Fiction in translation
Open Letter Four By Four
Book SynopsisA haunting depiction of a sinister boarding school in a world veering toward chaos.
£14.39
Charco Press A Musical Offering
Book SynopsisA lyrical celebration of storytelling, of childhood, and of the transformative power of music.Tracing a circular course that echoes Bach’s Goldberg Variations , Luis Sagasti’s second book to appear in English takes the guise of a musical scheherazade, recounting story after story, vibrating to celestial harmonies. From the music born of the sun to the music sent into space on the Voyager mission, from Rothko to rock music, from the composers of the concentration camps to a weeping room for Argentinian conscripts in the Falklands, A Musical Offering traverses the shifting sands of fiction and history.Trade ReviewSociety of Authors Valle-Inclán Prize (Winner)Republic of Consciousness Prize (Shortlist)"Fluidity, charm, emotion and disarming brushes of grace." —The Wall Street Journal"A bewitching suite of stories about music, heard and unheard." —The Arts Desk"A beautiful, fragmentary rendition which never strikes a false note." —Irish Times"A Musical Offering is less an attempt to write about music than to actually write music - using words as a new kind of notation."" —Will Ashon , author of CHAMBER MUSIC and STRANGE LABYRINTH"The literary equivalent of a symphony." —Books and Bao"Sagasti handles his elements masterfully, subtly and dexterously weaves new threads into his tapestry." —BookBlast"A work of immense complexity, great balance and extraordinary beauty." —The Monthly Booking"Sagasti manages to create a world rich in illuminations and philosophical reflections." —Morning Star"Sagasti’s careful contrapuntal construction weaves together an eclectic range of vignettes which transcend their parts, leaving an indelible emotional impact that defies rationalisation." —Gutter Magazine"I have gained knowledge I didn’t know I needed." —Joyzine"A veritable fugue of insights and literary forms, subtlety and humour." —Asymptote**********Praise for Luis SagastiSociety of Authors TA First Translation Prize (Shortlist)"A subtle marvel...a nimble writer who merits wider readership in English." —Kirkus"A genre-defying collection of associative musings on art, music, philosophy, and literature." —Publishers Weekly"Innovative, playful, and beautifully executed."" —Carlos Fonseca , author of COLONEL LAGRIMAS"Simply genius."" —Enrique Vila-Matas , author of DUBLINESQUE"A work of wonderful analogies and disparate historical footnotes." —Morning Star"Like Borges before him, Sagasti has produced a rare thing: a work of fiction as learned as it is fun." —Gary M. Perry, Foyles Charing Cross"Sagasti produces here a magnificent constellation of stories, and in doing so pays tribute to art." —Fnac"One hundred pages of pure intelligence, to be enjoyed listening to Sun Ra." —L’Arbre Vengeur**********
£8.54
Twisted Spoon Press The Diary of Mr. Pinke
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£13.30
Orient BlackSwan The Collected Short Stories of Kazi Nazrul Islam
Book Synopsishis unique volume presents all 20 of Kazi Nazrul Islam's short stories for the first time in English translation. Featuring rich imagery, evocative landscapes, references to music, classical poetry, folktales and more, these stories invite the reader to re-evaluate the rebel poet' as an empathetic humanitarian. The volume is a transnational, collaborative labour of love bringing together stellar editors and translators from Bangladesh and India. The stories are accompanied by a timeline of Nazrul's life and a critical introduction that not only provides foundational contexts for the stories
£27.08
HarperCollins India The Pig Flip
Book SynopsisBrilliantly narrated and illustrated by Joshy Benedict, The Pig Flip - translated from the Malayalam by K.K. Muralidharan - is a surreal and narcotic tale of addiction and comeuppance that will linger hauntingly in the mind long after you've read it.
£13.12
Niyogi Books Trailokyanath Mukhopadhyay: Tales of Early Magic
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£20.42
The American University in Cairo Press Fractured Destinies
Book SynopsisPalestinian–Armenian Ivana eloped with a British doctor in the 1940s, in the midst of the Nakba, and emigrated to England. Over half a century later, her daughter Julie has been tasked with her dying wish: to take her ashes back to their old home in Acre. With her husband Walid, they leave London and embark on a journey back to their country of birth. Written in four parts, each as a concerto movement, Rabai al-Madhoun’s pioneering new novel explores Palestinian exile, with all its complex loyalties and identities. Broad in scope and sweeping in its history, it lays bare the tragedy of everyday Palestinian life.Trade Review"[Fractured Destinies] invents a new fictional form . . . [and] can be considered the complete Palestinian novel."--Amina Thiban, chair of the panel of judges for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2016
£999.99
Hamad Bin Khalifa University Press When Thoughts Visits Us
Book Synopsis"Around the globe, thoughts circulate freely, visiting all people... She knocks on our doors seeking to enter, so we allow her... We host her to the table, offer a cup of tea, and a piece of cake... Together we laugh and entertain. But there are thoughts that breaks through the window, without permission... She enters, forcing us to host her... She coercively sits at the table, demand a cup of tea and a piece of chocolate cake. What if you welcome her, and sit in front of her at the table, what if you refuse to listen to her? and what if you listen?!"
£7.99
Academic Studies Press The Tears and Smiles of Things
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£14.24
Academic Studies Press Pan Tadeusz or the Last Foray in Lithuania
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£20.89
Orion Publishing Co Waiting For Monsieur Bellivier
Book Synopsis''Are you waiting for Monsieur Bellivier, madame?'' Helena should of course say no. She doesn''t know the man talking to her, she doesn''t know Monsieur Bellivier, and she certainly isn''t waiting for him. But, bored of life, and sparked by a whim, she says yes. Mancebo, a Tunisian shopkeeper, lives a quiet life manning his grocery near the Sacré-Cœur. But one day he is approached by a woman asking whether he will spy on her boyfriend, who lives in the apartment across the street. To his surprise, Mancebo agrees. As Helena and Mancebo''s missions overlap, they realise that the City of Light harbours more secrets in its cafés and courtyards than its inhabitants and visitors could possibly suspect . . .''An intriguing little mystery'' Books on the 747''An absolute delight to read . . . Paris is brought to life on the pages of this exquisite book about identity, finding yourself and the importance of taking a chance on lifTrade ReviewFans of Alexander McCall Smith, as well as readers who enjoy quirky characters and richly drawn settings, should find plenty to appreciate in this novel about secret lives and second chances * PUBLISHERS WEEKLY *
£7.19
Vitasta Publishing Pvt.Ltd Dancers in the Dark: In the darkness of her skin,
Book SynopsisTheir journey to retrieve the money brings together a mysterious ally, an exotic festival, a divine intervention and a con artist changing their destinies in ways no one could have predicted.
£14.39
HarperCollins India A Game Of Fire
Book SynopsisIn post-Partition Amritsar, Satnam Singh helps Hindu and Sikh refugees at Guru Ram Das Serai. He witnesses escalating communal violence as friends turn to revenge, aiming to cleanse the city of Muslims.
£14.00
Hamad Bin Khalifa University Press This is Better!
Book SynopsisOmar is a little boy who loves to draw and color, but hes not very patient, and he goes way too fast! He doesnt like to go back and try again, or practice to get better either. Will Omar change his ways, or will he choose to stay the same? Read on to find out!
£8.21
Hamad Bin Khalifa University Press Crocodile, and the Right to Education
Book SynopsisThe little crocodile Mawhoub does not go to school, but helps his family clean the house and collect firewood. But when the talkative fox told him about school, the crayons, and notebooks, and all the fun activities, he felt a strong desire to learn like other little ones. Mawhoub's father opposed his desire and told him that work is more useful than education! Can Mawhoub find a way to convince his father that children have the right to education?
£7.49
Hamad Bin Khalifa University Press Ashar nisaa (Diez Mujeres)
Book SynopsisText in Arabic. Nine disparate women, unknown to each other, are brought together by a tenth, a therapist, to share their stories. Regardless of their social standing, age, or profession, each woman is burdened by fear, insecurity, and loneliness. Some face a past they cannot leave behind; others, a present that is untenable, or a future that looms ominously. They find peace in one another and discover that courage overcomes all.
£8.54
Hamad Bin Khalifa University Press Games of the Late Age
Book SynopsisText in Arabic. Gregorio is a middle-aged clerk, grey and ordinary, whose youthful aspirations for an exciting, more fulfilling life have faded completely. One day, he meets a man named Gil over the phone and everything begins to change. Through his conversations with Gil, Gregorio forges another personality for himself as Faroni, an attractive polyglot, engineer, poet, and world traveler. When Gil announces that he is finally coming to meet him, Gregorio becomes desperate to preserve his own lies and embarks upon a dangerous path. First published in Spanish in 1989, this novel won Spains Critics Prize that same year, followed by the National Literature Prize in 1990, making Luis Landero one of the top names in contemporary Spanish literature.
£17.99
Academic Studies Press Dovlatov and Surroundings: A Philological Novel
Book SynopsisDovlatov and Surroundings is a literary ode by one of the most consequential late 20th-century Russian writers, Alexander Genis, to another: Sergei Dovlatov. Though the book’s focus is ostensibly the man himself, the text unfolds as a comprehensive look at the Soviet, post-Soviet, and American cultures that shaped him and which he shaped. Dovlatov and Surroundings constantly, but effortlessly shifts its focus from the intimate to the sweeping, as Genis’s reflections on his friendship with Dovlatov organically give way to recollections about diaspora life, which transition smoothly into analyses of language, culture, politics, and literature. Characterized by Genis as an obituary, this book makes plain the significance of Dovlatov to Russian literature and the nuances of the Soviet cultural heritage.Trade Review“Appearing almost a quarter of a century after the publication of the Russian original, Rojavin's translation into English of Aleksandr Genis’s Dovlatov i okrestnosti, an ambivalent tribute to Russian literary historian Sergei Dovlatov, is flawless. … Including (often-unattributed) witticisms… this book… provides a sociohistorical record of the Russian immigrant life and elements of the diaspora trying to maintain the identity of their native land. … Recommended.— D. Hutchins, CHOICE“Dovlatov and Surroundings in this new translation offers a cocktail of brilliant spirits: An informative introduction by accomplished scholar Mark Lipovetsky, then Alexander Genis’s striking and influential study of beloved (and tremendously funny) émigré author Sergei Dovlatov. Bilingual translator Alexander Rojavin has brought Genis’s work into precise and idiomatic English, hitting every note right.”— Sibelan Forrester, Susan W. Lippincott Professor of Modern and Classical Languages and Russian, Swarthmore College“A famous Russian émigré writer and a sharp Russian literary critic meet in this blend of a literary biography and a memoir. Sergei Dovlatov’s massive personality is portraited by Alexander Genis sympathetically and with keen observations. In this book, life and literature intertwine seamlessly, as was the case for both Dovlatov and Genis. Those interested in a detailed account of the aspirations and mind-set of the Soviet immigrants’ literary milieu in New York will find this narrative educational and fascinating. The book works as a perfect entrée to Dovlatov’s simple, but exquisite prose.”— Olga Bukhina, Translator, Author, Children’s Books Specialist“Genis achieves the same effect that Dovlatov did: he simultaneously makes the Third Wave of immigration more intimate and more mythological. On the one hand, Dovlatov and Surroundings is the best possible memorial to a generation of immigrants who left the Soviet Union on a Jewish visa and created a new Russian literature abroad. On the other hand, it is a house, filled with joyful and dramatic life, whose doors are open to all who wish to enter. The fact that Genis’s philological novel is coming out in English today is proof of this project’s success. When all is said and done, Genis’s book is an inexhaustible source of optimism…”— Mark Lipovetsky, from the prefaceTable of ContentsForeword: Genis and Surroundings, or Twenty Years Later by Mark Lipovetsky The Last Soviet Generation Laughter and Trepidation The Poetics of Prison Do You Like Fish? The Metaphysics of Error Cabbage Soup from Borjomi Tere-Tere Poetry and Truth None of Us Are Lookers An Empty Mirror A Dotted Novel All That Jazz Pushkin A Concert for an Accented Voice Halfway to the Homeland A Matryoshka with Genitals The Unwilling Son of the Ether Death and Other Concerns Without Dovlatov A Brief History of The New American Dovlatov as an Editor Dovlatov on the Screen Dovlatov and Death
£15.19
Academic Studies Press Under a Bloodred Sky: Avigdor Hameiri’s War
Book Synopsis“[A] gripping mix of stories and poems… interwoven with moments of quiet, affecting beauty… This remarkable work rescues an important 20th-century Israeli voice from obscurity.” — Publishers WeeklyThis book represents an anthology of Avigdor Hameiri’s ten most compelling war stories and poetry. His war stories are unique, and different from his Hebrew writer contemporaries in that they mix the supernatural and macabre with war, pogroms, and antisemitism. These stories and poems reflect like no other the unique complexity of the Jewish soldier’s experience of the most vicious and shocking war the world had witnessed to date — the battles, the agony, the dilemmas faced by the Jewish soldier, bravery versus cowardice, the notion of imminent death, breaking the sixth commandment (Thou Shalt Not Murder), elements of pacifism (particularly involving camaraderie between the common soldiers on both sides of the battlefield and their shared hatred for rank), and more.Table of ContentsIntroduction by Editors and TranslatorsIntroduction1. Under a Bloodred Sky (Poem)2. Christians (or, How My Hair Turned White Overnight)3. Silence (Poem)4. Revenge5. Satan’s Idyll (Poem)6. On the Verge7. Kill the Lights (Poem)8. The Spider9. On Guard (Poem)10. A Blessed Fall Dawn11. Question and Answer (Poem)12. Hanale13. Matrimony (Poem)14. A Night of Vigil15. By Hands of Man (Poem)16. The Storm17. The Filth King (Poem)18. Sarah Bänger19. The Bereaved Mothers (Poem)20. Gift21. On Fascism and Its Goal (Speech at the ceremonial opening of the Second National “Antifa” Conference in Tel Aviv, April 12, 1935 at Mugrabi Theater)
£78.19
Academic Studies Press Pan Tadeusz or the Last Foray in Lithuania
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£80.24
MIT Press His Masters Voice
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£15.29
Saqi Books Something Strange Like Hunger
Book SynopsisMalika Moustadraf is a cult feminist icon in contemporary Moroccan literature, celebrated for her uncompromising depiction of life on the margins. Something Strange, Like Hunger presents Moustadraf''s collected short fiction: haunting, visceral stories by a master of the genre. Here, we tune into Casablanca''s unheard: a sex worker struggling to keep warm on the streets; a housewife flirting with strangers online; a kidney patient, priced-out of treatment, facing the harsh reality of his condition; and a mother scheming to ensure her daughter passes a virginity test. Something Strange, Like Hunger is a sharp provocation to patriarchal power, and a celebration of the life and genius of one of Morocco''s preeminent writers.Trade Review'At once tender and cruel, insolent and profound, Malika Moustadraf is an exceptional and courageous writer who confronts the harshest realities of her country. Her characters, with all their humour and complexity, will stay with you for a long time.' Leila Slimani;'And how precious, how raw and mordant her voice is, poised with its serrated edge to slice through the obfuscations and lies of a patriarchy buttressed by institutionalised religion.'Asymptote Journal
£9.49
Saqi Books Egyptian Earth
Book SynopsisTrade Review‘A remarkable and often funny book . . . A classic of modern Egyptian literature.’ * The Observer *
£9.49
ACA Publishing Limited Shadow of the Hunter
Book SynopsisThe people of China tell of an ancient tale, where the mantis hunts the cicada, unaware of the yellow bird behind it. In a small corner of one of its many cities, a random act of violence sets off a spinning top, entwining the lives of three people.Baorun, the compulsive bondage expert, is forever aided and abetted by Liu Sheng, a brash troublemaker, to indulge in his obsessions; and the lady Fairy Princess, ever-youthful, becomes the target of the pair’s escalating antics.As the years pass, many things begin to change, but in the dysfunctional world of a mental hospital at the end of Red Toon Street, just who is prey, and who is predator?Often insightful and occasionally unsettling, Shadow of the Hunter is a memorable tale concerned with guilt, injustice, madness and the struggle not to lose one’s soul to history. It is one of Su Tong’s most acclaimed works, now available in English for the first time.
£12.59
Twisted Spoon Press Glorious Nemesis
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£13.77
Yale University Press TransAtlantyk
Book SynopsisA brilliant, semiautobiographical satirical novel from one of the foremost figures in twentieth-century Polish literature, now in a new English translationTrade Review“Having this book in my hands, I felt a joy at the thought that strong personalities, like that of Gombrowicz, sooner or later find recognition thanks to the sheer intensity of their existence.”—Czeslaw Milosz, New York Times “If ever a life demanded a diary, this was one.”—Paul West, Washington Post “A heroic translation . . . English-speaking readers can finally experience the diary as Gombrowicz intended it—as a single, coherent work . . . his major creative endeavor.” —Ruth Franklin, New Yorker “A genuinely astonishing masterwork that is bound to last.”—Eva Hoffman, The New York Times Book Review ‘Since 2000, Danuta Borchardt has been engaged with translating the four novels of Witold Gombrowicz published in his lifetime, and the process is now complete with Trans-Atlantyk. These masterly translations at last provide a satisfying, coherent survey of the author many consider to be among Polish literature’s most untranslatable stylists. . .While Borchardt brings a domesticating tendency, smoothing a few purposefully rough edges, her limpid prose is worth it. Gombrowicz’s arch humour now punches even harder.’—Scott Esposito, Times Literary Supplement “[A] masterpiece of European modernism. . . . Susan Sontag ushers this new translation into print with a strong and useful foreword, calling Gombrowicz’s tale ‘extravagant, brilliant, disturbing, brave, funny . . . wonderful.’ And it is.”—Publishers Weekly “Widely considered the Polish author’s masterpiece . . . the Diary lacks for nothing: history, politics, philosophy, literature, art, music, love, death, humor, communism, Poland, Europe, writing—everything is there.”—Paris Review Daily Longlisted for the PEN Translation Prize: For a book-length translation of prose into English published in 2014, given by PEN American Center. “Ferdydurke, among its centrifugal charms, includes some of the truest and funniest literary satire in print.”—John UpdikeLonglisted for the PEN Translation Prize : For a book-length translation of prose into English published in 2014, given by PEN American Center. -- Translation Prize * PEN American Center *
£13.29
University of Texas Press Wuf
Book SynopsisTold through the voice of a canine narrator, Wûf is a surrealist wartime love story set in Turkey in the 1990s. The novel follows Mikasa, a street dog who recounts a tale of tragic wartime love at a kennel where he finds solace in storytelling and cigarettes. A book that took the Turkish literary world by storm, Kemal Varol’s Wûf tackles universal themes of love and loss with both humor and pathos. Translated by PEN/Heim Award winner Dayla Rogers, the novel renders in English a one-of-a-kind love story with a narrator its readers won’t soon forget.Trade Review[Wûf] proves its author to be as strong an emerging talent as Elif Shafak or Orhan Pamuk were upon their anglophone debuts...Wûf is an excellent contribution to the literary consideration of war’s many damages and will no doubt continue to be an important cultural referent for the Kurdish-Turkish conflict in the Turkish cultural imagination. I won’t be surprised to see it on 2020’s 'best of' lists. * World Literature Today *
£12.34
University of Minnesota Press Red and Black: A Chronicle of 1830
Book SynopsisA masterpiece of nineteenth-century literature in a fresh translation that fully captures the language, psychology, and social reach of Stendhal’s original Fueled with a combustible mix of ambition, naivete, and Napoleonic ideals, Julien Sorel sets his sights on the heights of French society. But for the son of a provincial carpenter in post-Napoleonic France, the prospects for advancement are vanishingly narrow, the chances for glory rarer yet. After securing a toehold as a tutor to a wealthy family, Julien proceeds through a series of misadventures, illicit affairs, and lucky reversals to breach the ranks of French aristocracy—only to be undone by treasonous schemes, cynical romantic calculations, and an unexpectedly genuine and ultimately disastrous passion.Shocking at the time of its original publication, startling in its relevance today, Stendhal’s masterpiece is a scorching social satire, a remarkably detailed portrait of a fraught moment in history and, as perhaps the first psychological novel, a brilliant precursor to modern literature at once comical and tragic, cerebral and passionate. This new translation faithfully reproduces the nimble wit, emotional depth, and social acuity of Stendhal’s text. Distinguished translator Raymond N. MacKenzie includes an extensive introduction to Stendhal’s world and time, as well as copious annotations that explain allusions and terms for the modern reader.Trade Review "Despite being written and set in the 19th century, Red and Black has all the hallmarks of a modern novel. Stendhal enjoys recounting his young protagonist’s adventures, and that enjoyment is contagious. Raymond Mackenzie makes good use of his Translator’s Introduction and the copious end-notes to explain historical details, point out Stendhal’s propensity to invent and falsely attribute chapter epigraphs, and educate the reader on the nuances of language. "—On the Seawall "An elegant stylist and thoughtful critic, MacKenzie has an excellent ear for what makes Stendhal’s dry-as-extra-brut-champagne style so effective as a deglazing liquid."—Rain Taxi Table of ContentsContentsTranslator’s Introduction. Chronicling the Nineteenth Century: Stendhal, Politics, and the NovelRaymond N. MacKenzieRed and BlackPublisher’s NoteBook IBook IINotes
£19.79
The Chinese University Press Crossing Borders: Sinology in Translation Studies
Book SynopsisThis edited volume investigates translations from the languages of China into the languages of Western societies, from the 17th to the 20th centuries. Rather than focusing solely on the activity of translation, the authors extend their explorations to cover the contexts within which the translators worked from different perspectives, touching on various aspects of the institutional and intellectual backgrounds that informed their writings. Studies of translation from literary Chinese into English constitute the majority of the contributions, but the volume is also illuminated by excursions into Latin, French and Italian, while the problems of translating the Naxi script are confronted as well. In addition, the wider context of the rendering of Chinese into other languages is explored through a survey of recent Japanese translation series. Throughout the volume, translation is presented not simply as a linguistic exercise but rather as a key element in world history, well worthy of further interdisciplinary investigation.Table of Contents Acknowledgements Introduction by T. H. BARRETT Conflicting Interpretations on the Collected Statutes of the Ming Dynasty: The Debate between Navarrete and Brancati on the Ritual to Confucius in Canton in 1668 - Thierry MEYNARD Beijing as a Missionary Translation Center in the Eighteenth Century - Eugenio MENEGON Thomas Manning (1772–1840): Spiritual Intuitions and Sinological Visions in the Case of an English Eccentric - Edward WEECH Learning and Outcomes in Early Anglophone Sinological Translation: The Case of Thomas Manning (1772–1840) - T. H. BARRETT Two Cousins: Jean-Pierre Abel-Rémusat’s and Stanislas Julien’s Translations of Yu jiao li - Roland ALTENBURGER Sinologists as Diplomatic Translators: Robert Thom (1807–1846) in the First Opium War and His Translation of the Supplementary Treaty (Treaty of the Bogue), 1843 - Lawrence Wang-chi WONG When Sinology Encountered Ethnology: S. Wells Williams’ Translation of Chinese Death Rituals in Jiali Tieshi Jicheng - Siyang SHUAI The First Translations of Daoist Religious Texts - Benjamin PENNY Literary Translation and Sinological Knowledge: The Case of Herbert Allen Giles’ (1845–1935) Gems of Chinese Literature (1884) - Lingjie JI A Literary Experiment of “Mahayana Christianity”: On Timothy Richard’s English Translation of Xiyouji - Xiaofang WU Widow as Trustee: George Jamieson’s Translation of Qing Widow “Inheritance Rights” - Rui LIU Translations of Chinese Fiction in Italy at the End of the Nineteenth Century - Alessandra BREZZI “Naxiology” and Translation in the Works of Joseph Rock - Duncan POUPARD Forging a New Epistemology about Philosophy and Science: Joseph Needham’s Translation of Zhu Xi’s Concept of Li 理 - I-Hsin CHEN Appendix: Sinology in Japan and the Translation of Chinese Texts - Joshua FOGEL Contributors
£52.50
Granta Books Strange Weather in Tokyo
Book SynopsisA tale of modern Japan and old-fashioned romance. 'Enchanting, moving and funny in equal measure, this compelling love story is expertly crafted against a backdrop of modern Japanese culture' Stylist Tsukiko is in her late 30s and living alone when one night she happens to meet one of her former high school teachers, 'Sensei', in a bar. He is at least thirty years her senior, retired and, she presumes, a widower. After this initial encounter, the pair continue to meet occasionally to share food and drink sake, and as the seasons pass - from spring cherry blossom to autumnal mushrooms - Tsukiko and Sensei come to develop a hesitant intimacy which tilts awkwardly and poignantly into love. Strange Weather in Tokyo is perfectly constructed, warmly funny and deeply moving. This edition contains the bonus story, 'Parade', which imagines an ordinary day in the lives of this unusual couple. 'A dream-like spell of a novel, full of humour, sadness, warmth and tremendous subtlety. I read this in one sitting and I think it will haunt me for a long time' Amy Sackville 'Kawakami transforms an affecting cross-generational romance into an exquisite poem of time and mutability... Delicate and haunting' IndependentTrade ReviewA dream-like spell of a novel, full of humour, sadness, warmth and tremendous subtlety. I read this in one sitting and I think it will haunt me for a long time -- Amy SackvilleEnchanting, moving and funny in equal measure, this compelling love story is expertly crafted against a backdrop of modern Japanese culture... I [was] captivated... Stylish and unsentimental, a perfect love story * Stylist **** *I'm hooked... It's interesting enough to read about an aging woman drawn to an older man; when this attraction comes wrapped up in Japanese nostalgia for old fashioned inns, mushroom hunting, refined manners, and Basho, how can a person resist? I can only imagine what wizardry must have gone into Allison Markin Powell's translation -- Lorin Stein * Paris Review *Kawakami transforms an affecting cross-generational romance into an exquisite poem of time and mutability.... Delicate and haunting -- Boyd Tonkin * Independent *This short, quirky love story has a very distinctive, very Japanese sensibility... Allison Markin Powell's translation is clear and graceful -- Brandon Robshaw * Independent on Sunday ***** *A subtle and haunting portrait... Kawakami's prose is warm and often humorous. Allison Markin Powell's masterful translation conveys a deceptively effortless, understated delicacy and dream-like tone. Often enchanting but ultimately heart-breaking, this is an unforgettable evocation of love and loneliness -- Alev Adil, Independent Foreign Fiction Prize JudgeKawakami paints perfectly the lightness and delicacy of modern Tokyo, delivering a love story that breaks hearts * Monocle *An elegiac sense of speeding time, and yawning distance, drizzles the story - sensitively translated by Allison Markin Powell - with a sweet sadness -- Boyd Tonkin * Independent *In quiet, nature-infused prose that stresses both characters' solitude, Kawakami subtly captures the cyclic patterns of loneliness while weighing the definition of love * Booklist *Expertly translated by Allison Markin Powell, this is a beautifully understated love story, a novel of sadness, longing and gentle humour * A Life in Books blog *A book of breathtaking delicacy * Télérama *One of the most beautiful love stories I have read in all my life... Read it and enjoy * La Vanguardia *In equal measures profound and exhilarating * Westdeutsche Zeitung *Charming and understated... acutely observed and surprisingly involving. A delicious read * Hull Daily Mail *A charming, understated story, played out against Japan's seasonal extremes. Acutely observed, it's a delicious read * Gloucestershire Echo *Beautifully written * Farmlane Books *A beautifully-written and moving novel, expertly and sensitively translated by Allison Markin Powell * January in Japan blog *Kawakami crafts an eerie inter-generational romance -- Boyd Tonkin * Independent *An extraordinary novella... It is gentle, wise and written in such a hypnotic style it casts a spell upon the reader. Deeply haunting and strangely moving -- Kim Forrester * Reading Matters blog *As well as being a sweet love story and an exploration of loneliness, [it] is packed with nostalgic Japanese atmosphere * Bath Life *A funny, ethereal and above all heartfelt love story * Freight Books blog *A quiet and understated novel... Highly recommended for fans of quirky and contemporary translated fiction or Japanese culture * A Little Blog of Books *True love is celebrated with humour, grace and pathos as the wary narrator recalls her unusual approach to dealing with an overwhelming passion -- Eileen Battersby * Irish Times *Beautifully written... It has a dreamlike quality and left me with a great love for the characters -- Judith Ayles * Newbooks Magazine *
£9.49
Quercus Publishing The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo The genredefining
Book Synopsis***********************The phenomenal international bestseller - 100 million copies of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series sold worldwide.One of the Bookseller''s 30 most influential books of the last 30 years.What a cracking novel! I haven''t read such a stunning thriller debut for years. Brilliantly written and totally gripping Minette WaltersWith an Introduction by Val McDermidForty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering on the island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger clan. Her body was never found, yet her uncle is convinced it was murder - and that the killer is a member of his own tightly knit but dysfunctional family. He employs disgraced financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist and the tattooed, truculent computer hacker Lisbeth Salander to investigate. When the pair link Harriet''s disappearance to a number of grotesque murders from forty years ago, they begTrade ReviewI doubt you will read a better book this year * Val McDermid *Intelligent, complex, with a gripping plot and deeply intriguing characters. The author's early death is a great los * Philip Pullman *What a cracking novel! I haven't read such a stunning thriller debut for years. Brilliantly written and totally gripping * Minette Walters *
£8.49
Social Club Books Schoolgirl
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£10.79
Haus Publishing Leon and Louise
Book SynopsisSummer 1918. The First World War is drawing to a close when Leon Le Gall, a French teenager from Cherbourg who has dropped out of school and left home, falls in love with Louise Janvier. Both are severely wounded by German artillery fire, are separated, and believe each other to be dead. Briefly reunited two decades later, the two lovers are torn apart again by Louise's refusal to destroy Leon's marriage and by the German invasion of France. In occupied Paris during the Second World War, where Leon struggles against the abhorrent tasks imposed upon him by the SS, and the wilds of Africa, where Louise confronts the hardships of her primitive environment, they battle the vicissitudes of history and the passage of time for the survival of their love.Trade Review'A beautiful love story.' 'It's a great love story told with great humour... along the lines of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Atonement and The Postmistress.' 'Swiss author Capus is an apt storyteller... On its surface, this is a story about enduring love. But it is also about the way that power can be abused... and the daily sacrifices people make to preserve what they hold most dear.' 'Capus' leads are riveting, credible creations -- he sensible and correct, she feisty and headstrong. We root for them, especially when war takes over and threatens to sunder them for good... This love-conquers-all tale could easily have been trite and saccharine, but instead Capus' fusion of gripping drama and believable characters renders Leon and Louise both powerful and poignant.' '[G]em of a novel...' '[W]insome bonbon of a novel in which "The End" feels like an unexpected and unfairly realistic awakening.' 'A perfectly plotted love story, which never becomes over saccharine.'
£12.34
Union Square & Co. The Count of Monte Cristo Barnes Noble
Book SynopsisPresents a classic adventure story. This title features an elegant bonded-leather binding, a satin ribbon bookmark, distinctive gilt edging and decorative endpapers.
£999.99
Darf Publishers Ltd Twilight in Jakarta
Book Synopsis
£8.54
Dedalus Ltd Co-wives, co-widows
Book Synopsis
£11.78
Penguin Random House India Tomb of Sand
Book SynopsisAn elderly woman in India overcomes depression, challenges conventions, befriends a transgender person, and travels to Pakistan to confront past trauma and redefine her identity. Geetanjali Shree's novel is a playful, funny, and original protest against borders and boundaries.
£21.03
HarperCollins Publishers Midnight Blue
Book SynopsisAmsterdam 1654: a dangerous secret threatens to destroy a young widow's new life.Following the sudden death of her husband, twenty-five year old Catrin leaves her small village and takes a job as housekeeper to the successful Van Nulandt merchant family. Amsterdam is a city at the peak of its powers: science and art are flourishing in the Golden Age and Dutch ships bring back exotic riches from the Far East.When a figure from her past threatens her new life, Catrin flees to Delft. There, her painting talent earns her a chance as a pottery painter. Slowly, the workshop begins to develop a new type of pottery to rival the coveted Chinese porcelain and Delft Blue is born. But when tragedy strikes, Catrin has a hard choice to make.Rich and engrossing, Midnight Blue is perfect for fans of Tulip Fever and Girl with a Pearl Earring.Trade Review‘A fascinating portrait of Holland at the height of its artistic and economic power…a wonderful place for lovers of historical fiction to visit, populated by great artists, intrepid explorers and enterprising merchants.’ Publishers Weekly ‘A beautiful story about the fate of a seventeenth-century young woman and the early days of the blue-and-white pottery from Delft’ Netherlands Daily ‘Van der Vlugt has immersed herself in the pottery painting of the time and weaves fact and fiction into a gripping story.’ Leiden Daily 'A great historical novel, with thriller aspects and romance.' Biepmiepje 'The local colour, the fascinating story, the interesting history, definitely for me born in Delft, means you read MIDNIGHT BLUE in one sitting.' book bloggers netherlands
£9.49
Pushkin Press The Unworthy
£12.34
Canongate Books Baba Yaga Laid an Egg
Book SynopsisBaba Yaga is an old hag who lives in a house built on chicken legs and kidnaps small children. She is one of the most pervasive and powerful creatures in all mythology. She appears in many forms: as Pupa, a tricksy, cantankerous old woman who keeps her legs tucked into a huge furry boot; as a trio of mischievous elderly women who embark on the trip of a lifetime to a hotel spa; and as a villainous flock of ravens, black hens and magpies infected with the H5N1 virus. But what story does Baba Yaga have to tell us today? This is a quizzical tale about one of the most pervasive and poerful creatures in all mythology, and an extraordinary yarn of identity, secrets, storytelling and love.Trade ReviewUgrasic's retelling may be blisteringly postmodern in its execution but at its heart is a human warmth and even a silliness that infuses it with the sweet magic of storytelling. -- Melissa Katsoulis * * The Times * *Packed with intellectual surprises and emotional revelations -- Tina Jackson * * The Metro * *The message that old crones are the product of "long-lived, labyrinthine, fertile, profoundly misogynistic but also cathartic work of the imagination" is expressed with humour, eloquence and anger. -- Alyssa McDonald * * New Statesman * *Ugresic has a unique tone of voice, a madcap wit and a lovely sense of the absurd. Ingenious. -- Marina WarnerShe is a writer to follow. A writer to be cherished. * * Susan Sontag * *Ugresic is sharp, funny and unfazed in the face of the little dictators who have torn apart her former country. Orwell would be proud. -- Timothy Garton-Ash on THE MINISTRY OF PAINContains some of the most profound reflections on culture, memory and madness you wiill ever read. -- Carole Angier on THE MINISTRY OF PAIN * * Independent * *
£10.44
Momentum Books The Death of Bagrat Zakharych and Other Stories
Book Synopsis
£5.60
New Directions Publishing Corporation A Breath of Life
Book SynopsisA mystical dialogue between a male author and his creation, this posthumous work has never before been translated, and is a book of particular beauty and strangeness.Trade Review"Both dazzling and difficult." -- San Francisco Chronicle"The raw, demanding pace and the dialogic form of A Breath of Life provoke an urgent meditation on life, self, and time. In fact, reading this novel may be a form of meditation." -- Full Stop"One of 20th-century Brazil’s most intriguing and mystifying writers." -- The L Magazine"I had a sort of missionary urge with her...but I started thinking, even when I was 19: How can I help this person reach the prominence she deserves?" -- Benjamin Moser - San Francisco Chronicle
£12.34
Penguin Books Ltd A Breath of Life
Book SynopsisA Breath of Life is Clarice Lispector''s final novel, ''written in agony'', which she did not live to see published. Sensual and mysterious, it is a mystical dialogue between a god-like author and the creation he breathes life into: the speaking, shifting, indefinable Angela Pralini. As he has created Angela, so, eventually, he must let her die, for life is merely ''a kind of madness that death makes.'' This is a unique, elegiac meditation on the creation of life, and of art.Trade ReviewA text that resonates endlessly ... her images dazzle * The Times Literary Supplement *Lispector had an ability to write as though no one had ever written before * Colm Tóibín *A thrilling book * Pedro Almodóvar *
£9.49
Vintage Publishing Kafka on the Shore
Book SynopsisIn 1978, Haruki Murakami was 29 and running a jazz bar in downtown Tokyo. One April day, the impulse to write a novel came to him suddenly while watching a baseball game. That first novel, Hear the Wind Sing, won a new writers' award and was published the following year. More followed, including A Wild Sheep Chase and Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, but it was Norwegian Wood, published in 1987, which turned Murakami from a writer into a phenomenon. His books became bestsellers, were translated into many languages, including English, and the door was thrown wide open to Murakami's unique and addictive fictional universe.Murakami writes with admirable discipline, producing ten pages a day, after which he runs ten kilometres (he began long-distance running in 1982 and has participated in numerous marathons and races), works on translations, and then reads, listens to records and cooks. His passions colour his non-fiction output, from What I Talk About WhTrade ReviewWonderful... Magical and outlandish * Daily Mail *A magnificently bewildering achievement... Brilliantly conceived, bold in its surreal scope, sexy and driven by a snappy plot... Exuberant storytelling * Independent on Sunday *Cool, fluent and addictive * Daily Telegraph *Hypnotic, spellbinding * The Times *Addictive... Exhilarating... A pleasure * Evening Standard *
£9.99
Penguin Books Ltd First Love
Book SynopsisWhen Princess Zasyekin moves next door to the country estate of Vladimir Petrovich's parents, he instantly falls in love with his new neighbour's daughter, Zinaida. But the young woman already has many admirers and as she plays her suitors against each other, Vladimir's unrequited youthful passion soon turns to torment and despair.
£9.89
Hodder & Stoughton Ashes to Dust
Book SynopsisThe third crime novel from international bestseller Yrsa Sigurdardottir, ASHES TO DUST is tense, taut and terrifying - not to be missed for fans of Nordic Noir. Thora peered at the floor, but couldn''t see anything that could have frightened Markus that much, only three mounds of dust. She moved the light of her torch over them. It took her some time to realize what she was seeing-- and then it was all she could do not to let the torch slip from her hand. ''Good God,'' she said. She ran the light over the three faces, one after another. Sunken cheeks, empty eye-sockets, gaping mouths; they reminded her of photographs of mummies she''d once seen in National Geographic. ''Who are these people?''''I don''t know,'' said Markus . . . Bodies are discovered in one of the excavated houses at a volcanic tourist attraction dubbed ''The Pompeii of the North''.Markus Magnusson, who was only a teenager when the volcano erupted, falls under susTrade ReviewIceland's answer to Stieg Larsson. * Daily Telegraph *A chilling read, enhanced by Sigurdardottir's taut plotting, realistic characters, and dry humour. -- Crime Books of the Year * Metro *A gripping thriller with enough mystery and horror to keep you sitting on the edge of your seat while you try to work out what happened. -- Peter RobinsonBrilliantly plotted and chilling. * Daily Mirror *
£9.49
Bitter Lemon Press Betty Boo
Book SynopsisThe latest thriller from South America's best-selling crime writer.When a Buenos Aires industrialist is found dead at his home in an exclusive gated community, the novelist Nurit Iscar - Betty Boo to her admirers-is invited to cover the story by her former lover, now the editor of a national newspaper. Working with the paper's veteran, but recently demoted, crime reporter and his hapless junior, Nurit uncovers a trail of murders that will lead all three to the highest echelons of power in Argentina. In Betty Boo Claudia Pineiro combines a chilling story of murderous revenge with a warm and funny portrait of friendship and love in middle age.Trade Review"Thursday Night Widows is a gripping story; rather like the maids and guards, we stand by and watch evil enter the lives of an obtuse, decadent, pseudo-community. There may be bloody murder at the centre of this novel, but the dystopia portrayed is an indictment not solely of an assassin but of Argentina's class structure and the willful blindness of its petty bourgeoisie." Times Literary Supplement "A fast-paced thriller, Pineiro's novel describes and critiques the lifestyles of Argentina' nouveau riche, chronicling their rise into the exclusive world of the Heights and their downfalls as the economy sours after 9/11. An excellent choice for fans of international crime stories." Booklist "Thursday Night Widows is a fine morality tale which explores the dark places societies enter when they place material comfort before social justice, and security before morality." Publishers Weekly "If you read only one crime book in translation this year, make "All Yours" the one, a book that grabs you from the start and whips along at pace. . Pineiro is a best-selling Argentinean author, and unlike many South American books this one doesn't loiter. It screams out to become a film - The Postman Only Brings Double Indemnity perhaps'. CrimeTime
£8.54
Quercus Publishing The Baltimore Boys
Book SynopsisSwiss Sensation Joël Dicker's compulsive follow-up to the phenomenally bestselling The Truth about the Harry Quebert AffairTrade ReviewSweeping, clever, heartbreaking and memorable. The perfect summer read -- Henrietta Richman * Grazia *Veers between nostalgia for what could have been and regrets for what can never be. Captivating and beautifully conceived -- Pascale Frey * Elle *A striking insight into America's weird class system, and a movingstory of brotherhood and family rivalry -- Melissa Katsoulis * The Times *A literary phenomenon -- Astrid de Larminat * Figaro *Once again, Dicker brilliantly combines all the elements that first enticed his legions of readers -- Julie Malaure * Le Point *Immense and detailed . . . The backstory is all-consuming and will not let you skip a single paragraph -- Rachael Revesz * Independent *Joël Dicker really knows how to tell a great story -- Stéphanie des Horts * Valeurs Actuelles *The Dicker who wrote The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair was a magician, a juggler. The Dicker of The Baltimore Boys has no need of such tricks. He is not just a good writer, he is a great writer -- Antonio d’Orrico * Corriere della Serra *A titan of a novel. Nabokovian. Highly recommended -- Laura Fernández * El Cultural de El Mundo *A new masterstroke from Joël Dicker. The ace up his sleeve -- Pierre-Yves Grenu * Culturebox *My goodness, this Joël Dicker can really spin a yarn -- Marianne Grosjean * Tribune de Genève *Really compelling. A multi-layered family saga that behaves like a thriller * Frankfurter Neue Presse *A novel with the power to enthral its readers and whose characters will remain fixed in your memory * ORF *A top-class literary thriller that smoothly outclasses its rivals -- Melissa Katsoulis * The Times on The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair *It's like 'Twin Peaks' meets Atonement meets In Cold Blood - the French thriller everyone is talking about -- Gaby Wood * Daily Telegraph on The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair *An expertly realised, addictive Russian doll of a whodunit -- Fanny Blake * Daily Mail on The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair *The book of the year * Simon Mayo on The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair *
£10.80
