * Financial Times *This complex fin-de-siecle masterpiece...seems eerily to pre-echo the destructive decadence that would shortly shatter European civilisation itself * The Times *Thomas Mann's story of obsession and spiritual malaise * Observer *What Mann understands and laughs at, though it grips him, is the quasi-sexual attraction of beauty and philosophy...Death in Venice is one of the undisputed classics of contemporary European literature * Independent *Mann's obsessive story explores the complex, haunted relationship between an ageing writer and a beautiful Polish boy * Express *

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Book SynopsisClarice Lispector''s sensational, prize-winning debut novel Near to the Wild Heart was published when she was just twenty-three and earned her the name ''Hurricane Clarice''. It tells the story of Joana, from her wild, creative childhood, as the ''little egg'' who writes poems for her father, through her marriage to the faithless Otávio and on to her decision to make her own way in the world. As Joana, endlessly mutable, moves through different emotional states, different inner lives and different truths, this impressionistic, dreamlike and fiercely intelligent novel asks if any of us ever really know who we are.Clarice Lispector was a Brazilian novelist and short story writer. Her innovation in fiction brought her international renown. References to her literary work pervade the music and literature of Brazil and Latin America. She was born in the Ukraine in 1920, but in the aftermath of World War I and the Russian Civil War, the family fled to Romania and eventually sailed to Brazil. In 1933, Clarice Lispector encountered Hermann Hesse''s Steppenwolf, which convinced her that she was meant to write. She published her first novel, Near to the Wildheart in 1943 when she was just twenty-three, and the next year was awarded the Graça Aranha Prize for the best first novel. Many felt she had given Brazillian literature a unique voice in the larger context of Portuguese literature. After living variously in Italy, the UK, Switzerland and the US, in 1959, Lispector with her children returned to Brazil where she wrote her most influential novels including The Passion According to G.H. She died in 1977, shortly after the publication of her final novel, The Hour of the Star.Trade ReviewBrilliant ... Lispector should be on the shelf with Kafka and Joyce * Los Angeles Times *The first fiery novel by the Brazilian national treasure -- Carlos Valladares * Gagosian Quarterly *A genius -- Colm Tóibín * Guardian *A truly remarkable writer -- Jonathan FranzenLispector's novels offer a stark counterpoint to much of modern life's focus on individual fame * The Boston Globe *One of the twentieth century's most mysterious writers -- Orhan PamukThe originality of Near to the Wild Heart lies in its technique and language: self conscious, bleakly humourous, but poetic ... We now finally have a translation worthy of Clarice Lispector's inimitable style. Go out and buy it. -- JS Tennant * Observer *

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Book Synopsis''It is impossible to explain why Yevgeny chose Liza Annenskaya, as it is always impossible to explain why a man chooses this and not that woman.''This collection of eleven stories spans virtually the whole of Tolstoy''s creative life. While each is unique in form, as a group they are representative of his style, and touch on the central themes that surface in War and Peace and Anna Karenina. Stories as different as ''The Snowstorm'', ''Lucerne'', ''The Diary of a Madman'', and ''The Devil'' are grounded in autobiographical experience. They deal with journeys of self-discovery and the moral and religious questioning that characterizes Tolstoy''s works of criticism and philosophy. ''Strider'' and ''Father Sergy'', as well as reflecting Tolstoy''s own experiences, also reveal profound psychological insights.These stories range over much of the Russian world of the nineteenth century, from the nobility to the peasantry, the military to the clergy, from merchants and cobblers to a horse anTable of ContentsThe Snowstorm ; Lucerne ; Three Deaths ; Polikushka ; Strider: The Story of a Horse ; God See the Truth, But Waits ; The Notes of a Madman ; Where Love Is, God Is ; The Devil ; Father Sergy ; After the Ball

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Book SynopsisA key work in the German ''Sturm und Drang'' movement, Johann Goethe''s autobiographical epistolary novel The Sorrows of Young Werther is a defining moment in early Romanticism, which has influenced writers from Mary Shelley to Thomas Mann. This Penguin Classics edition is translated from with an introduction by Michael Hulse.Visiting an idyllic German village, Werther, a sensitive young man, meets and falls in love with sweet-natured Charlotte. Although he realises that she is to marry Albert, he is unable to subdue his passion and his infatuation torments him to the point of despair. The first great ''confessional'' novel, The Sorrows of Young Werther draws both on Goethe''s own unrequited love for Charlotte Buff and on the death of his friend Karl Wilhelm Jerusalem. The book was an immediate success, and a cult rapidly grew up around it, resulting in numerous imitations as well as violent criticism and suppression on the grounds of its apparent support of suicide. Goethe''s sensitive exploration of the mind of an artist at odds with society and ill-equipped to cope with life is now considered the first great tragic novel of European literature.This edition includes notes and an introduction by Michael Hulse, who explores the origins of the novel in the author''s life and examines its impact on European culture.Johann Wolfgang Goethe (1749-1832) was born in Frankfurt, Germany. Although he directed the German State Theatre, dabbled in the occult and worked on scientific theories in evolutionary botany, Goethe is best remembered for his great works The Sorrows of Young Werther and Faust, and his part in the 18th century ''Sturm and Drang'' movement.If you enjoyed The Sorrows of Young Werther, you might like Stendhal''s Love, also published in Penguin Classics.

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Book SynopsisThe author grew up in Hallencourt, a village in northern France where many live below the poverty line. This novel is about life there. It is an extraordinary portrait of escaping from an unbearable childhood. Written with an openness and compassionate intelligence, ultimately, it asks, how can we create our own freedom?Trade ReviewWhen new voices come from underrepresented constituencies, there’s always the hope of a new perspective... I can read Edouard Louis and know something of what it means to grow up in extreme poverty in contemporary France -- Zadie Smith * Observer *When new voices come from underrepresented constituencies, there’s always the hope of a new perspective... I can read Edouard Louis and know something of what it means to grow up in extreme poverty in contemporary France -- Zadie Smith * Observer *Even in the wake of Knausgaard and Ferrante it is hard to find a literary phenomenon that has swept Europe quite like the autobiographical project of Édouard Louis * LitHub *An extraordinary autobiographical novel about class, violence and sexuality in France. It’s a vivid, often brutal but immensely touching book that restores my faith in the power of literature -- Tash AwThis is the courageous story of an outsider, in equal parts frank, provocative and compelling -- Laura Garmeson * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisDiscover the Korean runaway prizewinning bestseller for fans of LONELY CASTLE IN THE MIRROR and KLARA AND THE SUN''A stunning story of love, care and sacrifice'' BORA CHUNG, author of CURSED BUNNY_____________Let''s all learn how to slow down ...2035: In the shadow of a race course, a young woman finds a robot named Coli on a scrap heap, contemplating the sky. Intrigued, she takes him into her care and learns how he is designed to be a humanoid jockey who has mistakenly been programmed to have feelings.She and Coli are determined to rescue his beloved race horse who is heading for the knackers'' yard after a lifetime of overwork. To remind the horse of happier times, they hatch a special plan to let her run another race.But it will be no ordinary event- they will train her to run the slowest time of her life.In the heat of the race, Coli feels the horse running too fast. She is in pain and will soon injure herself.To save his friend, Coli will commit one final act of bravery ...Radiant, urgent, deeply moving, A Thousand Blues is a hymn to our earth and to our humanity, giving powerful voice to those left behind in a fast-moving world of toxic productivity and competition. Brimming with heart, hope and rage, it shows how friendship, community and sacrifice will set us free.__________''A stunningly crafted novel, evoking a myriad emotions'' Kim Bo-youngA dazzling, warm novel that shows us how to move forward as a society without leaving anyone or anything behind'' Choi Jin-young, author of To the Warm HorizonA breath of fresh air in the sci-fi genre' *****Feels like a feather softly descending and tickling my heart'' *****A sci-fi novel full of human warmth'' *****

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"The Three Kingdoms is considered the ultimate book on strategy, offering keen insights into Chinese culture. Ron Iverson's effort is a great contribution to the understanding of Chinese culture and history." --Xinmin Wang, former Consul for Cultural Affairs for the PRC and advisor to the President of China"This translation faithfully conveys a native Chinese-speaking person's understanding of this most influential and famous Chinese book. To translate this Chinese classic into modern English is a challenging and difficult job for any language translator. However, this joint effort by Yu Sumei and Ronald Iverson has met the challenge." --Hua Xin, former advisor and translator for IBM China"One of the greatest and best-loved works of popular literature." --Dictionary of Oriental Literatures

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Book SynopsisA mystical dialogue between a male author and his creation, this posthumous work has never before been translated, and is a book of particular beauty and strangeness.Trade Review"Both dazzling and difficult." -- San Francisco Chronicle"The raw, demanding pace and the dialogic form of A Breath of Life provoke an urgent meditation on life, self, and time. In fact, reading this novel may be a form of meditation." -- Full Stop"One of 20th-century Brazil’s most intriguing and mystifying writers." -- The L Magazine"I had a sort of missionary urge with her...but I started thinking, even when I was 19: How can I help this person reach the prominence she deserves?" -- Benjamin Moser - San Francisco Chronicle

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Book SynopsisThe Story of the Stone, also known by the title of The Dream of the Red Chamber, is the great novel of manners in Chinese literature. The fifth part of Cao Xueqin's magnificent saga, The Dreamer Awakes, was carefully edited and completed by Gao E some decades later. It continues the story of the changing fortunes of the Jia dynasty, focussing on Bao-yu, now married to Bao-chai, after the tragic death of his beloved Dai-yu. Against such worldly elements as death, financial ruin, marriage, decadence and corruption, his karmic journey unfolds. Like a sleepwalker through life, Bao-yu is finally awakened by a vision, which reveals to him that life itself is merely a dream, 'as moonlight mirrored in the water'.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 historTrade Review“Filled with classical allusions, multilayered wordplay, and delightful poetry, Cao’s novel is a testament to what Chinese literature was capable of. Readers of English are fortunate to have David Hawkes and John Minford’s The Story of the Stone, which distills a lifetime of scholarship and reading into what is probably the finest work of Chinese-to-English literary translation yet produced. You will be rewarded every bit of attention you give it, many times over.” —SupChina, “The 100 China Books You Have to Read, Ranked” (#1)Table of ContentsThe Story of the Stone Volume 5Note on SpellingPrefaceChapter 99:Unscrupulous minions make use of their master's virtue to conceal a multitude of sins; and Jia Zheng is alarmed to read his nephew's name in the 'Peking Gazette'Chapter 100:Caltrop disturbs an elaborate seduction and inspires bitter resentment; Bao-yu learns of a distressing betrothal and laments an imminent departureChapter 101:In Prospect Garden a moonlit apparition repeats an ancient warning; and a Scattered Flowers Convent the fortune-sticks provide a strange omenChapter 102:Illness descends upon the Jia family in Ning-guo House; and charms and holy water are used to exorcize Prospect GardenChapter 103:Jin-gui dies by her own hand, caught in a web of her own weaving; Yu-cun encounters an old friend in vain, blind to the higher truths of ZenChapter 104:Drunken Dime at large again - a small fish whips up a mighty storm; our Besotted Hero in agony once more - a chance thrust quickens a numbed heartChapter 105:The Embroidered Jackets raid Ning-guo House; and Censor Li impeaches the Prefect of Ping-anChapter 106:Wang Xi-feng feels remorse for the consequences of her past misdeeds; and Grandmother Jia prays for the family's deliverence from further calamityChapter 107:Impelled by family devotion, Grandmother Jia distributes her personal posessions; favoured with an Imperial dispensation, Jia Zheng recieves his bother's hereditary rankChapter 108:A birthday party held for Sister Allspice necessitiates a false display of jollity; and ghostly weeping heard at the Naiad's House provokes a frech outburst of griefChapter 109:Fivey shares a vigil, and receives affection meant for another; Ying-chun pays her debt to fate, and returns to the Realm of Primordial TruthChapter 110:Lady Jia ends her days, and returns to the land of shades; Wang Xi-feng exhausts her strength, and forfeits the family's esteemChapter 111:A devoted maid renders a final service, and accompanies her mistress to the Great Void; a villainous slave takes his revenge, and betrays his masters into the hands of theivesChapter 112:Admantina discharges a karmic debt and recieves a blow from the Hand of Providence; Aunt Zhao concludes a deadly feud and sets out on the road to the Nether WorldChapter 113:Xi-feng repents of her former misdeeds, and entrusts her child to a village dame; Nightengale softens a long-standing animosity, and warns to ter besotted masterChapter 114:Wang Xi-feng ends her life's illusion and returns to Jinling; Zhen Ying-jia recieves the Emperor's favour and is summoned to the PalaceChapter 115:A private obsessoin revived confirms Xi-chun in an ancient vow; a physical likeness verified deprives Bao-yu of an imagines friendChapter 116:Human destinies are revealed in a fairy realm, and the Stone is restored to its rightful owner; mortal remains are transported to their terrestrial home, and duty is discharged by a filial sonChapter 117:Two fair damsels conspire to save the jade, and forestall a flight from earthy bondage; an infamous rogue takes charge of the mansion, and assembles a gang of croniesChapter 118:Provoked by a ranking antipathy, Uncle and Cousin plot the ruin of an innocent maid; alarmed by riddling utterances, Wife and Concubine remonstrate with their idiot masterChapter 119:Bao-yu becomes a Provincial Graduate and severs worldly ties: the House of Jia receives Imperial favour and renews ancestral gloryChapter 120:Zhen Shi-yin expounds the Nature of Passion and Illusion; and Jia Yu-cun concludes the Dream of Golden DaysCharacters in Volume 5Genealogical Tables

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Book SynopsisA Breath of Life is Clarice Lispector''s final novel, ''written in agony'', which she did not live to see published. Sensual and mysterious, it is a mystical dialogue between a god-like author and the creation he breathes life into: the speaking, shifting, indefinable Angela Pralini. As he has created Angela, so, eventually, he must let her die, for life is merely ''a kind of madness that death makes.'' This is a unique, elegiac meditation on the creation of life, and of art.Trade ReviewA text that resonates endlessly ... her images dazzle * The Times Literary Supplement *Lispector had an ability to write as though no one had ever written before * Colm Tóibín *A thrilling book * Pedro Almodóvar *

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Book SynopsisWe call them the sleepers . . .At the elite Missing Persons bureau of the Federal Police, Mila Vasquez is tasked with finding the hundreds of lost people who vanished from their former lives. The longer they are gone, the more they are forgotten by the world.Now they are returning.Appearing at random and wielding devastation, they enact a horrifying pattern of murders, leaving Mila scrabbling to discover where they have come from and what they want. Yet the deeper into the case she gets, Mila begins to realise that her colleagues are hiding something from her - something which will jeopardise everything . . .Set in the world of Carrisi''s record-breaking debut, The Whisperer, The Vanished Ones is intelligent, thrilling and incredibly compelling.Trade ReviewGruesome and gripping . . . a taut psychological thriller - The Times on The WhispererMore than delivers on its ghoulish promise . . . you might not want to read this alone in the house - Time Out on The WhispererThe Whisperer is one hell of a ride. This story screams high tension, high stakes and high velocity - Michael ConnellyA gripping read . . . I defy anyone to guess the denouement - Guardian on The Whisperer

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