Fiction in translation

Book SynopsisThe seventh novel in Zola's Rougon-Macquart cycle, The Assommoir is the story of a woman's struggle for happiness in working-class Paris.Table of ContentsIntroduction Translator's Note Select Bibliography A Chronology of Émile Zola Maps THE ASSOMMOIR Explanatory Notes

Read more less

Book SynopsisAs night falls over Vienna, Franz Ritter, an insomniac musicologist, takes to his sickbed with an unspecified illness and spends a restless night drifting between dreams and memories, revisiting the important chapters of his life: his ongoing fascination with the Middle East and his numerous travels to Istanbul, Aleppo, Damascus, and Tehran, as well as the various writers, artists, musicians, academics, orientalists, and explorers who populate this vast dreamscape. At the centre of these memories is his elusive, unrequited love, Sarah, a fiercely intelligent French scholar caught in the intricate tension between Europe and the Middle East. An immersive, nocturnal, musical novel, full of generous erudition and bittersweet humour, Compass is a journey and a declaration of admiration, a quest for the otherness inside us all and a hand reaching out – like a bridge between West and East, yesterday and tomorrow. Winner of the 2015 Prix Goncourt, this is Mathias Enard’s most ambitious novel since Zone.Trade Review‘One of the finest European novels in recent memory.’ — Adrian Nathan West, Literary Review‘Few works of contemporary fiction will yield as much pleasure as Compass. Reading it amounts to wandering into a library arranged in the form of an exotic sweet shop, full of tempting fragments of stories guaranteed leaving you wanting more.’ — Eileen Battersby, Irish Times‘Compass is a challenging, brilliant, and – God help me – important a novel as is likely to be published this year.’ — Justin Taylor, Los Angeles Times‘Crisply translated by Charlotte Mandell (as was Zone), Compass is Proustian in its set-up. There are passages of pure delight with rare insight into the human condition.’ — Tobias Grey, Financial Times‘The French novelist Mathias Enard is an unusual kind of regionalist. His great subject isn’t a small town or neighborhood but the vast Mediterranean basin, and practically everyone within it. Enard speaks Persian and Arabic, and he has taught at universities throughout Europe and the Middle East. He sees the Mediterranean as a distinct literary and historical region, a “zone,” as he called it in his novel of the same title. In nine books, three of which have been translated into English, he has charted a course through this zone, writing about sectarian violence in the Balkans; the varying tugs of jihadism, tradition, and globalization in Morocco; and a rogue’s gallery of thieves, killers, and eccentrics. Enard’s prose, which tends to pile descriptive clauses ever higher on top of one another (Zone is a single, five-hundred-page sentence), can be mesmerizing. But it’s the larger project of his writing that bears particular consideration: in his fiction, Enard is constructing an intricate, history-rich vision of a persistently misunderstood part of the world.’ — Jacob Silverman, New Yorker‘Enard is like the anti-Houellebecq, and he deserves far more attention.’ — Sam Sacks, Wall Street Journal ‘The beauty of Compass is the sheer breadth and density of its vision, calling forth a multitude of different worlds, bound only by the capacious mind of its narrator, an aging Austrian musicologist named Franz Ritter.’ — Jeffrey Zuckerman, New Republic‘A love letter to the cosmopolitan Middle East ... [a] strangely powerful work.’ — Steven Poole, Guardian

Read more less

Book Synopsis'A mad, moving, beautiful novel' IndependentThe world of Mood Indigo is a stained-glass cartoon kind of a place, where the piano dispenses cocktails, the kitchen mice dance to the sound of sunbeams, and the air is three parts jazz. Colin is a wealthy young aristocrat with a big heart. The instant he sees Chloe, bass drums thump inside his shirt, and soon the two are married. Typically generous, Colin gives a quarter of his fortune to his best friend Chick so he can marry Chloe's friend Alyssum.But a lily grows in Chloe's lung, and Colin must spend his remaining fortune on the only available treatment: surrounding her daily with fresh flowers. Chick squanders his share of Colin's money on rare books and it is not long before the friends are forced to sacrifice their carefree lives to soul-crushing work.A surreal cult classic that continues to inspire and endure, Mood Indigo is an animated and delightful satire.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe million-copy bestselling phenomenon: a funny, moving, uplifting tale of love and community that will leave you with a spring in your step. Now a major film starring Tom HanksTrade ReviewDelightful ... the perfect holiday read. * Evening Standard *It's the most enchanting, beautiful tale.A warm and tender story about love, loss and second chances, peppered with memorable characters, wonderful set pieces and some beautifully black humour. Ove is a joy from start to finish.An uplifting, life-affirming and often comic tale of how kindness, love and happiness can be found in the most unlikely places. * Sunday Express *A charming debut. * People *A Man Called Ove is a wonderful novel that will stay with you . . . Ove's story has an underlying sadness which the author tackles with great warmth and humour . . . It's a bittersweet, heart-warming tale which will leave listeners with a restored faith in the power of friendship and perhaps even a love for cats. * Psychologies Magazine *Hilarious and heart-breaking. * Stylist *It's warm, funny, and ultimately almost unbearably moving. * Daily Mail *The most charming book you'll read this year ... This charming debut novel by Backman should find a ready audience with English-language readers . . . hysterically funny . . . wry descriptions, excellent pacing . . . In the contest of Most Winning Combination, it would be hard to beat grumpy Ove and his hidden, generous heart. * Kirkus *My absolute summer-reading must is A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman: perfect beach reading for a grumpy old man. It has all the minimalist delicacy of Stoner, but with a delicious wry wit. The book works on a very small scale, yet it sweeps through intense life dramas, all the while remaining funny, moving, uplifting...and a cracking good tale.There is a method to the madness - by the end of this funny and touching book, you'll come round to Ove's way of thinking. * Mumsnet *A Man Called Ove finally rescued all those men who constantly mean to read novels but never get round to it. Crotchety old git Ove argues with neighbours, reluctantly inherits a cat, punches a clown and, by the end of the book, has you wanting to hug him. * Spectator BOOKS OF THE YEAR *Ove will upset us, cause us to be upset on his behalf and make us laugh till we daren't drink fluids and read simultaneously but by the end we're uplifted and don't want to go. * Bookbag *A Man Called Ove is exquisite. The lyrical language is the confetti thrown liberally throughout this celebration-of-life story, adding sparkle and colour to an already spectacular party. Backman's characters feel so authentic that readers will likely find analogues living in their own neighbourhoods. * Shelf Awareness, starred review *A funny crowd-pleaser that serves up laughs to accompany a thoughtful reflection on loss and love... The author writes with winning charm. * Publishers Weekly, starred review *Readers seeking feel-good tales with a message will rave about the rantings of this solitary old man with a singular outlook. If there was an award for 'Most Charming Book of the Year,' this first novel by a Swedish blogger-turned-overnight-sensation would win hands down. * Booklist, starred review *

Read more less

Book SynopsisInformed by traditional African storytelling, discover Ngugi wa Thiong'o's masterpiece. To honour the Ruler's birthday, the Free Republic of Aburiria set out to build a tower; a modern wonder of the world that will reach the gates of Heaven. But behind this pillar of unity a battle for control of the Aburirian people rages. Among the contenders: the eponymous Wizard, an avatar of folklore and wisdom; the corrupt Christian Ministry; and the nefarious Global Bank.'Mythological but also cheerfully disenchanted; political and playful; cartoonish but also epical... the African novel may well have delivered its greatest masterpiece' Sunday HeraldTrade ReviewUnreservedly a masterpiece * Scotland on Sunday *A huge, comic novel... A shimmering, shifting discourse... mythological but also cheerfully disenchanted; political and playful; cartoonish but also epical... the African novel may well have delivered its greatest masterpiece * Sunday Herald *Epic....daring satire * Sunday Times *FantasticTruly exciting... the author is a master of farce * Daily Telegraph *

Read more less

Book SynopsisDiscover Haruki Murakami''s first two novels.''If you''re the sort of guy who raids the refrigerators of silent kitchens at three o''clock in the morning, you can only write accordingly. That''s who I am.'' Hear the Wind Sing and Pinball, 1973 are Haruki Murakami''s earliest novels. They follow the fortunes of the narrator and his friend, known only by his nickname, the Rat. In Hear the Wind Sing the narrator is home from college on his summer break. He spends his time drinking beer and smoking in J''s Bar with the Rat, listening to the radio, thinking about writing and the women he has slept with, and pursuing a relationship with a girl with nine fingers. Three years later, in Pinball, 1973, he has moved to Tokyo to work as a translator and live with indistinguishable twin girls, but the Rat has remained behind, despite his efforts to leave both the town and his girlfriend. The narrator finds himself hTrade ReviewMurakami fans will no doubt delight in this new publication. For newcomers, these early works are an excellent introduction to a writer who has since become one of the most influential novelists of his generation -- Hannah Beckerman * Observer *Murakami’s way of making emotionally resonant images and symbols bump around on the page, and in one’s mind, remains fresh, miraculously, more than 35 years on -- Jerome Boyd Maunsell * Evening Standard *Wind/Pinball is a fresh, heart-warming dose of the Japanese master * Economist *To read a Murakami book is to feel comforted by the familiarity and predictability of its strangeness. These are Murakami’s two earliest novels and so, like archaeological artefacts, they detail the early construction of his now-famous style. -- Claire Kohda Hazelton * The Times Literary Supplement *quintessential Murakami… an excellent introduction to a writer who has since become one of the most influential novelists of his generation -- Guardian * Hannah Beckerman *

Read more less

Book Synopsis*JO NESBO HAS SOLD OVER 50 MILLION BOOKS WORLDWIDE*''An incendiary cocktail of murder, revenge and a hitman with multiple problems'' IndependentThe contract killer.Olav lives the lonely life of a fixer. When you ''fix'' people for a living - terminally - it''s hard to get close to anyone.The gangster''s wife. Now he''s finally met the woman of his dreams. But she''s his boss''s wife. And Olav''s just been hired to kill her. Two very big problems.''Nesbo is in bracing form...gripping'' The SunWatch out for The Jealousy Man, the new Jo Nesbo book, out nowTrade ReviewDeserves to be a smash... A perfectly pitched thriller * Sunday Mirror *[An] incendiary cocktail of murder, revenge and a hitman with multiple problems * Independent *Nesbo is in bracing form...gripping * Sun *Striking in its simplicity… Nesbo is a writer at the top of his game who continues to amaze in new and confounding ways * Daily Express *The undisputed king of Scandinavian crime fiction...I am so used to the energetic plot twists, fiendish violence and addictive verbosity of Nesbo’s writing that Blood on Snow, with its simplicity, brevity and unlikely poetry, comes as a welcome antidote. It is set in the 1970s, an era of increasing fascination to Nesbo, and has a first-person narrative that provides a window into its protagonist’s lonely, tortured soul * The Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe notorious and celebrated novel that established modern realism For this novel of French bourgeois life in all its inglorious banality, Flaubert invented a paradoxically original and wholly modern style. His heroine, Emma Bovary, a bored provincial housewife, abandons her husband to pursue the libertine Rodolphe in a desperate love affair. A succès de scandale in its day, Madame Bovary remains a powerful and scintillating novel.This Penguin Classics edition is translated with notes and an introduction by Geoffrey Wall. It includes a preface by Michele Roberts. 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 dTrade Review"Madame Bovary is like the railroad stations erected in its epoch: graceful, even floral, but cast of iron." -- John Updike

Read more less

Book Synopsis''The stories here will provoke, delight and impress. Joost Zwagerman''s selection forms a fascinating guidebook to a landscape you''ll surely want to wander in again.'' Clare Lowden, TLS''There is a lot of northern European melancholy in the collection, though often tinged with wry humour...an excellent book'' Jonathan Gibbs, Minor Literatures''We were kids - but good kids. If I may say so myself. We''re much smarter now, so smart it''s pathetic. Except for Bavink, who went crazy''A husband forms gruesome plans for his new fridge; a government employee has a haunting experience on his commute home; prisoners serve as entertainment for wealthy party guests; an army officer suffers a monstrous tropical illness. These short stories contain some of the most groundbreaking and innovative writing in Dutch literature from 1915 to the present day, wTrade ReviewForms a loose narrative - both historical and literary - of the twentieth century...watching the decades roll by in this looking-glass world, familiar yet strange, is one of the book's chief pleasures...the stories here will provoke, delight and impress. Joost Zwagerman's selection forms a fascinating guidebook to a landscape you'll surely want to wander in again. -- Claire Lowden * TLS *There is a lot of northern European melancholy in the collection, though they are often tinged with wry humour...The Second World War and Dutch colonialism also cast their shadows on these stories. Unblemished comedy is in short supply. And you have to ask: is this gloominess a reflection on the Dutch temperament, or on the present selection?... An excellent book -- Jonathan Gibbs * Minor Literatures *An affectionate love-letter to the Dutch short story which deserves to be cherished by all * TN2 Magazine, Trinity College Dublin *the range of stories, styles and authors means you can happily plunge in free of preconceptions and rarely findyourself disappointed. Similar anthologies can vary wildly in quality but The Penguin Book Of Dutch Short Stories keeps the bar high throughout mainly because, it seems, Zwagerman chose to include stories he admired on merit rather than making sure a list of boxes were ticked... -- Charlie Connelly * New European *

Read more less

Book Synopsis''Compelling, remorseless, brilliant'' John Gray I can still see Simenon coming into my office the next day, pleased with himself, displaying even more self-confidence, if possible, than before, but nevertheless with a touch of anxiety in his eyes.'' Maigret sets the record straight and tells the story of his own life, giving a rare glimpse into the mind of the great inspector - and the writer who would immortalise him.''One 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'' IndependentTrade ReviewPraise for Georges Simenon:“One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century . . . Simenon was unequaled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories.” —The Guardian “These Maigret books are as timeless as Paris itself.” —The Washington Post “Maigret ranks with Holmes and Poirot in the pantheon of fictional detective immortals.” —People “I love reading Simenon. He makes me think of Chekhov.” —William Faulkner “The greatest of all, the most genuine novelist we have had in literature.” —André Gide “A supreme writer . . . Unforgettable vividness.” —The Independent (London) “Superb . . . The most addictive of writers . . . A unique teller of tales.” —The Observer (London) “Compelling, remorseless, brilliant.” —John Gray “A truly wonderful writer . . . Marvelously readable—lucid, simple, absolutely in tune with the world he creates.” —Muriel Spark “A novelist who entered his fictional world as if he were a part of it.”lle —Peter Ackroyd “Extraordinary masterpieces of the twentieth century.” —John Banville"Gem-hard soul-probes . . . not just the world's bestselling detective series, but an imperishable literary legend . . . he exposes secrets and crimes not by forensic wizardry, but by the melded powers of therapist, philosopher and confessor" ― Times (London)"Strangely comforting . . . so many lovely bistros from the Paris of mid-20th C. The corpses are incidental, it's the food that counts." ― Margaret Atwood"One of the greatest writers of the 20th century . . . no other writer can set up a scene as sharply and with such economy as Simenon does . . . the conjuring of a world, a place, a time, a set of characters - above all, an atmosphere." ― Financial Times"Gripping . . . richly rewarding . . . You'll quickly find yourself obsessing about his life as you tackle each mystery in turn."-- Stig Abell ― The Sunday Times (London)

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewHeart-tugging stories [...] his understanding of human frailties and sympathy for the underdog shine through on every page * Daily Mail *Powerfully evocative of impoverished, pre-modern Paris * Evening Standard *One 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 ReviewVintage Simenon, a dark masterpiece . . . A calmly, almost diffidently narrated yet terrifying study of race hatred and mass hysteria, it was eerily prophetic * Guardian *Simenon lays out with ruthless exactitude the way selfish, conscience-free greed exploits modest, hospitable decency . . . The world of Chez Krull is a common, shared one . . . the world of the immigrant, of navigating cautiously in a foreign country * London Review of Books *Fierce, bleak and compellingly written . . . with pitiless landscapes of hopeless longing, random cruelty and galloping fate warmed only by the twilit lyricism of doomed desire. These are novels of eye-opening, spine-tingling control and intensity. * The Independent *Seriously good * Evening Standard *

Read more less

Book SynopsisIntroducing Little Clothbound Classics: irresistible, mini editions of short stories, novellas and essays from the world''s greatest writers, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-SmithCelebrating the range and diversity of Penguin Classics, they take us from snowy Japan to springtime Vienna, from haunted New England to a sun-drenched Mediterranean island, and from a game of chess on the ocean to a love story on the moon. Beautifully designed and printed, these collectible editions are bound in colourful, tactile cloth and stamped with foil.Georges Simenon''s brilliant pipe-smoking detective, Jules Maigret, is one of the most beloved literary creations of the twentieth century. In this adventure, an officer from Scotland Yard is studying Maigret''s methods when a call from an island off the Côte d''Azure sends the two men off to an isolated community to investigate its eccentric inhabitants.

Read more less

Book SynopsisSo much to relish here . . . the plot is gripping, and the writing is just lovely! DIANE SETTERFIELD, author of Once Upon A RiverThe year''s most memorable narrator . . . An unusual and intriguing crime story SUNDAY TIMES BOOKS OF THE YEARNiemi succeeds in constructing a story that works as a murder mystery and as a compelling study of a dangerously inward-looking community SUNDAY TIMESA riveting, psychologically astute mystery . . . It is not to be missed BOOKLISTAn original and gripping crime story THE TIMES**NOW SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA INTERNATIONAL DAGGER**It is 1852, and in Sweden''s far north, deep in the Arctic Circle, charismatic preacher and Revivalist Lars Levi Læstadius impassions a poverty-stricken congregation with visions of salvation. But local leaders have reason to resist a shift to temperance over alcohol.Jussi, Trade ReviewSo much to relish here . . . the plot is grippling, there's a beautifully handled thread on reading and writing, and the writing is just lovely! -- Diane SetterfieldThis book is a masterpiece . . . The legendary Læstadius becomes a kind of Sherlock Holmes in this extraordinary historical crime novel . . . [Niemi] creates images, smells, sounds, atmospheres and characters that make this book a truly extraordinary reading experience. * Dagbladet (Sweden) *Superb suspense! . . . a multifaceted, mysterious and engaging novel . . . To Cook A Bear irresistibly engages the reader and provides a ruthless and almost physically palpable portrayal of a time that seems endlessly long ago . . . simply a great literary experience * V.G. (Sweden) *It's captivating as well as illuminating; several historical figures from the birth of Laestadianism appear, and the murder mysteries keep the reader entranced throughout the almost 400 pages . . . Mikael Niemi has written an intensely entertaining story * Weekendavisen (Sweden) *The pleasure of To Cook a Bear is twofold: On the one hand, one experiences an almost criminal thrill of voyeurism as Jussi and the Pastor investigate the mysterious assaults. On the other hand, one is transported into a strange time and fascinating world that is both beautiful and brutal. The descriptions of the landscape and the changing of the seasons instil an urgent desire to crank up the time machine . . . that is how it feels when you finish To Cook a Bear: as if the world just got a little bit bigger * Politiken (Denmark) *Niemi's writing - that of a narrator and a poet, a dreamer and a storyteller - brushes the highest peaks of the most delicate lyricism, rising strongly out of the abyss of the darkest mystery -- Alessandra Iadicicco * Corriere della Sera (Italy) *Niemi plots a composite story where the philosophical novel, the crime novel, the historical novel and the coming-of-age story coexist, complementing one another instead of getting in each other's way -- Alessia Gazzola * La Stampa (Italy) *A masterpiece of narrative * La Vanguardia (Spain) *Niemi's thriller has such a suggestive atmosphere -stifling in its sweating puritanism, yet somehow lyrical, with an incredibly well conceived plot" laura ricci, Il Sole 24 Ore -- Laura Ricci * Il Sole 24 Ore (Italy) *An original and gripping crime story -- Antonia Senior * The Times *An invented tale of murder, superstition and bigotry . . . Niemi succeeds in constructing a story that works as a murder mystery and as a compelling study of a dangerously inward-looking community. -- Nick Rennison * Sunday Times *"The year's most memorable narrator . . . An unusual and intriguing crime story. * Sunday Times Books of the Year *A riveting, psychologically astute mystery . . . an example of both superb genre fiction and character-driven literary fiction. It is not to be missed. -- Michael Cart * Booklist *

Read more less

Book SynopsisWinner of the Munhakdongne Novel Award, South Korea's most prestigious literary prize.Cabinet 13 looks exactly like any normal filing cabinet…Except this cabinet is filled with files on the ‘symptomers’, humans whose strange abilities and bizarre experiences might just mark the emergence of a new species.But to Mr Kong, the harried office worker whose job it is to look after the cabinet, the symptomers are a headache; especially the one who won’t stop calling every day, asking to be turned into a cat.A richly funny and fantastical novel about the strangeness at the heart of even the most everyday lives, from one of South Korea's most acclaimed novelists.Translated by Sean Lin HalbertFile Under: Fiction [ 12,000 Cans of Beer Memory Mosaicers  Will Execution Inc. Monkey of All Bombs ]Trade Review"[A] brilliant mosaic novel...These stories straddle the lines between science fiction, fantasy, fairy tale, and acute reality.""Un-su Kim is a tremendous writer""Showcases his sly, surreal, dark humor about all the ways humans are, well, not particularly human.""This charming and fantastical book is sure to introduce Kim to a whole new legion of weird fiction fans, ideal for readers of Han Kang’s The Vegetarian and the works of Haruki Murakami.""Kim deftly juggles both macro-level and micro-level ideas about social roles, purpose, and personal narrative." "What begins as a rather whimsical set of stories turns into a much darker novel, raising issues of difference and acceptance, what people must do to survive, and what is truly monstrous.""Surprising and enchanting""comic, heartbreaking and terrifying."

Read more less

Book SynopsisDoes what you see change who you are?Kayleigh is broke. Out of options, she takes a job as a content moderator, reviewing horrors and hate online and deciding which posts needs to be removed. Kayleigh is good at her job, and in her colleagues she finds a group of friends, even a new girlfriend. For the first time in her life, the future seems bright . . . But soon the job begins to shift Kayleigh’s world in alarming ways. In the glare of the screen, how long can Kayleigh hold on to her humanity?Hanna Bervoets' stunning novel We Had To Remove This Post is translated from the Dutch by Emma Rault.‘A superbly poised, psychologically astute and subtle novel of mental unravelling’ - Ian McEwan, author of Atonement‘This novel gives us an acid glimpse into a new form of labor existing today . . . Fascinating and disturbing’ - Ling Ma, author of SeveranceTrade ReviewThe dank underside of social media, its cruelty and delusions, have become, our shared affliction. It needed an accomplished novelist to explore humanely the damage. Hanna Bervoets has richly obliged in this superbly poised, psychologically astute and subtle novel of mental unravelling. -- Ian McEwan, author of Atonement, On Chesil Beach and AmsterdamThis novel gives us an acid glimpse into a new form of labor existing today, a job that extracts an immeasurable psychic toll. Fascinating and disturbing. -- Ling Ma, author of SeveranceWe Had To Remove This Post is one of the most fascinating books I’ve read in years. -- Kristen Arnett, author of Mostly Dead Things and With TeethI thought it was incredible and has real cult potential. -- Alice Slater * TikTok *A discomfiting mystery about the disturbing parts of social media that most people never see * New York Times *Powerful, discussable, and a harbinger of a voice-in-translation to watch. * Booklist Starred Review *Scathing, darkly humorous exploration of the impact of VR, IR . . . Bervoets just gets it. This is, unironically, a novel for our time. * Kirkus Starred Review *Hanna Bervoet's slim, compelling novel We Had to Remove This Post addresses the foetid morass of social media . . . Bevoets is often acidly funny, especially when demonstraring the workers' mordant, jockish humour. * TLS *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn anthology of the greatest stories by modern Japanese masters (including previously overlooked women writers)!Fourteen distinct voices are assembled in this one-of-a-kind anthology tracing a nation's changing social landscapes. Internationally renowned writers like Yasunari Kawabata, Ryunosuke Akutagawa and Junichi Watanabe are joined by three notable women writers whose works have not yet received sufficient attention—Kanoko Okamoto, Fumiko Hayashi and Yumiko Kurahashi.Highlights of this anthology include: Kafu Nagai's bittersweet portrait of a privileged family's expiring existence in "The Fox" Ango Sakaguchi's heartening celebration of postwar chaos in "One Woman and the War" Fumiko Hayashi's unabashed exploration of female sexuality in "Borneo Diamond" Junichi Watanabe's chilling assessment of alienation and social dislocation in "Invitation to Suicide" Gishu Nakayama's look at an out-of-place prostitute recovering at a hot-spring resort in "Autumn Wind" Through brilliant, highly-praised translations by Lane Dunlop, The Best Japanese Short Stories offers fascinating glimpses of a society embracing change while holding tenaciously onto the past. A new foreword by Alan Tansman provides insightful back stories about the authors and the literary backdrop against which they created these great works of modern world literature.Trade Review"Lane Dunlop's translations read elegantly, and his selection of modern Japanese Stories is both fresh and persuasive." --Donald Keene, Japanese scholar, historian, teacher, writer and translator of Japanese literature"None of the stories are very long, but all of them are worth reading. […] they rarely follow plot lines, and few have what might be called a satisfying ending. Instead, each story whispers away, leaving a feeling of loss and contemplation, and mournful beauty." --Zack Davisson"The beauty of Tuttle's new edition of The Best Japanese Short Stories, translated by Lane Dunlop, is that readers can take what they like from it. Here are tales with the simplicity of Hemingway and the intellectual heft of David Foster Wallace, set in places and historical moments too many of us have never explored…" --Book & Film Globe,The Best Japanese Short Stories: Hauntingly Splendid--New collection captures the tensions of a society in flux

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn insurance mathematician’s carefully ordered life is turned on its head when he unexpectedly loses his job and inherits an adventure park … with a whole host of problems. A quirky, tense and warmly funny thriller from award-winning Finnish author Antti Tuomainen, FIRST in a series…**Soon to be a major motion picture starring Steve Carell for Amazon Studios**'Laconic, thrilling and warmly human. In these uncertain times, what better hero than an actuary?' Chris Brookmyre‘The antic novels of Antti Tuomainen prove that comedy is not lost in translation … Tuomainen, like Carl Hiaasen before him, has the knack of combining slapstick with genuine emotion’ The Times‘A thriller with black comedy worth of Nabokov’ Telegraph_______________Just one spreadsheet away from chaos…What makes life perfect? Insurance mathematician Henri Koskinen knows the answer because he calculates everything down to the very last decimal.And then, for the first time, Henri is faced with the incalculable. After suddenly losing his job, Henri inherits an adventure park from his brother – its peculiar employees and troubling financial problems included. The worst of the financial issues appear to originate from big loans taken from criminal quarters … and some dangerous men are very keen to get their money back.But what Henri really can’t compute is love. In the adventure park, Henri crosses paths with Laura, an artist with a chequered past, and a joie de vivre and erratic lifestyle that bewilders him. As the criminals go to extreme lengths to collect their debts and as Henri's relationship with Laura deepens, he finds himself faced with situations and emotions that simply cannot be pinned down on his spreadsheets…Warmly funny, rich with quirky characters and absurd situations, The Rabbit Factor is a triumph of a dark thriller, its tension matched only by its ability to make us rejoice in the beauty and random nature of life._______________‘Inventive and compelling’ Vaseem Khan ‘Readers might think they know what to expect from Nordic noir: a tortured detective, a bleak setting, a brutal crime that shakes a small community. Finnish crime novelist Tuomainen turns all of this on its head … The ear of a giant plastic rabbit becomes a key weapon. It only gets darker and funnier’ Guardian'The funniest writer in Europe, and one of the very finest … original and brilliant story-telling' Helen FitzGerald‘Full of refreshing wit and wisdom … a treat’Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW ‘A dark and delightful novel with an intelligent, brave, and persnickety hero’ Foreword Reviews 'Antti Tuomainen turns the clichéd idea of dour, humourless Scandi noir upside … Dark, gripping and hilarious. Tuomainen is the Carl Hiaasen of the fjords' Martyn Waites‘A triumph … a joyous, feel-good antidote to troubled times' Kevin Wignall‘Finland's greatest export’ M.J. Arlidge‘An astounding read. It has the suspenseful twists of a thriller, the laugh-out-loud moments of a comedy and a tragic dimension that brings a tear to the eye’ Crime Fiction Lover'You don’t expect to laugh when you’re reading about terrible crimes, but that’s what you’ll do when you pick up one of Tuomainen’s decidedly quirky thrillers' New York Times‘Tuomainen is the funniest writer in Europe’ The Times‘Right up there with the best’ Times Literary Supplement‘Tuomainen continues to carve out his own niche in the chilly tundras of northern’ Daily Express For fans of Fargo, Fredrik Backman, Richard Osman

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisFirst published in 1939, a few years before his most influential works in theatre and philosophy, The Wall was Sartre's first and only collection of short fiction.Trade ReviewA glance at Andrew Brown's excellent translation of The Wall and/or at the French text shows us at once what we've been missing, and the glance very quickly turns to a long look. It's hard to stop reading -- Justin Cartwright

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewA book with some claim to be the first major set-piece in that carnival of fictional fireworks which mesmerized Latin America throughout the next decade. It offers a rich motherlode of imagery, language and haunting scenes -- Salman RushdieBewitched, baroque, monumental * Newsweek *A novelist of immense power ... uncompromising and original -- Colm Tóibín * Guardian *

Read more less

Book SynopsisHere at last is an exciting new translation of the modernist Brazilian epic Macunaíma, by Mário de Andrade. This landmark novel from 1928 has been hugely influential. It follows the adventures of the shapeshifting Macunaíma and his brothers as they leave their home in the northern Amazon for a whirlwind tour of Brazil, cramming four centuries and a continental expanse into a single mythic plane. Having lost a magic amulet, the hero and his brothers journey to São Paulo to retrieve the talisman that has fallen into the hands of an Italo-Peruvian captain of industry (who is also a cannibal giant). Written over six delirious days – the fruit of years of study – Macunaíma magically synthesizes dialect, folklore, anthropology, mythology, flora, fauna, and pop culture to examine Brazilian identity. This brilliant translation by Katrina Dodson has been many years in the making and includes an extensive section of notes providing essential background information for this magnificent work.Trade Review‘Dodson’s translation captures all the playfulness of the Portuguese text. The Brazilian colloquialisms are transposed to a fizzy American vernacular, but flora and fauna maintain their original names, inviting a surrender to the story’s strange, defamiliarising atmosphere. Andrade conceived of Macunaíma as one long poem or “troubadour ballad”: we’re lucky to hear it sung in English.’ — Pablo Scheffer, Telegraph‘Macunaíma is above all a vision of mythical Brazilian consciousness, a picaresque epic of birth, triumph, decline and death.’ — New York Times ‘Katrina Dobson’s translation, employing a colloquial American diction with palpable African American and Deep South overtones, gives Macunaíma a consistent, credible voice in English. She inhabits and breathes life into the novel as though she were a revenant from the Brazilian jungle of a century ago…It is not only Brazil’s complexity that Mário de Andrade captures, but that of the Americas as a whole, and to some extent that of the entire modern world.’ — Stephen Henighan, Time Literary Supplement‘Macunaíma is a miracle. There’s nothing like it in all of literature. Katrina Dodson is a hero.’ — Mario Bellatin, author of Beauty Salon‘Macunaíma is a self-consciously nation-founding novel that reads like a thick broth of painful historical truth, quoted myth, and irreducible pleasures. Rarely is so much pleasure given and pain revealed by overlapping languages.’ — Arto Lindsay‘An explosion of language… The obvious comparison for English speakers would be Ulysses, as an encyclopedia of styles, of language forms.’ — Fredric Jameson‘He’s an anti-hero hero, questioning and contradictory. Macunaíma is an emblem of the marvelous, metamorphosed into the errant question mark of his one-legged constellation. An anti-normative hero who points to a future, eventually more open, world.’ — Haroldo de Campos‘Mário wrote our Odyssey and, with a swing of his native club, created our classical hero and the national poetic idiom for the next fifty years.’ — Oswald de Andrade‘A deliberately provocative text, slangy, comical, antiliterary, assuming all the apparent contradictions of the struggle against European seriousness in its various forms.‘ — Pascale Casanova‘We are so fortunate that Mário de Andrade’s rollicking Macunaíma is finally reappearing in English in Katrina Dodson’s dazzling translation.’ — John Keene, author of Counternarratives‘[T]old in urbane vernacular but with a vast vocabulary of indigenous words that would have been foreign even to metropolitan Brazil, [Macunaíma is] a reading experience that is wholly disorientating. It is also—perhaps rare for a modernist work—a lot of fun…. Andrade knew that the best way to begin a conversation was with a smile and a joke. Reading him almost a century later, his message is as simple and efficient as any good punchline: keep talking.’ — David McAllister, Prospect‘Dodson, a PEN Award–winning translator of Clarice Lispector, breathes new life into this spirited modernist classic from Brazillian writer de Andrade…Electrifying and perplexing, this cornerstone of Brazilian literature shouldn’t be missed.’ —Publishers Weekly, starred review ‘Over the course of seventeen chapters and an epilogue, violent parables and raunchy parodies nestle within one another to create a dazzling and chaotic Luso-tropical Holy Grail epic… Perhaps through Dodson’s masterful work, Andrade will finally be widely read alongside Joyce, Woolf, and Kafka, and Brazilian modernism will be cemented in a canon that has largely excluded authors from Latin America.’ — Meg Weeks, The Baffler

Read more less

Book SynopsisIngvild Rishøi was born and raised in Oslo. She has published several collections of stories and her debut novel Brightly Shining, originally titled Stargate, was published in Norway in 2021. It was instantly deemed a modern classic, solidifying her position as one of Scandinavia's most revered literary voices.

Read more less

Book SynopsisOn 16 March 1978, Aldo Moro, former Italian Prime Minister, was ambushed in Rome. Within three minutes the gang killed all five members of his escort and bundled Moro into one of three getaway cars. An hour later the Red Brigades announced that Moro was in their hands; on 18 March they said he would be tried in a 'people's court of justice'. Seven weeks later Moro's body was discovered in the boot of a Renault parked in the crowded centre of Rome. In this book, Leonardo Sciasica, a master of detective fiction, untangles the real-life events of these crucial weeks and provides a unique insight into the dangerous world of Italian politics in the 1970s.

Read more less

Considered one of the most influential authors of twentieth century Russian Literature, Ivan Bunin's "Dark Avenues" is the culmination of a life's work which unrelentingly questioned of the political doxa whilst taking his poetic mastery of language to dark new heights. Written between 1938 and 1944 and set in the context of a disintegrating Russian culture, this collection of short fiction centres around dark, erotic liaisons told with a rich, elegaic poetics which probes the artistic limits of depicting desire.A prolific writer and fierce political activist, Bunin became the first Russian to win the Nobel prize for Literature in 1933 and was highly influential on his contemporary Russian emigres, Checkov and Nabokov. The "Dark Avenues" is the zenith of his work and one of the most important Russian texts to come out of the twentieth century.

Read more less

Book SynopsisFROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF LIE WITH MEIt is the summer of 1916 and, with German Zeppelins on the skyline, the men of Paris are off at war. For Vincent, the sixteen-year-old son of a prestigious family, the tranquillity of the city sits at odds with the salons and soirees he attends. But, after an electrifying encounter with the enigmatic writer, Marcel P, draws Vincent's desires out into the light, his ever-riskier liaisons with a young solider begin to shape Vincent's future. Translated by Frank Wynne'A short, bold and original novel which beautifully captures the romance and amorality of gilded youth' IndependentElegant novellas-in-translation, VINTAGE EDITIONS celebrate the audacity and ambition of the written word, transporting readers to wherever in the world literary innovation may be found.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWinner of the Rosenkrantz Award for Best Thriller of the YearFrom the bestselling, award-winning Swedish author Håkan Nesser, The Living and the Dead in Winsford is a gripping and deeply atmospheric psychological thriller set on Exmoor.There is nobody in the world who knows that we are here . . .A woman arrives in the village of Winsford on Exmoor. She has travelled a long way and chosen her secluded cottage carefully. Maria's sole intention is to outlive her beloved dog Castor. And to survive the torrent of memories that threaten to overwhelm her. Weeks before, Maria and her husband Martin fled Stockholm under a cloud. The couple were bound for Morocco, where Martin planned to write an explosive novel; one that would reveal the truth behind dark events within his commune of writers decades before. But the couple never made it to their destination.As Maria settles into her lonely new life, walking the wild, desolaTrade ReviewOne of the pleasures of The Living and the Dead in Winsford is the drip feed of vital information that hurtles you through its 471 pages as it probes deeper into its heroine's demons.Nesser lives in Gotland but spends part of each year in the UK and he obviously knows his Winsford - and better still his Exmoor. The claustrophobia and comfort of village life, the terror of darkness on an exposed and desolate landscape; proximity with a natural world as beautiful as it is harsh: every detail seems etched into Nesser's viscerally descriptive writing.. . . A ripping yarn * The Times *The smooth, silky prose holds the reader's attention from start to finish, and it's no surprise to discover that this book won the Palle Rosencrantz Prize for best thriller of the year * Literary Review *A tense, psychological exploration of betrayal and revenge, deservedly winning the Rosenkrantz Award for Best Thriller of the Year in 2013.' * Sydney Morning Herald *The book is part thriller but also reads like literary fiction. This is no surprise as Nesser is an excellent writer . . . A great read * Crimepieces.com *A haunting, masterly unravelling of a dreadful crime, in The Living and the Dead in Winsford, Hakan Nesser, the bestselling, award-winning author of the Van Veeteren series, tightens the tension like a noose . . . * fantasticfiction.co.uk *

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn three short narratives, Kadare evokes a defining moment in European history28 June 1389, the Field of the Blackbirds. A Christian army made up of Serbs, Bosnians, Albanians and Romanians confront an Ottoman army. In ten hours the battle is over, and the Muslims possess the field; an outcome that has haunted the vanquished ever since.28 June 1989, the Serb Leader Slobodan Milosevic launches his campaign for a fresh massacre of the Albanians, the majority population of Kosovo.In three short narratives Kadare shows how legends of betrayal and defeat simmered in European civilisation for six hundred years, culminating in the agony of one tiny population at the end of the twentieth century.An utterly captivating yarn: strange, vivid, ominous, macabre and wise' New York TimesTrade ReviewThe main goal of these three fables ... is to transmit a message about freedom, in the sense that to write truthfully is to set something free. In this book Kadare has set Kosovo, the battle, the myth, free from the chains of untruth * London Review of Books *The bridge is a foreboding, an omen, a threat. It is a bridge over which Asia will invade Europe and the future will invade the past. Kadare, an Albanian, has used the materials at hand to become one of Europe's great writers * Los Angeles Times *An utterly captivating yarn: strange, vivid, ominous, macabre and wise * New York Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn A Hero of Our Time, the first great Russian novel, a young officer, passionate and world-weary, is posted to the Caucasus and becomes involved in a series of adventures. A dazzlingly original work of fiction, the novel is newly translated together with Pushkin's travel narrative, A Journey to Arzrum, with introduction and notes.

Read more less

Book SynopsisBorn in China in 1954, Dai Sijie is a film maker and novelist, who left China in 1984 for France where he now lives and works. He is the author of the international bestseller, Balzac and the Chinese Seamstress (shortlisted for the Independent Foreign Fiction prize) - which he made into a film - Mr Muo's Travelling Couch (winner of the Prix Femina) and Once on a Moonless Night.Trade ReviewA completely beguiling novel. always giving the reader a sense of being there. Very engaging * Independent *Wholly delightful, intelligent, funny and unexpected. A remarkable book, offering sheer delight * Scotsman *A simple story, seductively told, it touches and lifts up the beauty of human experience far beyond the mountains of Western China in which the story is set * Times Literary Supplement *Highly original and sweetly charming * The Times *If you read only one novel, choose this one: it's worth a hundred * Le Figaro *

Read more less

Book Synopsis''His artistry is supreme'' John Banville''Sullenly, he got dressed. Why, whenever he was woken on a winter night like this, did the coffee have a particular taste? The smell of the apartment was different...his pipe, too, had a different taste.''Set against a high-profile hunt for the latest criminal gang to hit Paris, Maigret is determined to track down the murderer of a quiet crook for whom he cannot help feeling affection and respect.This novel has been published in a previous translation as Maigret and the Idle Burglar. ''One 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'' GuardianTrade ReviewPraise for Georges Simenon:“One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century . . . Simenon was unequaled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories.” —The Guardian “These Maigret books are as timeless as Paris itself.” —The Washington Post “Maigret ranks with Holmes and Poirot in the pantheon of fictional detective immortals.” —People “I love reading Simenon. He makes me think of Chekhov.” —William Faulkner “The greatest of all, the most genuine novelist we have had in literature.” —André Gide “A supreme writer . . . Unforgettable vividness.” —The Independent (London) “Superb . . . The most addictive of writers . . . A unique teller of tales.” —The Observer (London) “Compelling, remorseless, brilliant.” —John Gray “A truly wonderful writer . . . Marvelously readable—lucid, simple, absolutely in tune with the world he creates.” —Muriel Spark “A novelist who entered his fictional world as if he were a part of it.”lle —Peter Ackroyd “Extraordinary masterpieces of the twentieth century.” —John Banville"Gem-hard soul-probes . . . not just the world's bestselling detective series, but an imperishable literary legend . . . he exposes secrets and crimes not by forensic wizardry, but by the melded powers of therapist, philosopher and confessor" ― Times (London)"Strangely comforting . . . so many lovely bistros from the Paris of mid-20th C. The corpses are incidental, it's the food that counts." ― Margaret Atwood"One of the greatest writers of the 20th century . . . no other writer can set up a scene as sharply and with such economy as Simenon does . . . the conjuring of a world, a place, a time, a set of characters - above all, an atmosphere." ― Financial Times"Gripping . . . richly rewarding . . . You'll quickly find yourself obsessing about his life as you tackle each mystery in turn."-- Stig Abell ― The Sunday Times (London)

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThe Birds has a freshness that can only be due to its timeless subject matter... From the first page, this novel grips us with an acutely sensitive rendition of a mentally handicapped man's inner world * Kirkus Review *A masterpiece * Literary Review *A spare, icily humane story... The character of Mattis, absurd and boastful, but also sweet, pathetic and even funny, is shown with great insight. The translation conveys successfully a concentration of style and feeling that seems to be Vesaas' characteristic mark as a novelist * Sunday Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe third in the Black Forest Investigations series - by CWA-shortlisted authorTrade ReviewBottini's novels are infused with his knowledge of the darker corners of European history, showing its impact decades after the horrific events that drive his plots. -- Joan Smith * Sunday Times. *It's a clever writer who can take something familiar and seemingly ordinary and twist it into something surreal and off-kilter, blackly comic but deadly serious. -- Paul Burke * New Books Magazine. *The real pleasure with The Dance of Death is the artfully structured narrative that Bottini presents; he is always able to surprise the reader, even those who feel that there is nothing in the crime-fiction genre that they have not read before. -- Barry Forshaw * Euro Lit Network. *A piercing examination of our reality . . . Bottini uses the full potential of the genre to look deep into humanity's abyss and sees there the concealed traumas of German society -- Tomasz Kurianowicz * Die Zeit *Oliver Bottini is a terrific storyteller and he evokes his setting - the Rhine borderlands of the Black Forest - with skill -- Jake Kerridge * Sunday Express *Oliver Bottini, one of the few German authors who play in crime-writing's premier league, really knows how to tell a good story * Frankfurter Rundschau *If you are a fan of the Harry Hole series by Jo Nesbo or the Icelandic trilogy written by Lilja Sigurdardottir then I recommend that you add the Black Forest Investigations to your reading list . . . * A Literary Addict *Heavily atmospheric and wittily subtle in its treatment of belonging . . . If you're a fan of Jo Nesbo, Stefan Ahnehm, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir then this book is definitely for you . . . * VelvetReads *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTHE NEW AWARD-WINNING INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER BY THE AUTHOR OF THE MOUNTAINCan be compared (with no fear of hyperbole) to Stephen King and Jo Nesbø - Massimo Vincenz, La Repubblica.D''Andrea piles on the action and the atmosphere with the panache of a seasoned writer Marcel Berlins, The Times.Marlene Wegener is on the run. She has stolen something from her husband, something priceless, irreplaceable.But she doesn''t get very far. When her car veers off a bleak midwinter road she takes refuge in the remote home of Simon Keller, a tough mountain man who lives alone with his demons. Here in her high mountain sanctuary, she begins to rekindle a sense of herself: tough, capable, no longer the trophy on a gangster''s arm.But Herr Wegener does not know how to forgive, and in his rage he makes a pact with the devil. The Trusted Man. He cannot be called off, he cannot be reasoned witTrade ReviewFull of folklore and history as well as descriptions of astonishing hardship, Sanctuary is also a study of character and what happens to people's minds when they have to find a way to make sense of intolerable circumstances . . . -- Natasha Cooper * Literary Review. *With his first book, he was compared to Stephen King and the David Lynch of Twin Peaks. Here, D'Andrea will go even further into the depths of evil -- Alessia Rastelli * Corriere della Serra. *A clever, twisty and chilling page-turner. * Choice Magazine. *This immensely enjoyable chiller/thiller is a superb follow up to last year's bestseller, The Mountain. This novel demonstrates that D'Andrea has no problem at all with 'second album syndrome', Sanctuary is a brilliant piece of storytelling. * New Books Magazine. *D'Andrea's a name to add to your Eurocrime list. -- David Hewson, author of the Nic Costa novels and The KillingD'Andrea is a real master. -- Sergio Pent * La Stampa. *Pulsatingly exciting and astonishingly grisly in equal measure. * Irish Independent. *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisBy the author of Life and Fate, now a major Radio 4 drama starring Kenneth Branagh. Vasily Grossman is widely recognized as one of the outstanding literary figures of the twentieth century. The short fiction collected here - satire, comedy, tragedy and pure narrative - illustrate the remarkable breadth of his work, and demonstrate all the bold intelligence, delicate irony and extraordinary vividness for which he has become known. In addition to the eleven stories, this volume includes the complete text of ''The Hell of Treblinka'', one of the first descriptions of a Nazi extermination camp; a powerful and harrowing piece of journalism written only weeks after the camp was dissolved. Beautifully illuminated by Robert Chandler''s introductions and endnotes, with photographs from the family archive, and an Afterword by Grossman''s stepson, Fyodor Guber.Trade Review'Grossman deserves a special, if not revered, place as a recorder of some of the worst excesses of the 20th century - indeed, of any century. A casual reader may be lured into thinking this to be a collection of fictional short stories depicting the hardships and privations of Soviet life. But on page 126 comes an abrupt and horrifying awakening … 'The Hell of Treblinka' ... nothing prepares us for the force of Grossman's description; his detailed, harrowing reconstruction of what happened' Scotsman. * Scotsman *a richness and clarity to a fascinating period and define Grossman as one of the great literary figures of the last century' Good Book Guide. * Good Book Guide *''Grossman's trajectory is clear in his short fiction and essays: early essays explore the ardent patriotism that fired Russia; later ones such as the title story, 'The Road', an allegory of a beaten mule pulling a munitions train that offers a bitter reflection on life, hint at dangerous disillusionment ... The Road is an excellent introduction to Grossman's hauntingly powerful fiction and reportage' James Urquhart, Financial Times. * Financial Times *...his vivid dispatches, some newly translated for this superb collection, retain a freshness that only the finest journalism can. The 11 short stories also collected here show a writer of infinite variety, and the bulk of them will enhance his reputation ... his is a powerful voice of conscience' Sunday Times. * Sunday Times *''This superbly edited compendium of his writing, containing short stories, journalism and letters to his dead mother, allows us to access the nature and success of his enterprise. Through its lucid notes and essays it also serves as a first-class companion to the terrible history of mid-20th-century central Europe.' Jewish Chronicle. * Jewish Chronicle *... it has become accepted that Vasily Grossman was one of the giants of 20th Century literature. This anthology of his stories and journalism, brilliantly translated by Robert and Elizabeth Chandler, charts his growing disillusionment with communism as well as his frontline role in the war against the Nazis' Mail on Sunday. * Mail on Sunday *''The collection has humour, pathos, satire and tragedy. Grossman's superlative ability is to relay through sparse writing the fear, anxiety and compassion of those he writes of. This is an utterly absorbing, compassionate and necessary collection and once read will linger and cause true reflection, as the best writing ought.' Journal of the Law Society of Scotland. * Journal of the Law Society of Scotland *''From satire to comedy and tragedy this is a fantastic collection translated into English for the first time. Including Stalin's purges and the Holocaust, these short stories and articles are accompanied by introductions that put Grossman's life into context' Daily Express. * Daily Express *''For today's reader, Grossman's work excavates from the Soviet rubble vital artefacts of the bitter, the tragic, the self-sacrificing, the indomitable and, ultimately, the inspiring' Ken Kalfus, International Herald Tribune. * International Herald Tribune *''Grossman's stories are so affecting partly because they look so unflinchingly at human nature, combining a journalist's eye with a fascination for humanity enduring under near-intolerable circumstances.' Metro. * Metro *No one knew better than Grossman what people are capable of. These stories and essays are one of the cultural monuments of the 20th century' David Herman, New Statesman. * New Statesman *''Readers familiar with his novels will be surprised by his short fiction. They show a writer of infinite variety' Victor Sebestyen, Sunday Times. * Sunday Times *The mystery of how to improve the human condition continued to fascinate him and is profoundly reflected in Grossman's superb writings - an enduring memorial to the man' Geoffrey Goodman, Tribune. * Tribune *The only subject and the only hope is humanity' Brian Morton, Scottish Sunday Herald. * Scottish Sunday Herald *''The unstinting championing of ordinary human emotion is what strikes hardest in Grossman's style ... Grossman manages to find human simplicity in his characters at the very apex of pain and disaster' Daily Telegraph. * Daily Telegraph *This collection of short fiction and essays from the remarkable and criminally under-read Soviet writer includes haunting short stories and his excoriating wartime exposé of the Treblinka death camp' Benjamin Evans, Sunday Telegraph. * Sunday Telegraph *Table of ContentsPart One - The 1930s: Introduction; In the Town of Berdichev; A Small Life; A Young Woman and an Old Woman. Part Two - The War, The Shoah: Introduction; The Old Man; The Old Teacher; The Hell of Treblinka; The Sistine Madonna. Part Three - Late Stories: Introduction; The Elk; Mama; Living Space; The Road; The Dog; In Kislovodsk. Part Four - Three Letters: Introduction; Letter 1950; Letter 1961. Part Five - Eternal Rest: Introduction; Eternal Rest. Appendices: Grossman and Treblinka; Natalya Khayutina and the Yezhovs; Afterword by Fyodor Guber; Chronology; Notes; Further Reading; Translator's acknowledgements; About the author; About the translators.

Read more less

Book SynopsisBroliai Mr a Mrs Dursley, rhif pedwar Privet DriveThe first words of J.K. Rowling's timeless classic are familiar to readers the world over as ''Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive ...'' Learners and lovers of the Welsh language will delight in Emily Huws's sparkling Welsh language translation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher''s Stone, which perfectly captures the wit and invention of the original, now reissued with stunning new cover art from Jonny Duddle.

Read more less

Book SynopsisNOW A NETFLIX LIMITED SERIES, COMING VALENTINE''S DAY 2022 ''An absolute scorcher'' Evening Standard''The book about infidelity that has shaken up Italy''The Times''Intimate and ultimately moving... completely absorbing''Daily Mail''A gripping novel exploring the tensions in an apparently idyllic marriage'' Financial Times''A must-read''Sydney Morning Herald''Devotion thrilled me, made me think and moved me deeply... Irresistible''Jonathan Safran FoerCarlo, a part-time professor of creative writing, and Margherita, an architect-turned-real estate-agent: a happily married couple in their mid-thirties, perfectly attuned to each other''s restlessness. They are in love, but they also harbour desires that stray beyond the confines of their bedroom: Carlo longs for the quiet beauty of one of his students, Sofia; MargherTrade ReviewFidelity thrilled me (I read it in one sitting), made me think, and moved me deeply. It manages to be as deep as any literature, and as irresistible as any gossip. It is a brilliant work by a brilliant writer. * Jonathan Safran Foer *The book about infidelity that has shaken up Italy. * The Times *Missiroli's erotically charged novel is currently being made into a Netflix series, but this intimate and ultimately moving analysis of desire and the long-term legacy of betrayal deserves to be read - moving seamlessly between perspectives, we're brought up close to the lives of its sympathetically imagined characters in a way that's completely absorbing. * Daily Mail *An absolute scorcher... Clever structured with characters criss-crossing through one another's lives and the streets of Milan, with the second half of the book taking place nine years later, Fidelity teems with pain and pleasure, blood, sweat, and semen... Its descriptions of gory fight scenes between both dogs and men pulse with a kind of brutal machismo I'm not sure you'd find in an English novel today... Read Fidelity before the end of the year. Books are almost always better than their TV adaptations. * Evening Standard *A gripping novel exploring the tensions in an apparently idyllic marriage, where a couple in their thirties is tested by their attraction to others, and by their own accumulation of desires and disappointments. * Financial Times *A must-read... Marco Missiroli, with intelligence and empathy, considers how and why such people might find themselves wandering beyond the boundaries of promises they have made... This subtle novel has been lauded as a revealing study in marital infidelity, but it also moves beyond the theme of fidelity in traditional marriage to explore different kinds of sexual fidelity. And it touches on more abstract notions of loyalty and betrayal, including the idea of faithfulness to a family, an idea, a place, or a sense of one's true self. * Sydney Morning Herald *A writer of pure excellence. * Emmanuel Carrère *Missiroli cuts right through to the darkness of our inner lives. * Roberto Saviano *Powerful, delicate, exquisite. * Claudio Magris *Masterful: Missiroli's words are fire... The ending - chilling - is just as good as that of Joyce's The Dead. * Corriere della Sera *You'll feel like taking refuge in the pages of this book and never leaving its confines. * La Stampa *With all-encompassing writing, Marco Missiroli opens the rooms of his characters and the streets of Milan, the thoughts and the concealed desires, makes dialogue and silences reverberate with the spontaneity of great narrators. * Il Foglio *

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom the mind of a psychologist comes a chilling domestic thriller that gets under your skin."Creepy, compelling and very well written" Harriet TyceAt first it's the lie that hurts.A voicemail from her husband tells Sara he's arrived at the holiday cabin. Then a call from his friend confirms he never did. She tries to carry on as normal, teasing out her clients' deepest fears, but as the hours stretch out, her own begin to surface. And when the police finally take an interest, they want to know why Sara deleted that voicemail.To get to the root of Sigurd's disappearance, Sara must question everything she knows about her relationship.Could the truth about what happened be inside her head?"A wonderful storyteller" Chris Whitaker "Wonderfully creepy, twisty and compelling" Karen Hamilton"Masterfully paced and hauntingly written" Anna Bailey"Gets under your skin" Jo Spain"I couldn't put it down" Sarah WardTranslated from the Norwegian by Alison McCulloughTrade ReviewA sharply observed thriller with a plot packed full of psychological suspense. I couldn't put it down. -- Sarah Ward, author of Bitter ChillTense and atmospheric, this psychological thriller gets under your skin. Helene Flood keeps presenting questions to her reader, sending us every which way, as she builds towards the stunning and satisfying conclusion. -- Jo SpainMasterfully paced and hauntingly written, The Therapist creeps up on you and leaves you looking over your shoulder long after you've turned the last page. -- Anna Bailey, author of Tall BonesDark, absorbing and richly complex. Helene Flood is a wonderful storyteller and The Therapist kept me guessing till the final, devilish twists. -- Chris WhitakerWonderfully creepy, twisty and compelling, with a rising sense of dread that will keep readers turning the pages right through to the unexpected ending. -- Karen Hamilton, author of The Perfect GirlfriendCreepy, compelling and very well-written. The Norwegian setting and the questions it poses about crime and punishment are particularly interesting. -- Harriet Tyce, author of Blood OrangeTense and atmospheric . . . Well plotted with plenty of unexpected twists and turns. -- Breda Brown * Irish Independent. *A marvellously assured debut thriller. -- Declan Burke * Irish Times. *Flood takes her time but manipulates audience expectations with considerable aplomb. -- Barry Forshaw * Financial Times. *A striking debut. -- Andrew Rosenheim * Spectator *We all love a Norwegian crime drama, and this is set to be your new favourite. * Cosmopolitan. *Will have you up all night with the lights on. * Elle. *Don't read this one at night. * Woman’s Weekly. *Chilling. * Bella. *

Read more less

Book Synopsis'I am a sick person. I am a spiteful person. An unattractive person, too . . .'In the depths of a cellar in St. Petersburg, a retired civil servant spews forth a passionate and furious note on the ills of society. The underground man's manifesto reveals his erratic, self-contradictory and even sadistic nature. Yet Dostoyevsky's disturbing character causes an uncomfortable flicker of recognition, and we see in him our own human condition.Trade ReviewThis excellent Canongate Canons edition has an enlightening and entertaining introduction by DBC Pierre . . . Dostoevsky chips away at complex human motivation with persuasive stylistic tools, succeeding in being hilarious and heart-rending in a single sentence (after all, "mankind is a comical construction"), captured in this beautiful translation by Natasha Randall. It's through elegantly excavating the particularities of his era that Dostoevsky strikes upon timeless truths, and with perspicacious analysis of behaviour, tunnels through to hidden depths * * Guardian * *Dostoyevsky's Underground Man . . . is perhaps the greatest reliably unreliable narrator in world fiction * * New York Times * *The most unflinching study of self-loathing in the literary canon * * Irish Times * *Notes From Underground established Dostoevsky's reputation as the most innovative and challenging writer of fiction in his generation in Russia -- Rowan Williams * * Guardian * *Notes from Underground is still a modern book; it still can kick * * New Yorker * *Dostoyevsky is one of the few psychologists from whom I have learned something -- NIETZSCHENotes From Underground, with its mood of intellectual irony and alienation, can be seen as the first modern novel . . . That sense of the meaninglessness of existence that runs through much of twentieth-century writing - from Conrad and Kafka to Beckett and beyond - starts in Dostoyevsky's work -- MALCOLM BRADBURYAn author whose Christian sympathy is ordinarily devoted to human misery, sin, vice, the depths of lust and crime, rather than to nobility of body and soul . . . [Notes From Underground is] an awe- and terror-inspiring example of this sympathy -- THOMAS MANNNotes From Underground transcends art and literature, and its place is among the great mystical revelations of mankind . . . It cannot be recommended to those who are not either sufficiently strong to overcome it or sufficiently innocent to remain unpoisoned. It is a strong poison, which is most safely left untouched -- D.S. Mirsky in HISTORY OF RUSSIAN LITERATUREOne of the most revolutionary and original works of world literature -- WALTER KAUFMAN

Read more less

Book SynopsisYoko Ogawa (Author) Yoko Ogawa has won every major Japanese literary award. Her fiction has appeared in the New Yorker, A Public Space and Zoetrope. Her works include The Diving Pool, The Housekeeper and the Professor, Hotel Iris and Revenge. Her most recent novel, The Memory Police, was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize.Stephen Snyder (Translator) Stephen Snyder is a translator and professor of Japanese Studies at Middlebury College, Vermont, USA.He has translated works by Kenzaburo Oe, Ryu Murakami, and Miri Yu, among others. His translation of Natsuo Kirino's Out was a finalist for the Edgar Award for best mystery novel in 2004, and his translation of Yoko Ogawa's Hotel Iris was shortlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize in 2011.?

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe magical sequel to Scattered All Over the Earth, from the prize-winning Japanese author.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA modern masterpiece, voted the greatest Dutch novel of all time _______________ 'I work in an office. I take cards out of a file. Once I have taken them out, I put them back in again. That is it.' Twenty-three-year-old Frits - office worker, daydreamer, teller of inappropriate jokes - finds life absurd and inexplicable. He lives with his parents, who drive him mad. He has terrible, disturbing dreams of death and destruction. Sometimes he talks to a toy rabbit. This is the story of ten evenings in Frits's life at the end of December, as he drinks, smokes, sees friends, aimlessly wanders the gloomy city streets and tries to make sense of the minutes, hours and days that stretch before him. Darkly funny and mesmerising, The Evenings takes the tiny, quotidian triumphs and heartbreaks of our everyday lives and turns them into a work of brilliant wit and profound beauty.Trade ReviewIPPY Literary Fiction Award Bronze MedalistAn Observer, Financial Times, and Irish Times Book of the Year"Exceptional... a crisp and readable translation by Sam Garrett." — The Wall Street Journal"Fascinating, hilarious, and page-turning. The publication of this novel marks the exciting introduction of a wonderful writer to an Anglophone audience." — Publishers Weekly"Reviewers have compared it favorably to J .D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Albert Camus’s The Stranger and Karl Ove Knausgaard’s My Struggle. In The Irish Times, Eileen Battersby called it 'one of the finest studies of youthful malaise ever written,' and in The Guardian, Tim Parks described it as 'not only a masterpiece but a cornerstone manqué of modern European literature.' The Society of Dutch Literature ranked it as the country’s best 20th-century novel and its third-best of all time." — The New York Times"Sam Garrett’s precise and convincing translations ... capture the consistently anxious, suggestive, and haunting tone that runs through The Evenings like a live wire—one that, after seventy years, is still electrifying. The narrators of The Fall of the Boslowits Family and Werther Nieland, too, are persuasively rendered in the matter-of-fact and dreamlike tones of the originals." — Philip Huff, New York Review of Books"Diabolically funny... From the deep midnight of shattered Europe, Reve crafted not only an existential masterwork worthy to stand with Beckett or Albert Camus but an oblique historical testament." — The Economist"A novel as funny as it is painful . . . A little masterpiece — a provocative reminder that life goes on even in the bleakest of circumstances." — Los Angeles Review of Books"Captivating." — The Atlantic"In this first English translation of a Dutch classic . . . The author’s dry wit and ability to find humor and beauty in the banality of daily life are impressive."— Booklist“Not only a masterpiece but a cornerstone manque of modern European literature… what can I say, in a world of hype, that will put this book where it belongs, in readers’ hands and minds?... Reve’s sparkling collage of acute observation, droll internal monologue and pitch-perfect dialogue keeps the reader breathless right through to the grand finale...huge respect to Pushkin Press.” — Tim Parks, The Guardian"One of the greatest post-war Dutch novels... [a] brilliant modern classic." — Tom Chalmers, Publishers Weekly"Consistently simple, straightforward, pitch-perfect prose (translated splendidly by Sam Garrett)." — Weekly Standard"Darkly funny and mesmerizing, The Evenings takes the tiny quotidian triumphs and heartbreaks of our everyday lives and turns them into a work of brilliant wit and profound beauty… an extraordinary and highly recommended addition to both community and academic library collections’." — Midwest Book Review"a neurotic, darkly humorous and cynical treatise on youth in the Netherlands after World War II. . . the book is innovative in its use of language. Reve successfully evokes a strong sense of psychological unrest in the mind of reader." — Out and About Nashville"drily amusing, suffused with angst and post-war malaise and -- at first blush -- very impressive." — BookFilter"It’s a testament to Reve’s writing and imagination that the question of Frits will haunt the reader long after they’re finished." — Pop Matters"A classic of dry, dark humour… it captures a very specific flavour of ennui." — Herald"I warmly recommend Gerard Reve’s hilariously gloomy The Evenings… I see it as a Dutch version of Kafka’s Metamorphosis." — Observer "A Meursault-in-waiting, a blank Holden Caulfield, a precursor to the kid in Iain Bank’s The Wasp Factory. Very good." — Evening Standard"As a study of aimlessness in postwar Europe it is difficult, perhaps impossible to surpass." — Irish Times"This much lauded book, finally available in English, [is] the perfect January read." — The Spectator"The novel is dark, funny, unsettling and lingers vividly in the mind. Hats off to Pushkin Press and the outstanding translator, Sam Garrett, for making this odd, orphaned masterpiece available at last to an English-speaking readership." — Times Literary Supplement"The Evenings is packed with the minutiae of life: luckily, the minutiae are fascinating…Reve isn't the kind of novelist to give you a straightforward answer but the journey is quite a ride." — The Times“Reve’s keen eye for absurdity manages to cast the mundane in a new, albeit macabre, light.” — Financial Times"This 1947 Dutch novel, considered the Netherlands' greatest in the twentieth century and now published in English for the first time...is a savage novel, full of strange, cold laughter." — The Daily Mail"[A] dark masterpiece... a powerful story." — The Observer"I was also pleased to see Gerard Reve’s funny, poignant debut novel, The Evenings, available in English … It’s like BS Johnson and Kafka wandering the crepuscular streets of of 1940s Amsterdam together – in a good way." — Alex Preston, The Observer Best Fiction of 2016 round up"Batavophile bookworms can rejoice now that possibly the greatest Amsterdam novel is now available in English… for a testament to ennui, it’s strangely gripping." —A-Mag (Amsterdam)"With the first English translation of 1947 Dutch masterpiece The Evenings, by the out-of-time, out-of-step gay Catholic convert Gerard Reve, [Pushin Press] makes perhaps its most crucial contribution yet to bringing quietened, radical non-English voices into the open. Reve’s debut doesn’t have the mainstream-baiting sensationalism of his later, sex and religion-focused, work. But it’s debatable whether he ever wrote anything better. Trying to sum up the rare quality of this novel in a few hundred words is akin to tossing off a pithy one-liner on Karl Ove Knausgård’s six-volume opus My Struggle. Comparisons to that chronicle of domestic minutiae are actually rather neat; much of The Evenings’ enticing devilment is in its mesmerising detail." — The Big Issue"A masterwork of comic pathos...It should be acknowledged as one of the finest studies of youthful malaise ever written...In all fairness to Salinger, The Evenings is so much better...For a narrative so funny, it is also profoundly moving.'" — Eileen Battersby, The Irish Times"An undisputed classic...it's a fantastic novel." — Andre van Loon, Sunday Telegraph"This deft translation by Sam Garrett offers English readers the exploits of the cynical and awkward 23-year-old Frits van Egters as he wends his way through the last 10 days of 1946 in Amsterdam. . . In a strangely compelling way the gloom (and eventual hope) of this nearly plotless novel is its strongest quality. How does one find meaning in life when death permeates every dream? Seventy years later, the English-speaking world is gifted with a glimpse into that time. And we sigh. It is nearly as relevant now." — Winnipeg Free Press"An edgy, atmospheric and sardonically funny book which was way ahead of its time. Still possessing the power to shock but also to beguile, the novel’s bold stylistic tricks and its hero’s original thoughts and deeds mark it out as a classic in any language... it is now time for a wider audience to discover its weird textures and dark delights." — The National (UAE)"Gerard Reve's sardonic classic The Evenings is finally translated into English." — Culturetrip"An understated novel that’s funny, bizarre and yet emotionally renewing." — Attitude“If The Evenings had appeared in English in the 1950s, it would have become every bit as much a classic as On the Road and The Catcher in the Rye.” — Herman Koch, the Dutch bestselling author of The Dinner"Hilarious, disturbing and humane." - Joe Dunthorne, author of Submarine“This book, an important classic in the Netherlands and long, long overdue in English, is as funny as it is peculiar. Reve really deserves more attention in the Anglophone world.” - Lydia Davis “Unlike John Williams, Gerard Reve’s work was critically acclaimed and sold exceptionally well during his lifetime. But, just like Stoner, The Evenings is brilliantly written, and has a maximum impact on the reader’s soul.” - Oscar van Gelderen, the Dutch publisher who rediscovered John Williams’ Stoner

Read more less

Book SynopsisHis mission to better the lot of Peking’s citizens has put Fang Meng’ao on the radar of Inspector General Zeng Keda, the fearsome and ruthless commander responsible for maintaining order in the city. Naturally suspicious of Communists, his hunt for revolutionaries ensnares the young maverick.The city has become a snake pit of treachery and double-dealing. Desperate measures, such as the currency reforms implemented by the Central Bank governor, plaster over the cracks of a fracturing society.Out on the streets, the intellectual Yang Jinglun helps organise student protests and rebellions for those accused of siding with the Reds. With the nation embroiled in full-blown civil war, the tension builds and Fang Meng’ao becomes desperate. Can he evade Zeng Keda’s suspicious eyes?* Or will he fall prey to one of the many traps set in the city?*

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhen an ageing, impoverished nobleman decides to style himself “Don Quixote” and embarks upon a series of daring endeavours, it is clear that his ability to distinguish between reality and the fantasy world of literary romance has broken down. His exploits turn into comic misadventures, in which everyday objects are transformed into the accoutrements of chivalry, peasant girls become princesses and windmills are mistaken for formidable giants, leading the hero and his squire Sancho Panza into the realms of absurdity and humiliation. Renowned for its comical set pieces, Don Quixote is a profound meditation on the relationship between truth and fiction and the morality of deception, as well as the foundation stone of the modern novel.Trade ReviewThe ultimate and most sublime example of human thought. -- Fyodor DostoevskyThis translation is a valuable addition to the many resources Tom Lathrop has already produced for understanding Cervantes. It should have a wide appeal. * TLS *

Read more less

Book SynopsisLove, sex, and corporate slavery in a futuristic world from the two-time winner of the Dashiell Hammett Prize.

Read more less

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

Read more less