Fiction in translation

Book SynopsisIn ''The Boundary'', one family vacations in the Roman countryside, though we see their lives through the eyes of the caretaker''s daughter, who nurses a wound from her family''s immigrant past. In ''P''s Parties'', a Roman couple, now empty nesters, finds comfort and community with foreigners at their friend''s yearly birthday gathering-until the husband crosses a line

Read more less

Book SynopsisOn the Edge is a first-of-its-kind collection of short stories and extracts from novels centred on theme of same-sex desire, translated from the original Hindi. The sixteen beautiful and provocative stories featured here (published between 1927 and 2022) include classic works by Asha Sahay, Premchand, Ugra, Rajkamal Chaudhuri, Geetanjali Shree, Sara Rai and Rajendra Yadav, among others.Trade Review "A window to the varied depictions of queerness in different eras.. . . The collection does not read like a translated work, thanks to Vanita’s vast experience with queer text and language, which ensure sensitive handling." —Tribune India

Read more less

Book SynopsisA dramatic story based on real events - the desperate struggle of a crew of Icelandic fishermen against the ruthless forces of nature.Trade ReviewI love this book - a masterpiece from hell -- Roy JacobsenA pulse-quickening piece of fiction . . . trawlers combine epic drama with the baroque intensity of men crammed together . . . a terrifying depiction of peril at sea -- Christian House * Financial Times *This slim book vividly captures the the drama and terror of a crisis at sea. * Choice Magazine *Gripping and exciting. * Sunday Times Books of the Year *This gripping novel is as good at describing the magnificent seascapes and the unforgiving elements as it is at examining the inner lives of the besieged crew, toiling ceaselessly against implacable nature. * Financial Times Books of the Year *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA second blistering crime novel set in France''s most notorious suburb, by a police officer turned million-copy bestseller and key writer on SpiralHits the ground running and never lets up . . . This impressive debut is slick, sick and not for the faint-hearted . . . It will make you cry out (for more) - Mark Sanderson, The Times on The Lost and the DamnedThe summary execution of three dealers - one murdered in full view of a police surveillance team - is the signal for hell to be unleashed in France''s most notorious suburb. Now there''s a new kingpin in charge, using his ruthless teenage enforcer to assert an iron grip on his territory. And the local mayor, no stranger to the criminal underworld, is willing to make a pact with the devil if it will secure her a third term.Enter Capitaine Coste and his team, ready to break the rules to prevent the drugs squad from throwing an elderly stash-minder to the lTrade ReviewFans of the French TV series Spiral (with its unvarnished vision of urban crime) will find Olivier Norek's Turf Wars a pungent addition to his Banlieues Trilogy . . . As bracingly authentic as its predecessor. -- Barry Forshaw * Financial Times *Former cop Olivier Norek was one of the writers on the crime drama Spiral . . . there's no denying the visceral excitement and latent compassion of this policier par excellence -- Mark Sanderson * The Times *Norek served in the Seine-Saint-Denis Police Judiciaire for eighteen years and everything he writes is thrilling. This is a prime example of crime fiction as social history, but it is far more gripping - and moving - than any work of history * Literary Review *France makes moody crime films and TV, and Norek's latest Euro bestseller sizzles with similar noir atmosphere * Peterborough Telegraph *Dark, gripping and exciting . . . There is not only a great sense of place but also of characterisation * Shots Magazine *You will have to go a long way to find a better hard-boiled policier * Mark Ripley Books of the Month *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA few years after the deadly 2011 terror attack in Norway's Utoya Island, Otto and Sofie are attempting to put the pieces of their life back together without their beloved daughter, who was murdered alongside countless other youths on one of the worst day's in Norway's history. Seven Days in August is the story of Otto and Sofie's grief, painstakingly narrated over just one week a window into their attempts to navigate a life together, face to face with their own helplessness and mortality. The week begins with a tick bite on Sofie's hand, which continues to swell dangerously as the days pass. As her pain intensifies, so too does the marital strife present in a household stricken by grief. Told in award-winning Norwegian writer Brit Bildoen's signature lyrical prose, the story slowly unfurls the horrors of a national tragedy, while peeling back the layers of sorrow that infect relationships over time.

Read more less

Book Synopsis*Longlisted for the 2016 International DUBLIN Literary Award*Once upon a time there was a Persian prince. The prince had many brothers, for his father had married over a thousand wives, but Prince Naser alone stood to inherit the kingdom. As the prince ascends to the throne we lurk in his shadow to overhear the whispered intrigues and plotting of bloody battles. The weight of the nation bears heavily on Shah Naser''s shoulders. Will this young king triumph or will he succumb to the forces that threaten to engulf him? Enter the court of the King of Persia . . .Trade ReviewThe King is utterly fabulous in both senses of the word: a sly, witty, knowing fable, full of charm and humour. Deceptively simple in its storytelling, it reads like one of Angela Carter's fairy tales transposed into the nineteenth-century Qajar Persian court. Kader Abdolah is a masterful and completely addictive storyteller -- WILLIAM DALRYMPLEA strong and colourful story illuminating the complex forces that have shaped contemporary Iran * * Metro * *Glorious * * The Times * *Set in the last half of the 19th century, The King is a biography of brutality and ambition; all of its characters strive to shape their own lives as well as the destiny of their evolving nation * * New York Times * *Told in a simple yet gripping style based on the great epic history of early Persia, the 'Shahnameh' written by Firdawsi about a thousand years ago. It proves a very effective model for this dramatic tale of a later ruler and his heroic, if often brutal, battles. As in the 'Shahnameh', lyrical passages celebrating Persia break up the harsh history * * Independent * *Abdolah brings a crucial moment in 19th-century Persian history to vivid life * * Independent * *The King probes questions of power and authority through wry fable - Salman Rushdie's Shame meets Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall . . . the story is rich with subtle touches . . . in the grand tradition of Persian literary satire, the writing is playful, subversive, and compassionate . . . resplendent * * Financial Times * *Excellent . . . accessible and deceptively light * * Scotsman * *A modern epic * * Independent * *A very detailed and well-researched historical account * * Guardian * *

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn 1626, Bada Shanren is born into the Chinese royal family. When the old Ming Dynasty crumbles, he becomes an artist, committed to capturing the essence of nature with a single brushstroke. Then the rulers of the new Qing Dynasty discover his identity and Bada must feign madness to escape.Trade Review'The book is 110 pages (and 11 of those are pictures), but - much like one of Shanren's paintings - contains far more than its small compass might suggest.' Brandon Robshaw, INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY ------- 'Delicate and moving.' Boyd Tonkin, INDEPENDENT -------- 'Intriguing, elegant, awesome in its precision and uplifting in its sheer beauty, this is a book to read, enjoy... and then read again.' Pam Norfolk, LANCASHIRE EVENING POST ------- 'The author's cool, succinct prose and use of short chapters enhance the meditative nature of this beguiling story, which interweaves art theory, history, metaphysics and narrative.' SHELF UNBOUND ------- 'A powerful, poetic book. A two-hour enchantment.' KULTURSPIEGEL

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisA stunning, revelatory new translation of the only novel by one of the greatest poets of the twentieth century, from one of “the most trustworthy and exhilarating of Rilke’s contemporary translators” (Michael Dirda, The Washington Post)Trade Review"Reading Rilke in English, one faces three doors: read Edward Snow, read a lesser translator, or learn German. Just as Snow has produced masterpieces in the past, his rendering of The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge is a revelation. Though I had read the volume before with curiosity, I found Snow’s version a page-turner. I devoured it like a velociraptor." -- Mary Karr"Edward Snow, that most sensitive and deft translator of Rilke’s poetry, has outdone himself by rendering the Danish writer’s prose classic in all its eerie, crepuscular shadings.… Every sentence glistens here, as childhood and manhood, past and present un" -- Phillip Lopate"This book has been central for many young poets, in many languages, for generations. Now, Edward Snow has created a fresh, inviting version in English." -- Robert Pinsky

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe highly acclaimed, international bestselling novel following the lives of three generations of women.'Brilliant' USA TODAY'Extremely moving and, as its bestseller status might suggest, hypnotically readable' SPECTATORTrade ReviewExtremely moving and, as its bestseller status might suggest, hypnotically readable * SPECTATOR *Hanna and her daughters are hard to shake off, lingering long after you've turned the last page ... Profound, moving ... rich in detail * SHE *Brilliant ... Hanna's Daughters outlines the lives of three generations of women and their complicated relationships with one another * USA TODAY *Gripping and gritty. Catherine Cookson with a touch of Strindberg -- Marika CobboldAn uplifting family saga ... Fredriksson provides a satisfyingly complex ... chronicle of women and the burdens imposed by their family history, their gender and themselves ... Its message of reconciliation is transcendent * PEOPLE *Fredriksson's knack for connecting with her characters creates a gentle and subtly nuanced portrait of growing friendship and understanding * SCOTSMAN *Fredriksson is gifted with both the insights of maturity and the art of the storyteller * JEWISH CHRONICLE *The writing is exquisite ... For me, finding this gem of an author was a true and marvellous discovery * THE RECORD *Skilled at picturing the changing world of Sweden and the evolving place of women in it * TORONTO GLOBE AND MAIL *A wonderful book. The family chronicle, a kind of story which once produced the greatest novels, now seems to be experiencing a renaissance * DIE WELT *Well translated and beautifully controlled ... Very satisfying * PUBLISHING NEWS *I loved Hanna's Daughters from the very first page, and I absolutely could not put it down ... Written with grace and wit, this novel deserves to be read, discussed, and cherished by future generations of mothers and daughters -- Judith Guest, author of ORDINARY PEOPLE AND ERRANDS

Read more less

Book SynopsisNOW A MAJOR NETFLIX SERIES ''A full-throttle thriller in the tradition of classic Stieg Larsson, drenched in atmosphere and charged with adrenaline. I loved this book'' A. J. Finn, author of The Woman In The Window''A cracking ending that left me STUNNED'' 5***** Reader Review THE CHILLING DEBUT NOVEL FROM THE CREATOR AND WRITER OF HIT TV SHOW THE KILLING, perfect for fans of THE FALL and DES________ As the leaves fall, he''s coming for you . . . One October morning in a quiet suburb, the police make a terrible discovery. A young woman is found brutally murdered with one of her hands missing. Above her hangs a small doll made of chestnuts. Examining the doll, Forensics are shocked to find a fingerprint belonging to a young girl, kidnapped and murdered a year ago. Can a new killer be the key to an old crime? And will hTrade ReviewSveistrup's brilliant and brutal The Chestnut Man sets a new benchmark. The Steig Larsson comparisons seem unfair - on Sveistrup. He is quite simply in another league. Scandi noir is back with a bang with this sensational debut novel ***** * Metro *Creepy, clever and packed with tension * The Sun ****** The Chestnut Man has success written all over it. You will never want to play with conkers again * Daily Express *If you're pining for a dose of Jo Nesbo-style Scandi noir, The Chestnut Man should hit the spot. The twisty, tricksy storyline, delivered in short, sharp chapters that don't let anyone catch their breath, gathers an unstoppable momentum so that 500 pages disappear in a trice - and the ending is satisfyingly grand guignol, with room left for a sequel * The Times *A full-throttle thriller in the tradition of classic Stieg Larsson, drenched in atmosphere and charged with adrenaline. Buckle up. You'll gulp down every word. I loved this book * A.J. Finn, author of The Woman in the Window *As in The Killing television series, Sveistrup offers lessons to seasoned practitioners of the serial-killer whodunit in how to inject new energy into this near-exhausted sub-genre, and a reminder (via his portrayal of the families, homes and workplaces that his cops visit) that crime writing has the potential to be eye-opening, panoramic social realism * Sunday Times *If you are one of the millions who enjoyed The Killing, you'll want to read the first novel by its creator. Sveistrup's ability at building tension is evident, and this will undoubtedly make for a compelling television adaptation * Guardian *BBC Top Fiction Picks of 2019 * BBC.co.uk *A debut thriller from the creator of The Killing opens with a gruesome discovery in a Copenhagen suburb * Guardian Books of 2019 *Superbly written and carries you along at breakneck speed. If you liked The Killing, you are going to love this * My Weekly *This might just be the thriller of the year. The Chestnut Man grips you from the opening page and never lets go, as we're pulled into a haunting whirlwind of secrets, deception and the dark side of the soul. The policing is top-notch, of course, and the characters - good and bad - are so real we're sure we've met them before. Brilliant! * Jeffery Deaver *A nail-biting, atmospheric thriller * The Herald *Sviestrup shows off his Scandi-noir know-how in this Stieg Larsson-worthy mystery featuring blood-curdling murders and a couple of ill-assorted investigators * Foyles *A taut, high-octane thriller. Sveistrup snares his reader with his house-of-horrors opening and keeps us gripped. . . suffice to say that he leads and wrongfoots us through numerous twists, turns, cliff-hangers and red herrings to an outcome which is as bold as it is explosive. He makes every page count - it's a joy to be so immersed on the edge of a seat * The Herald *The action surges along in swinging the spotlight of suspicion around without ever letting the reader feel confident they have the right culprit, and the denouement is intense and very gory * Strong Words *Best books to read this Spring * Marie Claire *Søren Sveistrup's page-turning thriller is a tale of crime and passion * Evening Standard Best Books of 2019 *If you are one of the millions who enjoyed the Scandinavian crime series The Killing, you'll want to read the first novel by its creator. . . this will undoubtedly make for a compelling television adaptation * The Observer *The books everyone's devouring right now - and you should add to your spring reading list * Glamour *Inside Soap's Hot List * Inside Soap *A tension-charged debut, sharing elements of his signature TV writing with incendiary twists * Financial Times *Søren Sveistrup, is clearly a master craftsman * Telegraph *Crime lovers, rejoice. This is a thrilling, fast-paced page-turner that promises to hook readers from the first page * Eastern Daily Press *A superb debut novel from the writer behind hit TV series The Killing. This book grips you from the out and boils and boils to an almost sickening conclusion. It just does not let up * Eastern Daily Press *Chilling psychological drama * Mail Online *This one will have your heart in your mouth * Digital Spy *Sveistrup keeps the reader gripped until the very end * Dagbladenes Bureau *I was completely blown away by this debut novel * sidsesbogreol.dk *Sveistrup sets new standards in crime * bogfriisen.dk *Nerve-racking, you're sitting on the edge of your seat, and by the time you've finished the book you've got no nails left * Livetidukkehuset.dk *Simply an unparalleled page-turner * Ord fra en bibliofil *Absolutely fantastic crime novel. The plot keeps you gripped, and you always end up wanting to read just one more page. Nerve-racking. Nail-biting. Thrilling. Hair-raising * Krummeskrummelurer.dk *Not all good scriptwriters can produce a detective story designed to be read rather than watched on TV. But Søren Sveistrup, the man responsible for The Killing, proves . . . that it can be done . . . The characters, the plot with its deep, eerie undercurrent of the unknown, and the intense, compelling manipulation of suspense are qualities reminiscent of The Killing * Marie Louise Toksvig *This nerve-racking debut novel has a brilliant plot . . . * Ugebladet Søndag *A powerful portrait of two intriguing detectives who are here to stay . . . * Vildmedkrimi.dk *Simply so well written, well constructed and suspenseful. I've read a lot of fantastic crime novels, but this is far and away the best I've read in a long time. . . . insanely suspenseful and gripping * RandiGlensbo.dk *Crime fiction of the highest quality - fascinating characters, great storytelling, and unbearable suspense. I absolutely loved it * Deon Meyer *Sveistrup is a skilled weaver of plot, able to surprise the reader and maintain a well-developed sense of pacing, tension and action. He keeps the reader hooked until the final page * Bok 365 *The ingredients in this stew are familiar to everyone who reads crime novels. Sveistrup's great skill becomes apparent in the solid, complex plot, as well as in the pacing and impact that drives the reader onward page after page. The Chestnut Man is a demonstration of how a novel of this type should be sewn together. The result is incredibly thrilling! * Dagbladet *While other writers come across as formulaic, Sveistrup's plot develops naturally, and he finds space amid the child abuse and harassment for enough injections of humanity that The Chestnut Man never turns into violence porn, a stumbling block for several of his Danish colleagues. The key is Thulin and Hess, the most promising pair of investigators in Nordic crime since Saga and Martin first met over a corpse on a bridge in 2011 * A-magsinet *Individual scenes in the narrative stand out knife-sharp in all their calculated evil. Their encounter with brutal reality nearly overwhelms those involved, and the reader is profoundly challenged by the novel's material. But you survive because you retain a clear sense that there must be a deep well of sorrow behind the crimes, and because the author depicts his cast of characters in such a nuanced way that you sympathise with the hard-pressed investigative team, the victims, and the person behind the terrible murders. Sveistrup keeps the reader gripped until the very end. This is professional writing in the very best sense, and I'm looking forward to more. * Dagbladenes Bureau *The Chestnut Man is an intensely gripping first novel that feels anything but debut-like. Seasoned crime fans with feel as though they're in very safe hands ... [Sveistrup] throws his hat into the ring with extreme professionalism and a talent for deploying his special tricks in precisely calibrated doses. * Børsen *Praise for The Killing * - *Excellent . . . A shrewd mix of police procedural, political thriller and domestic drama * New York Times *TV of the absolute finest quality . . . the writing shines * Guardian *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA beautifully written Christmas tale, brimming with humanity and hope, by best-loved author, Timothée de Fombelle.On a quiet Christmas night, a swallow takes flight from Africa, searching for something it cannot quite name. A disenchanted driver sits alone in his yellow truck, yearning to be home. And a man walks through the snowy streets, feeling utterly alone. But when the three destinies meet, it seems their search for hope, belonging and kindness has finally ended. An atmospheric and heart-warming story, perfect for this very special time of year.Trade ReviewAtmospheric and heartwarming. -- Charlotte Eyre * Bookseller *

Read more less

Book SynopsisLying at the bottom of his apartment stairs, a postman is found dead. At first glance, his death appears to be a tragic accident. However, when Detective Superintendent Konrad Simonsen is called to investigate, he notices that something doesn't add up. Did he fall? When life-sized images of a vanished girl are discovered plastering the walls of the dead man's attic, the case takes a new and sinister turn. Who is she? Could she be alive? Soon the homicide team find themselves delving into the past, but as they approach the truth, Simonsen is forced to confront long-hidden skeletons in his own cupboard.Trade ReviewThe best Danish crime fiction in years. We are already looking forward to the next book in the series * Lars Kepler *A meticulous and skilfully crafted police procedural, which explores the danger of the new-found freedoms of the 1960s * Sydney Morning Herald *A deftly written procedural with clear appeal for fans of Scandinavian crime fiction, particularly those who delight in riveting investigative detail and psychological intricacies * Booklist *Serious, complex novel by a Danish brother and sister raises disturbing issues * The Times, on The Hanging *Enough twists and turns for even the most fervent of thriller fans * Irish Times, on The Hanging *Delicately crafted, and supremely atmospheric * Daily Mail *Terrific … A rattle-paced, twisty thriller. I can't wait for the next in the series * Saga *Spine-tinging * Tatler *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisWinner of the Akutagawa Prize and the Kenzaburo Oe PrizeA New York Times Book Review Editors'' Choice''In Yukiko Motoya''s delightful new story collection, the familiar becomes unfamiliar . . . Certainly the style will remind readers of the Japanese authors Banana Yoshimoto and Sayaka Murata, but the stories themselves?and the logic, or lack thereof, within their sentences?are reminiscent, at least to this reader, of Joy Williams and Rivka Galchen and George Saunders'' ?Weike Wang, New York Times Book ReviewA housewife takes up bodybuilding and sees radical changes to her physique - which her workaholic husband fails to notice. A boy waits at a bus stop, mocking businessmen struggling to keep their umbrellas open in a typhoon - until an old man shows him that they hold the secret to flying. A woman working in a clothing boutique waits endlessly on a customer who won''t come out of the fitting room - and who may or may not be humTrade ReviewDelightful . . . At face value, the stories are fun and funny to read, but weightier questions lurk below the surface. . . . The writing itself is to be admired . . . Certainly the style will remind readers of the Japanese authors Banana Yoshimoto and Sayaka Murata, but the stories themselves - and the logic, or lack thereof, within their sentences - are reminiscent, at least to this reader, of Joy Williams and Rivka Galchen and George Saunders. * Weike Wang, The New York Times Book Review *Unsettlingly good * The Sunday Times *Ingenious stories * The Guardian *These arresting, hyper-real stories linger in the imagination . . . By the first few sentences, you know you're hearing the voice of a remarkable writer; by the end of [the story] "An Exotic Marriage", you're certain that Yukiko Motoya's shivery, murmuring voice will never completely leave you. * Financial Times *These uncanny stories surprise, unnerve and haunt * Spectator *Incredibly enjoyable stories * Daily Mail *11 arresting, hyper-real and delightful stories * Independent i paper *The stories are funny and creepy; they have a campfire vibe, a brush of the moonless night. . . . The tales boil down to the problem of balancing empathy with self-assertion - of both practicing kindness and expressing your own needs, and all while the people around you are behaving like wraiths or aliens. Motoya's protagonists feel quietly radical in a literary moment that seems particularly interested in unpacking various forms of narcissism. They treat the importance of others' inner lives as a given. . . . Meanwhile, the reader watches each transformation and stab at connection. She becomes the bulge in the curtain, the shadow on the other side of the glass-the strange one. * The New Yorker *Motoya is a writing talent who's not afraid of doing things her own way . . . Mixing the absurd with the psychological, Motoya takes the reader on flights of fancy that also seem to capture the bizarreness of our own minds, preconceptions and concerns. If you feel like reading something that little bit different this year then these stories are the perfect place to start. * Stylist magazine *Channeling the surrealist spirit of Banana Yoshimoto and Aimee Bender, Yukiko Motoya's trippy debut story collection alchemizes commonplace frustrations - a malfunctioning umbrella in a downpour, a tedious meeting - into marvelous allegories. . . . Weird and wonderful * Michelle Hart, O, The Oprah Magazine *Charming, bizarre, and uncanny, PICNIC IN THE STORM is Etgar Keret by way of Yoko Ogawa. I'd follow Yukiko Motoya anywhere she wanted to take me. * Carmen Maria Machado, author of Her Body and Other Parties *In 11 short stories, Yukiko Motoya pulls back the curtain from everyday lives, to reveal that beneath the most mundane lies a world bizarre and alien * Bustle, 1 of 11 Most Anticipated Books *I wish I could live inside a Yukiko Motoya book. Her perception and wisdom make the everyday experience feel magical and weird and the strangest experience seem strangely familiar * Etgar Keret, author of Missing Kissinger *

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom bestselling Spanish author Paul Pen comes a haunting and hopeful tale of discovering light in even the darkest of places. For his whole life, the boy has lived underground, in a basement with his parents, grandmother, sister, and brother. Before he was born, his family was disfigured by a fire. His sister wears a white mask to cover her burns. He spends his hours with his cactus, reading his book on insects, or touching the one ray of sunlight that filters in through a crack in the ceiling. Ever since his sister had a baby, everyone’s been acting very strangely. The boy begins to wonder why they never say who the father is, about what happened before his own birth, about why they’re shut away. A few days ago, some fireflies arrived in the basement. His grandma said, There’s no creature more amazing than one that can make its own light. That light makes the boy want to escape, to know the outside world. Problem is, all the doors are locked. And he doesn’t know how to get out…

Read more less

Book SynopsisLonglisted for the Dublin Literary Award 2021'Herman Koch has made a career from saying the apparently unsayable.' - Financial TimesWhen Robert Walter, the popular mayor of Amsterdam, sees his wife toss her head back with laughter while chatting to one of his aldermen at a New Year's reception, he immediately suspects she is cheating on him. Though happily married, he has always wondered why Sylvia, born and raised in a distant country, chose him.Soon afterwards, a journalist unearths an old photograph of a police officer being beaten up by three Vietnam War protesters, one of whom she claims is Robert. Just as unexpectedly, Robert's ninety-four-year-old father announces that he and his wife would rather end their lives than burden their son with their deteriorating health. Once stable and successful, Robert becomes entangled in his fears and suspicions, consumed by jealousy and paranoia. Nothing is what it seems, or is Robert finally beginning to see the world - and his life - as they are, for the first time? Written with Herman Koch's trademark originality, playfulness and edge and translated from Dutch, The Ditch is a wildly clever - and guttingly familiar - story of a man whose sadistic skill for undermining himself and his marriage comes to cost him nearly everything.Trade ReviewHerman Koch has made a career from saying the apparently unsayable. * Financial Times *Herman Koch is rapidly becoming one of my favourite writers -- Stephen King

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Niklas Natt och Dag takes the contemporary Scandinavian crime story and gives it a startlingly gruesome historical twist' GuardianIt is 1795 and evil lurks in the winding alleys of Stockholm. Tycho Ceton prowls the city, willing to do anything to survive and reclaim the honour he has lost. No one knows what he is planning next but Emil Winge, haunted by the ghosts of his past, is determined to stop him. Meanwhile, Jean Mickel Cardell is preoccupied with his own search for Anna Stina Knapp. She may have in her possession a letter which could have devastating consequences in the wrong hands.All the while, hell looms inexorably . . .In 1795: The Order of the Furies, the third instalment of Niklas Natt och Dag's historical noir trilogy, we are plunged once again into the bustling world of late eighteenth-century Stockholm. The city is teetering on a precipice, with evil shaking its core, but can love and friendship prevail?Translated by Ian GilesTrade ReviewThe appeal of this series really lies in the stylistic creation of such a monstrous anti-Sweden * Strong Words *

Read more less

Book SynopsisLoved House of Cards?Terribly gripping, ***** Cedrick'Utterly fascinating.' ***** Perlustra'Absolutely brilliant.' ***** BertrandHe thought the worst was behind them. The primaries done and dusted. The Presidency within arm's reach.He couldn't have been more wrong.Not only were the primaries rigged; they had revealeda web of lies that was but the tip of a huge iceberg.But where there's a will, there's a way...

Read more less

Book SynopsisA thrilling, filmic immersion into Berlin's legendary club scene - a skillfully told novel about the fragility of life.Berlin, Görlitzer Park: The body of a young woman in a white wedding dress floats in the canal. Who is she, and where does she come from? Suspended drugs investigator Tommy trawls Berlin's clubs and criminal clans to uncover the woman's story.On his odyssey through the city, he meets survivors and fighters, the lost and stranded from all over the world: from the Japanese tattoo master to the Indian fire-eater. Wide awake and dead tired, suspended between a dreamscape and reality, Tommy dives deeper and deeper into the Berlin underworld and into his own past. A breathless noir novel that is as hard-hitting as it is emotional, exploring the fragility of life and our longing for community.PRAISE FOR One Clear, Ice-cold Morning at the Beginning of the Twenty-first Century"A highly original and often hypnotic work . . . exactly the type of book that readers in search of striking European voices should embrace" John Boyne (author of THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS), Irish Times"A brilliantly kaleidoscopic morality tale"- Eileen Battersby, Financial Times"A magnificent achievement, a novel of terrific originality" - Charlie Connelly, New European"The exhilarating narrative is wonderfully concise, and the imagery is intensely cinematic" - Barry Forshaw, GuardianTranslated from the German by Jamie BullochTrade ReviewTells an unaffected, gritty, exciting story that you can immediately imagine as a film -- Felix Mueller * Berliner Morgenpost *The panorama of characters is intoxicating -- Margarete Affenzeller * Der Standard *Schimmelpfennig the novelist, like the playwright, succeeds in making his characters lively and believable with just a few strokes -- Monika Wolting * literaturekritik.de *A restless novel written in clear language by a dramatist used to condensing events into vivid scenes. -- Anne Fritsch * Munich Feuilleton *An intoxicating sequence of scenes, with the sober realization that nothing can end well here -- Maike Schiller * Hamburger Abendblatt *A breathless noir novel full of fragile characters, an a powerfully compelling read - the pages practically turn by themselves -- Angelika Grabher-Hollenstein * APA *

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn her perceptive and affecting new novel, Daniela Krien explores a marriage where everything hangs in the balance. "Quietly devastating" HANNAH BECKERMANN, Observer"A stylish, subtle read" Woman & Home BOOK OF THE MONTH"Perfectly paced, nuanced" Saga Magazine PICK OF THE MONTH"Powerful . . . subtle and psychologically astute" Times Literary Supplement"Beautifully written" IndependentHow can two lovers find a way back to each other, when the pain of the past stands between them?With plans adrift after a fire burns down their rented holiday cabin, Rahel and Peter find themselves unexpectedly on an isolated farm where Rahel spent many a happy childhood summer. Suddenly, after years of navigating careers, demanding children and the monotony of the daily routine, they find themselves unable to escape each other's company. With three weeks stretching ahead, they must come to an understanding on whether they have a future together.What happens when love grows older and passion has faded? When what divides us is greater than what brought us together? And how easy is it to ask the fundamental questions about our relationships? Praise for LOVE IN FIVE ACTS:"Highly recommended" The Times "Exquisite . . . Utterly captivating" Woman and Home"Unfailingly impressive" Irish Times "Beautifully direct and lucid prose" Sydney Morning Herald"A beautiful novel" New European "Sympathetic and clear-eyed" Financial Times"An intelligent study of female ambition and frailty" ObserverTranslated from the German by Jamie BullochTrade ReviewA quietly devastating portrayal of a marriage . . . Krien beautifully conveys Rahel's sense of impotent frustration, familial tensions and the thwarted desires of middle age -- Hannah Beckerman * Observer *[A] slim yet powerful novel about families and relationships . . . subtle and psychologically astute . . . acutely observed -- P.D. Smith * Times Literary Supplement *With her trademark hypnotic prose, Krien looks at the nuances of a relationship with honesty and clarity. A stylish, subtle read that digs deeps into the human psyche. -- Zoe West * Woman & Home "Book of the Month" *The intersecting of a troubled past, uneasy present and increasingly uncertain future makes for a quiet, reflective read -- Catherine Taylor * Irish Times *Deeply engaging . . . Beautifully written, subtle and shines a light on the feelings and desires of middle-aged women -- Prudence Wade * Independent *Impactful * Irish Times (Gloss Magazine) *The Fire examines the endurance of long-time love through a couple finding themselves cocooned in an isolated farmhouse for three weeks. -- Charlie Connelly * New European *[A] perfectly paced, nuanced, forgiving story of good, flawed people with a family secret at its heart * Saga Magazine "Pick of the Month" *The plot develops with summery lightness, and the intellectual depth of this book is gradually revealed. * Spiegel *Daniela Krien's The Fire achieves the masterstroke of touching upon the existential without flaunting it. -- Rainer Moritz * Neue Zuercher Zeitung *She writes clearly and without frills. Her language is never banal, but always artfully literary. -- Anke Jahns * NDR Kultur *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn NYRB Classics OriginalA humble clerk and his loving wife scrape out a quiet existence on the margins of Tokyo. Resigned, following years of exile and misfortune, to the bitter consequences of having married without their families’ consent, and unable to have children of their own, Sōsuke and Oyone find the delicate equilibrium of their household upset by a new obligation to meet the educational expenses of Sōsuke’s brash younger brother. While an unlikely new friendship appears to offer a way out of this bind, it also soon threatens to dredge up a past that could once again force them to flee the capital. Desperate and torn, Sōsuke finally resolves to travel to a remote Zen mountain monastery to see if perhaps there, through meditation, he can find a way out of his predicament.        This moving and deceptively simple story, a melancholy tale shot through with glimmers of joy, beauty, and gentle wit, is an understated masterpiece by one of Japan’s greatest writers. At the end of his life, Natsume Sōseki declared The Gate, originally published in 1910, to be his favorite among all his novels. This new translation captures the oblique grace of the original while correcting numerous errors and omissions that marred the first English version.

Read more less

Book SynopsisOriginally published in 1968, The Secret Crypt is something of a cult classic in Mexican literature. Elizondo’s impassioned, breathless prose launches the reader into a labyrinth that is also a hall of mirrors. Here, we find a small group of characters who are part of an underground sect called Urkreis, one of whose aims is to discover the identity of the sect’s founder, known only as “the Imagined.” The identities of narrator, author, and characters blur into one another as the narrative moves between the two worlds of the novel and the author writing the novel—an unclassifiable masterpiece containing initiation rites, sacrificial murder, conspiracy, and delirium.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn her most experimental work to date, Karla Marrufo Huchim explores universal themes with appreciable specificity: loneliness, family angst, memory loss—from a perspective belonging singularly to a native of the Yucatán Peninsula. Mayo’s unnamed narrator is an older woman, isolated in her domestic life, who is both suffering from memory loss and intent on recounting the lives of three generations of her family. The Yucatán culture and community that Marrufo Huchim describes through her narrator’s fine but faltering mind will be foreign but not fetishized for American readers. Trade Review“There are stories that cannot help but change us forever, and Mayo, with its showers of golden rain, its flame trees on fire, its dark sun and the drips and drops that form bubbles, is one of them.”—Nidia Cuan

Read more less

Book SynopsisWinner of the Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature, Empty Cages is an urgent and raw confessional of memory and family and all that is lost and won in one woman''s lifetime The discovery of an old tin of chocolates, its contents long ago devoured, marks the entry into this intimate story that reaches back through a lifetime of memories in search of self and home, with the relationship between mother and daughter at its core.  Fatma Qandil describes, in startling and immersive prose, growing up in a middle-class Egyptian family, the youngest child and witness to their declining fortunes. Spanning the 1960s to the present day, her happy childhood melts away to reveal the fecklessness of her selfish older brothers, her father’s addiction, her mother’s illness, and the violence and many deaths, both literal and figurative, that she endures. In both celebration and suffering, and through triumph and disappointment, her voice is unflinching, revealing both a determination to speak the truth and a poetic sensitivity that is disarming. Recipient of the Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature, this fictional debut marks the arrival of a stunning new voice.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA morose provincial inspector of roads in Aragon settles down to write the fable of the Snow Queen. The Netherlands has now been stretched into a vast country with Northern flatlands and hazardous Alpine ranges in the south. Kai and Lucia are circus illusionists, and when Kai is kidnapped, Lucia must rescue him from the Snow Queen's palace. In the Dutch Mountains is an elegantly constructed story within a story, laced with the wit that characterises the work of this outstanding European writer.Trade Review'He is one of the greatest modern novelists' A. S. Byatt. * A S Byatt *'A genuinely pan-European novel in both its subject and style. It has the brilliance and disconcerting logic of a dream' Jonathan Raban. * Jonathan Raban *'A poet's fairy tale, elegant and beguiling' Julian Barnes. * Julian Barnes *'The brilliant and original fruit of a deep (and well-read) imagination' Bernard Levin, The Times. * The Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisOld schoolpublisher meets e-reader: chaos ensues There's a lotof good to be said about publishing, mainly about the food. The books, though -Robert Dubois feels as if he's read the books, but still they keep coming backto him, the same old books just by new authors. Maybe he's ready to settle intothe end of his career, like it's a tipsy afternoon after a working lunch. Butthen he is confronted with a gift: a piece of technology, a gizmo, areader... Dear Reader takes a wry,affectionate look at the world of publishing, books and authors, and is a veryfunny, moving story about the passing of the old and the excitement of the new.

Read more less

Book SynopsisGustavo 'Highway' Sánchez is a man with a mission: he is planning to replace every last one of his unsightly teeth. He has a few skills that might help him on his way: he can imitate Janis Joplin after two rums, he can interpret Chinese fortune cookies, he can stand an egg upright on a table, and he can float on his back. And, of course, he is the world's best auction caller - although other people might not realise this, because he is, by nature, very discreet. Studying auctioneering under Grandmaster Oklahoma and the famous country singer Leroy Van Dyke, Highway travels the world, amassing his collection of 'Collectibles' and perfecting his own specialty: the allegoric auction. In his quest for a perfect set of pearly whites, he finds unusual ways to raise the funds, culminating in the sale of the jewels of his collection: the teeth of the 'notorious infamous' - Plato, Petrarch, Chesterton, Virginia Woolf et al. Written with elegance, wit and exhilarating boldness, Valeria Luiselli takes us on an idiosyncratic and hugely enjoyable journey that offers an insightful meditation on value, worth and creation, and the points at which they overlap.Trade Review[Luiselli is a] gifted young Mexican writer... [The Story of My Teeth] is like a papier-mâché figurine: the story of a life told as an assemblage of quotation, anecdotes, famous names and auctioneer's lots. It's a clever trick - producing both a slim magical realist 'essay-novel' and simultaneously a dense, allegorical art object... The effect is quite moving -- Philip Maughan * Literary Review *A combination of memoir, fiction, art criticism and autobiographical reflection, this is a remarkable story about stories... The Story of My Teeth is a testament to eccentricity. If eccentricity is deviation from a known curve, then Luiselli has created an exceptional 'novel-essay' that irradiates beyond the orthodoxies of literary genre -- Natalie Ferris * Frieze *Postmodernism has barely begun to look retro and here it is again, subtly restyled in [The Story of My Teeth]... The prose is confident, playful, learned; and it is translated into utterly convincing English via Luiselli's collaboration with Christina MacSweeney -- Claire Lowden * TLS *This playful collaborative novel invites reader participation -- Books of the Year 2015 * New York Times *Forms and genres collide in this often hilarious experimental fiction from one of our most consistent young writers. It tells the story of an auctioneer and his collection of teeth, but it doubles as a kind of labor theory of art and writing -- 50 Best Independent Press books of 2015 * Flavorwire *[A] delightfully unclassifiable novel... There is an insatiable hunger for storytelling in these pages... it's difficult not to follow wherever it takes you * Publishers Weekly *[The Story of My Teeth] blur[s] the line between the real and the imagined. Sánchez's voice is an engaging one... [full of] Luiselli's wit -- Paul Gould * Financial Times *Noticeable is the formal experimentation - the blending and splicing of genres - in the part-essay, part-fictive writings of Luiselli -- Arifa Akbar (editorial mention) * Independent *The playfully brilliant The Story of My Teeth follows an auctioneer as he collects both stories and strange items (including what he claims are the teeth of Virginia Woolf). The story behind the book is also fascinating - Luiselli wrote it in collaboration with workers at the Jumex juice factory in Mexico -- Books We Loved in 2015 * Buzzfeed *An unusual and engaging creation with [a] light touch * Irish Times *Valeria Luiselli's delirious The Story of My Teeth is just about as brilliant and bonkers as it sounds... There's a giddy joy in the book with sheer audacity on the part of the author. None of this should work, you keep thinking, but it does. It really does. There's such charm in the writing, and such wonderful strangeness in the narrative, that you can't help but fall in love with every page of the book... This is one of those rare books. It should not work at all, but it might just wind up being one of the most essential novels of the year -- Daniel Carpenter * Bookmunch *This delightfully quirky little book has just won the LA Times Best Book Award in the Fiction category, an accolade it richly deserves... The story behind this book is as enchanting and original as that within its covers. It is the result of Valeria Luiselli and the workers in Jumex... Many cameos pop up, figures from ancient Greece up to the present day, and the lines between the real and imaginary are, at times, hardly discernible... Fans of Borges and Marquez will be enthralled. It is magical surrealism brought to an entirely different, accessible, space -- Anne Cunningham * Sunday Independent (Dublin) *Interesting and singular; it bristles with references to philosophy and literature, from Tacitus to Baudrillard via Montaigne and GK Chesterton. It is quirky, funny even, and highly structured -- Jane Housham * Guardian *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAs the head of Swedish Intelligence in Brussels Bente Jensen has many enemies, even among those who ought to be her allies, like Jonathan Green of MI6. In a city heaving with competing espionage agencies he is the person she fears and distrusts most. She has good reason. They share a past.Green has been part of an MI6 conspiracy to hold, interrogate, torture and kill its political prisoners in a safe house in Syria. This explosive information has been leaked to Bente by a conscience-stricken British operative. When it is clear she can expose this operation MI6 uses its full arsenal of dirty tricks to shame her, disgrace her, destroy her relationships and remove her from active service.But Green's private life has more in common with Bente's than he acknowledges. He is far from fireproof himself. Both spies will find themselves targets of the UK establishment's precisely calculated revenge.Like its highly acclaimed predecessor Into A Raging Blaze Andreas Norman's new novel is a morally and politically complex international thriller. Its nail-biting plot and sympathetic characters show the tragic human consequences of private and public treachery.Trade ReviewThis impressive novel shifts between Brussels, London and Syria in a horrifying and moving exploration of different kinds of betrayal. * Literary Review *Norman is an innovative stylist: the fast-paced narrative, fluently rendered in translation by Ian Giles, is written in the third person present tense with an omniscient narrator. This brings a sense of intimacy that is almost claustrophobic, especially at the roller-coaster climax * Financial Times *In this taut, engaging and fascinating thriller . . . the writing is crisp, the action fast paced, the plot is psychology convincing and the subject matter both credible and contemporary. . . Andreas Norman will be one to watch. * Shotmag *With a credible plot and believable characters, this is a high-tension thriller of dirty tricks and calculated revenge * Choice Magazine *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA mother and child are found dead in an old caravan on a remote piece of land. There is a bloody footprint at the scene.Meanwhile, another mother confesses to her son that he is adopted. The man who abandoned them, now the focus of the boy's obsession, is not his real father.Chief Inspector Sejer is tasked with investigating the murder – and soon receives important information about the two families...Trade ReviewA contemporary Patricia Highsmith * Irish Times *Fossum writes humane thrillers which perturb and chill * Observer *Fossum's intelligence compassion...is not often found in the pages of crime fiction -- Donna Leon * Sunday Times *A superb writer of psychological suspense * New York Times *There’s always something dark hovering on the edge of the page, something about getting what you wish for and the crushing irony when that gift proves your undoing * New York Times Book Review *

Read more less

Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER INTERNATIONAL 2017 With the Yi River on one side and the Balou Mountains on the other, the village of Explosion was founded a thousand years ago by refugees fleeing a volcanic eruption. But in the post-Mao era, the name takes on a new significance as the rural community grows explosively from a small village to a town to a city to a vast megalopolis. Behind this rapid expansion are three rival clans linked together by a web of ambition, madness and greed. Together they transform their hometown into a Babylon of modern times -- an unrivalled urban superpower built on lies, sex and thievery.'One of the masters of modern Chinese literature' Jung ChangTrade ReviewCharting the transformation of a rural village into a 21st- century megalopolis, it is a boisterously inventive novel that conveys the everyday reality of modern China -- David Mills * Sunday Times Books of the Year *As much a parody of communist rule in China as a devastating critique of capitalist excess, power, greed and self-destruction, Yan’s novel is nothing short of a masterpiece -- Claire Kohda Hazelton * Observer *Extraordinary... A provocatively illuminating and perceptive insight into contemporary China -- David Mills * The Sunday Times *A hyper-real tour de force, a blistering condemnation of political corruption and excess masquerading as absurdist saga -- Catherine Taylor * Financial Times *A rip-roaring Swiftian satire from a contemporary Chinese master... Yan Lianke, one of China's most forthright and versatile novelists, enlists extravagant comedy and far-fetched fable to propel his critique of a society where "power and money have colluded to steal people's souls" * The Economist *

Read more less

Book Synopsis 'THE MOST IMPORTANT LIVING RUSSIAN WRITER' New Yorker MY HEAD SPINS. I'M LYING IN A BED. WHERE AM I? WHO AM I? A man wakes up in hospital. He has no idea who he is or how he came to be there. The doctor tells him his name, but he doesn't remember it. He remembers nothing. As memories slowly resurface, he begins to build a picture of his former life. Russia in the early twentieth century, the turbulence of the revolution, the aftermath. But how can this be possible when the pills beside his bed are dated 1999? In the deft hands of Eugene Vodolazkin, author of the multi award-winning Laurus, The Aviator paints a vivid, panoramic picture of life in Russia at the beginning of the twentieth century, richly evoking the sights, sounds and political turmoil of those days. Reminiscent of the great works of Russian literature, and shortlisted for the Russian Booker Prize, it cements Vodolazkin's position as the rising star of Russia's literary scene.Trade Review‘Vodolazkin’s grip on this narrative is iron-tight... We should expect nothing less from an author whose previous novel, Laurus, was a barnstorming thriller about medieval virtue.’ * Guardian *‘A fascinating, science fiction-tinged chronicle of a century in Russia.’ * BBC Culture *‘An unabashed, panoramic view of the landscape of human consciousness... Draped in thoroughly Russian trappings, The Aviator speaks to common experience while soaring into realms that enfold the human drama below.’ * Foreword Reviews (starred review) *‘Engaging... Those familiar with twentieth-century Russian history will delight in the swirl of memories that emerge over the course of the narrative.’ * World Literature Today *‘Crisply focused, rich in sensory detail... The arc of the narrative is as simple and clever as a philosopher’s parable. But this is also a deeply emotional book...a quietly radical novel, animated by the spirit of Dmitry Likhachev, an academic who knew what it was to suffer the blows of history first-hand.’ * Words Without Borders *‘Love, faith, and a quest for atonement are the driving themes of an epic, prizewinning Russian novel that, while set in the medieval era, takes a contemporary look at the meaning of time.... With flavors of Umberto Eco and The Canterbury Tales, this affecting, idiosyncratic novel ... is an impressive achievement.’ * Kirkus Reviews *‘Evocative and enigmatic...despite this book’s gentle love story or its murder mystery or its sf flourishes, it is, in many ways, a quintessentially Russian novel, as vivid and probing as they come.’ * Booklist (starred review) *‘Vodolazkin amazes again with his exceptional mastery of language.’ * Style (Russia) *‘A brilliant, thought-provoking read.’ * Historical Novel Society, Editor’s Choice *‘Profound.’ * Shelf Awareness *‘Vodolazkin’s second novel to be translated into English is stylistically different from its brightly filigreed, 15th century-set predecessor, Laurus, but preserves that novel’s sweep and passion for history...the writing, never portentous, blows like fine, dry snow across the pages. Great reading for all audiences.’ * Library Journal *‘A playful mockery of historic and scientific hubris that is at the same time an earnest critique of both the Soviet terror and contemporary life.’ * Plough Editor's Picks *'I’ll be reading The Aviator, the latest novel by the contemporary Russian Orthodox writer Eugene Vodolazkin, who has a real gift for writing about weighty spiritual matters with gorgeous lightness.' * Rob Dreher 225 Magazine *‘A chunk of Russian mastery on display here. An exceptional read.’ * Weekend Sport *‘The Aviator is a novel which manages to be both fast-paced and philosophical.’ * 1stReading's Blog *‘Engrossing, with some surprising turns... This device of a man out of time, waking up in a future world he doesn't recognize, has become almost cliche, but is deftly used here to illuminate the ways memory – both historical and personal – can either serve to chain us to the past or open us to eternity.’ * Thermidor *‘Since this is Vodolazkin, the writing is of course beautiful, and the narrative structure is onion-like, revealing itself carefully and elegantly as the story progresses... There is also even a touch of Dostoyevsky in this powerful novel, whereby Vodolazkin telescopes a century’s horrors and dramas through the lives of a single Leningrad communal apartment’s residents, all the while broaching the greater philosophical questions of existence. Highly recommended.’ * Russian Life *‘A powerful, moving story... It touched my heart in so many ways... Most highly recommended.’ * Marjorie's World of Books *‘Such is Vodolazkin’s modest, difficult, but trans-temporal hope in a time-bound age. Both novels would make splendid Christmas gifts to friends or family members who want to be radically challenged in their reading.’ * The Christian Century *‘Captivating.’ * meduza.io *‘Exceptional.’ * Dmitry Bykov, Echo of Moscow *‘Eugene Vodolazkin sophisticatedly manipulates with genres, masters the style, and keeps the tension until the novel’s last page.’ * Trud *

Read more less

Book Synopsis Shortlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2018 This number one best-selling title in Iraq, Dubai, and the UAE is a heart-rending tale of two girls growing up in war-torn Baghdad Baghdad, 1991. The Gulf War is raging. Two girls, hiding in an air raid shelter, tell stories to keep the fear and the darkness at bay, and a deep friendship is born. But as the bombs continue to fall and friends begin to flee the country, the girls must face the fact that their lives will never be the same again. This poignant debut novel reveals just what it's like to grow up in a city that is slowly disappearing in front of your eyes, and how in the toughest times, children can build up the greatest resilience.Trade Review‘Vivid, at times surreal… the novel confronts the reality of Baghdad in the final decade of the twentieth century through the vision of a girl who often imbues it with wonder and beauty.’ * TLS *"The Baghdad Clock is not just a popular winner with Edinburgh International Book Festival readers this year - it's also a brilliant winner that will live long in the memory and it established Shahad Al Rawi as a force to be reckoned with, in Arabic and English alike." * Nick Barley, director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival *‘With tremendous talent and a sharp intelligence, Al Rawi delivers an outstanding debut. Highly recommended.’ * Library Journal (starred review) *‘Shahad Al Rawi brings us into the city of Baghdad in the middle of the Gulf War, where people continue to go about their lives despite the war that is eroding their homes. The story centres on two girls in an air raid shelter and the friendship that blossoms around the stories they tell each other in this book filled with resilience and life.’ * World Literature Today *‘This stirring debut follows two girls and their lives as they grow up in the war-torn city of Iraq. A poignant portrayal of the enduring bond of friendship, infused with a touch of magical realism.’ * Book Riot *‘Marked with a wild inventiveness and emotional depth… The Baghdad Clock is a stirring, and at times moving, portrait of two young women sticking together while everything around them falls apart…[which] provides compelling depictions of each stage of the girls’ journey to adulthood.’ * The National *‘Al Rawi’s debut presents the so-called enemy imbued with childhood whimsy and human longing, their quotidian stories embellished with touches of magic realism. Rendered into English by Harvard professor Leafgren, who was inspired by 9/11 to learn Arabic, this international bestseller is both condemnation against politics and war and testimony to resilient humanity.’ * Booklist *‘Extraordinary... The author does an incredible job of painting a portrait of a neighborhood in Baghdad [and] writes beautifully of characters who immediately captivate you — characters who are relatable, but also imbued with a sense of magic. The life she writes of has an ethereal overlay, as if life is about much more than just living through war. In a country so often dehumanized by politics, Al-Rawi reminds us of the stories and people that make Iraq what it is.’ * Arab News *‘Through a child's perspective and using elements of magical realism, Al Rawi explores her protagonist's internal turbulence at a time in which uncertainty is a way of life and stability a myth.’ * The Tempest *‘Al Rawi writes with such enthusiasm for her subject matter, she injects her characters with beautiful quirks and personalities.’ * The Bookbag *‘Amazing...I am in awe of [Al Rawi's] ability to share profound thoughts from the point of view of such a young woman.’ * Sandra Yeaman, blog review *‘The Baghdad Clock is a wonderful human book... It's a brilliant and imaginative work that will capture both your heart and your mind.’ * Blogcritics *‘[Shahad Al Rawi] has skilfully interwoven fantasy and reality with a fine thread. She draws you through the story, leading you from one maze into another, as you stagger along in a state of perplexity, amazement and sheer delight.’ * al-Watan *

Read more less

Book Synopsis WINNER OF THE 2016 EU PRIZE FOR LITERATURE One quirk of fate can send life spiralling in the most unexpected direction... A young girl loses her mother when a block of ice falls from the sky. A woman wins the jackpot twice. A man is struck by lightning four times. Coincidence? Or something more? Things That Fall from the Sky is the tale of three lives that are changed forever by random events. But it is also a meditation on the endurance of love, the passage of time and the pain of loss. Selja Ahava, one of Finland's best-loved novelists, weaves these stories together in an unforgettable, one-of-a-kind fable about the twists and turns that can define a lifetime. Trade Review‘Leaves other tales told from a child's-eye view in the dust... An intricate and tender novel.’ * Literary Review *‘A whimsical and thoughtful rumination on the terrifying randomness that dictates the course of a life... Ahava’s rendering of Saara recalls the first-person intimacy of Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (2003) and serves as an example of what strong writers can do with simple sentences.’ * Booklist Starred review *‘A literary fairy tale... People who live in cold climates need stories that can be spun and unspun around warm hearths.’ * Literary Hub *‘Ahava embraces the eccentricities of her characters and the role of randomness in the novel's plot, pivoting from a meditation on grief into something closer in tone to the Ricky Jay-narrated prologue of Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia.’ * Words Without Borders *‘It’s not hard to see why Things that Fall from the Sky won the EU Prize for Literature. Ahava has created a poignant tale about disrupted lives, ruptured identities, grief on hold, the desire to be understood and the human need for closure.’ * European Literature Network *‘A poignant tale about what shapes our identity and choices.’ * The Tablet *'Selja Ahava's quiet, suggestive second novel calls to mind a fairy tale...the narrative is both light and poetic, naive and wise – quite wonderful.' * Neue Zürcher Zeitung *'Selja Ahava tells the story of characters desperately searching for meaning in gentle and poetic prose that nonetheless remains razor-sharp.' * Münchner Merkur *‘A tender, bittersweet work on the micro-tragedies in life, the roll of chance in all our fates, and the sorrows that mark our journeys through life.’ * Victoria's Book Reviews *‘A wonderful gem of a book... It's tragic and it's humorous, it's frightening and it's inspiring. This is a high quality novel by an accomplished author.’ * Marjorie’s World of Books *Praise for Before My Husband Disappears: 'Selja Ahava's third novel, based on her own experiences, is an overwhelmingly honest, precise and wise story of letting go, of memories, sorrow and of life's unexpected twists.' * Me Naiset magazine, Finland *Praise for Before My Husband Disappears: 'Before My Husband Disappears is a victory of literary art, exactly the kind of victory that one would like to see more of: masterly, beautiful and heartbreakingly touching.' * Turun Sanomat, Finland *‘Things that Fall from the Sky underscores the arbitrariness, absurdity, excess, and fatefulness of life. It is so unsettling that it makes you laugh... Ahava succeeds in depicting the human mind, for which any unexpected change can...force one to reflect on existential questions.’ * Helsingin Sanomat *Praise for Before My Husband Disappears: 'Before My Husband Disappears is a beautiful, important and timely novel.' * Helsingin Sanomat, Finland *'A stunning narrative exploring the unexpected and inexplicable nature of reality.' -- Dublin Literary Award

Read more less

Book Synopsis WINNER OF SPAIN'S NATIONAL CRITICS AWARD The epic literary adventure that has transfixed readers and critics alike in Spain Almost four hundred passengers are on board the Boeing 747 en route from Los Angeles to Singapore. Only a handful will survive the crash. Washed ashore on a tiny island with no means of contacting the outside world, tension and fear threaten to overwhelm the group. But as they endeavour, day by day, to survive, they find themselves forced to confront the reality of the lives they left behind. Written in deftly cinematic prose, Andrés Ibáñez’s stunning novel is already considered a modern classic in Spain, expertly translated here by Sophie Hughes. 'Ibáñez is, quite simply, a genius' La VanguardiaTrade Review'An audacious figure with a cult following among those seeking an alternative to more naturalist writing.' -- Times Literary Supplement'Ibáñez has written a huge novel, and he does an excellent job of hooking you in from the beginning with the fast pace... A love letter to humanity and nature, art and culture.' -- Litro Magazine'Andrés Ibañez is an extraordinary novelist. Sea of Eden is outlandish, unexpected and unusual... Andrés Ibáñez's masterpiece situates the author comfortably alongside Roberto Bolaño.' -- ABC Cultural'The author breaks rules few novelists would dare to violate...and the experiment works. Sea of Eden is an ambitious, maximalist, cosmopolitan, encyclopaedic novel overflowing with vitality.' -- Eduardo Lago, Revista de libros'A work of great experience and enlightenment, unique not only in the landscape of recent Spanish literature but, I would argue, across our entire literary history. Pure literary magic, of the kind we encounter only in the work of great talents.' -- Revista de Libros'A literary wonder of unbridled imagination.' -- Diario de Lecturas'An excellent and entertaining novel... A story of feeling and passion in which love, friendship, eroticism, hatred, suspicion, pleasure and pain are always present, not to mention humour.' -- Babelia'A book that will fill many hours with pleasurable, entertaining, philosophical reading.' -- El Placer de la Lectura'One of the most necessary, ambitious and, yes, fun novels published in Spanish (or, indeed, in any language) in the past few decades.' -- Notodo.com'[Ibáñez is], quite simply, a genius.' -- La Vanguardia'There are no limits to his capabilities as a storyteller... If there's a writer who can pull off new tricks, whilst staying true to his well-established, unmistakable fictional universe, it's Ibañez.' -- El Cultural

Read more less

Book SynopsisA sensitive innocent, Hendrickje Stoffels escapes the harsh realities of her garrison home-town to take up a servant's role in Rembrandt's household. She soon becomes his lover and closest confidante, and plays witness to the highs and lows of the great artist's life. But Hendrickje is fated to discover the hypocrisy and greed of society in Amsterdam's Golden Age.In sensuous prose, Matton paints a powerful fictional portrait of this impassioned relationship through the eyes of a remarkable woman.Trade ReviewUsing rich historical detail, Matton charts [Rembrandt's] ostracism from the Church and wealthy Amsterdam society, and reveals the tender, domestic side of the great master's life * * The Times * *Rembrandt's Whore is written in small, pithy passages, each one a sketch depicting a mood or a moment, and is rich in historical detail . . . It is translated from the French, yet somehow the awkwardness of the language only adds to the tenderness of Stoffels' naivety and her wonder at the joys of life * * Guardian * *Matton deserves some reflected glory for this lyrical but well-researched "memoir" . . . She convincingly recreates the girl who moved from maid to muse and mother, shocking puritanical Amsterdam and inspiring some of the tenderest depictions of solid flesh and soaring spirit in art * * Independent * *A work of unobtrusive beauty, unforgettably true and poignant * * Le Figaro * *Matton digs deep into Stoffels' psyche . . . her writing is as beautiful, honest and emotional as the portraits of her subject which, of course, is just the way it should be * * Big Issue * *Matton's novel has been assiduously researched, and she memorably evokes the cruelties and hardships of everyday life 300 years ago * * Mail on Sunday * *A precious alloy of human interest, detailed historical research and inspired sensitivity to Rembrandt's work . . . the writing is as careful and subtle as the master's paintings * * Magazine Litteraire, France * *A fascinating, illuminating look at the pressures [Rembrandt] faced in the later stages of his life . . . a noteworthy book * * Publishers Weekly * *Matton has created a work of incredible beauty, juxtaposing the darkness of a society riddled with Black Death with the passion shared by the painter and his muse * * Bizarre * *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA gripping international thriller, perfect for fans of Homeland. Trust. Betrayal. Conspiracy. Jacob Seger is a trainee diplomat who dreams of changing the world. But on his first posting, in Beirut, he meets a handsome stranger at a party and is swept up in a passionate, obsessive, affair. His relationship with Yassim eclipses everything – until one day Jacob recognises his own face in the newspaper. He is wanted on terrorism charges. Has Yassim set him up? Is he now a pawn in a murderous plot? Jacob is being pulled into a dangerous and complicated game. He needs to learn the rules, and escape Beirut – and he needs to do it fast. At once a moving love story and a gripping adventure, The Friend is an intelligent, urgent thriller that casts light on the dark threats facing the world today. WORLDWIDE REVIEWS FOR JOAKIM ZANDER: 'Fresh, raw and exciting' Sunday Times (UK). 'A thriller of rare ambition' Daily Mail (UK). 'Gripping and urgent' Irish Independent (UK). 'Timely and relevant' Literary Review (UK). 'Both forceful and subtle ... Powerfully orchestrated tension set against a strong dose of social commentary' Independent (UK). 'An absorbing thriller in a complex world of spies, politics, terrorism and assassination ... Excellent' The Times (UK). 'A multi-layered thriller full of style, drive and immediacy' Göteborgs-Posten (Sweden). 'Wonderfully written ... A superb thriller' Metro (Croatia). 'Intrigue, action and adrenaline mixed to perfection' Librería Reconquista (Spain). 'A terrific page-turner rich with complex conflicts and a big, meaty, chillingly credible conspiracy' Chris Pavone (USA). 'A riveting thriller with a great plot. What more can you ask for?' Lokalavisen (Denmark). 'An explosive, thrilling dance fuelled by authenticity' Il Giornale (Italy). 'A multi-layered, action-packed thriller' Dorstener Zeitung (Germany). Trade Review'A moving love story and a gripping adventure, The Friend is an intelligent thriller that untangles the complexities of international politics and reveals the dark threats facing the world today' The Bookseller.'The continued theme of Russian stirring of disaffection in Europe is certainly very topical, and with non-stop action and memorable characters the book could appeal to a wide audience' Crime Review.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIberian and Translation Studies: Literary Contact Zones offers fertile reflection on the dynamics of linguistic diversity and multifaceted literary translation flows taking place across the Iberian Peninsula. Drawing on cutting-edge theoretical perspectives and on a historically diverse body of case studies, the volume’s sixteen chapters explore the key role of translation in shaping interliterary relations and cultural identities within Iberia. Mary Louise Pratt’s contact zone metaphor is used as an overarching concept to approach Iberia as a translation(al) space where languages and cultural systems (Basque, Catalan, Galician, Portuguese, and Spanish) set up relationships either of conflict, coercion, and resistance or of collaboration, hospitality, and solidarity.In bringing together a variety of essays by multilingual scholars whose conceptual and empirical research places itself at the intersection of translation and literary Iberian studies, the book opens up a new interdisciplinary field of enquiry: Iberian translation studies. This allows for a renewed study of canonical authors such as Joan Maragall, Fernando Pessoa, Camilo José Cela, and Bernardo Atxaga, and calls attention to emerging bilingual contemporary voices. In addition to addressing understudied genres (the entremez and the picaresque novel) and the phenomena of self-translation, indirect translation, and collaborative translation, the book provides fresh insights into Iberian cultural agents, mediators, and institutions.Trade Review‘This publication is a fundamental reference for any scholar looking to investigate intra-Iberian translations in the near future.’ - Santiago Pérez Isasi, Universidade de Lisboa‘Positioning the collection of essays that the book brings together between two disciplinary spaces, Translation studies and Iberian studies, Fernandes, Pacheco Pinto, and Gimeno Ugalde propose to forge… a new field of research, “Iberian Translation studies.”’ - Patricia López-Gay, Bard College‘As we can attest after reading this book, studying the Iberian space as a translation zone undermines the restrictive framework of the nation-state, while questioning conventional binaries such as language/culture of origin vs. target language/culture, creation vs. translation, or author vs. translator, which opens up a promising future for this field of research.’ - Rexina Rodríguez Vega, Universidade de VigoTable of ContentsIntroducing Iberian Translation Studies as a Literary Contact ZoneEsther Gimeno Ugalde, Marta Pacheco Pinto, ngela FernandesPART I: Iberian and Translation Studies: Theoretical Contact Zones1. Paradoxes and Mediation Pitfalls of the Translational Contact ZoneEsther Gimeno Ugalde2. Literary Translation from Catalan within the Framework of the Iberian and Global Gravitational SystemsPere Comellas Casanova3. Theoretical Contact Zones between Translation and Iberian StudiesAna Belén Cao4. A (De)construction of Modern Literary Iberia: Translating Eugénio de CastroMiguel Filipe Mochila5. Between Recognition and Co-Optation: Translations of Present-day Galician Poetry in the Spanish Literary SystemIsaac LouridoPART II: Fluid Contact Zones: Indirect Translation, Self-Translation, Intersemiotic Translation6. The Picaresque Novel as Eclectic Translation: Composing HeteroglossiaRita Bueno Maia7. Estima de Oliveira’s Otoño en Pequín: Genetic Translation Approaches to Poetic AuthorshipAriadne Nunes and Marta Pacheco Pinto8. The Double Face of Translation in Joan MaragallRobert Newcomb9. Heterolingualism in the Novel. Soinujolearen semea and Its Adaptations for Theater and CinemaElizabete ManterolaPART III: Iberian Contact Zones: Crossing Times and Genres10. The Spanish Translations of Fernando Pessoa in the First Francoism: Ideological and Aesthetic FactorsAntonio Sáez Delgado11. Literary Tourism in a Contact Zone: The Spanish Translation of Lisbon – What the Tourist Should See, by Fernando PessoaSara Rodrigues de Sousa12. The Translations of Camilo José Cela’s La familia de Pascual Duarte into Portuguese, Catalan, Galician and BasqueMaria Dasca Batalla13. ‘Minotauro’ and ‘Confluências’: Two Portuguese Series Dedicated to Literature from Spain in the Twenty-First CenturyIsabel Araújo Branco14. The Nutcrackers: Iberian Variations on a Short FarceJosé Pedro Sousa and Andresa Fresta Marques15. Catalan and Spanish Drama in Contact (1890–1939)Enric Gallén and Miquel M. Gibert16. Iberian Theatre Translated into Portuguese in the Twenty-First Century ngela Fernandes

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less