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Original poster

Read a book from each country in Europe.

159 replies

sonjadog · 04/05/2014 18:32

I was just reading an article about someone who had a goal to read one book from each country in the world and it has inspired me to start my own project to read a book from each country in Europe.

I want to read a novel or a biography or something along those lines and it must be set on the country with an author from the country.

So, do you have a favourite author from your country? Do you have a book recommendation?

I'm thankful for all suggestions, even if you aren't from the country the book is from.

OP posts:
PearlyGrey · 05/05/2014 20:35

Germany - Defying Hitler, Sebastian Haffner, part memoir, part historical critique of the rise of Hitler but written pre-war so it's speculative rather than retrospective which makes it a. bloody heart breaking and b. not seem like a history book.

Holland - An Interrupted Life, Etty Hillesum, war diaries of a young woman in Amsterdam during the 2nd World War, she such a vibrant, modern women, it's a real punch to the gut when you learn her fate

The penguin website may be helpful when looking for authors www.penguin.co.uk/shop/all-categories/

KiaOraOAotearoa · 05/05/2014 20:08

Iamathrill, thank you for pointing that, I was the one who said Borges for Spain! Doh! You are, of course, right, he is Argentinian. I read most of his stuff in Spanish and bought most of in in Spain too, hence the confusion. You are right, sorry.

Original poster
sonjadog · 05/05/2014 19:39

Great suggestions! I will compile a list of books and countries tomorrow. I forgot to print out the list when I was at work today, so it'll have to wait.

I have started book 1.

It's from Poland, called "A Treatise on Shelling Beans" by Wieslaw Mysliwski, translated by Bill Johnston (a friend who is a translator says I have to mention the translator too each time). A Polish friend of mine who teaches literature in Krakow recommended it.

I hadn't thought about writing about the books as I read them, but that's a good idea. I will keep a book diary.

OP posts:
ImAThrillseekerBunny · 05/05/2014 19:13

And yes, you should move it to Adult Fiction for archive purposes, we don't want it to go poof in 30 days.

ImAThrillseekerBunny · 05/05/2014 19:11

Stanislaw Lem is a brilliant writer for Poland, although the town where he was born is now in the Ukraine.
For whoever suggested Borges for Spain, I'm afraid he's Argentinian.

Re Homer, the Iliad is very unrewarding for the casual reader but the Odyssey is much easier. Seamus Heaney's reworking would get you two for the price of one.

Good luck with Andorra, Lichtenstein and Monaco (maybe a formula 1 driver's autobiography?). One of the great encyclicals for the Vatican.

Mepmep · 05/05/2014 19:00

Hungary

Embers by Sandor Marai

Spain

A heart so white by Javier Marias

Mepmep · 05/05/2014 18:54

Ooh, I have some more exotic ones, thanks to my friends from these countries who lent me books at Uni!

Bosnia

Sarajevo Marboro by Milenko Jergovic. Short stories about the Bosnian war.

Albania

Broken April, by Ismail Kadare, about Albanian blood feuds.
Chronicle in Stone, by Ismail Kadare. About growing up in wartime Albania - evocative and hilarious.

Turkey (depends on your interpretation of Europe I suppose!)

Anything by Orhan Pamuk, especially Museum of Innocence.

brokenshoes · 05/05/2014 18:38

Probably not as much traffic in Adult Fiction, but some knowledgeable people over there. You've certainly captured my imagination and I'll be writing down some suggestions.

brokenshoes · 05/05/2014 18:38

Probably not as much traffic in Adult Fiction, but some knowledgeable people over there. You've certainly captured my imagination and I'll be writing down some suggestions.

Mepmep · 05/05/2014 18:38

Great idea!

Here is one for Estonia.

The Purge, by Sofi Oksanen. An Estonian-Finnish writer. The book takes place in Estonia. It's quite atmospheric, dark, mysterious and a page turner.

Tournesol · 05/05/2014 18:22

What an inspiring thread! I would love to do this though not sure I have the time at the moment, but one day!

You should totally write a blog on this, it would be really interesting.

WickedWitchoftheNorthWest · 05/05/2014 17:01

You could actually write a book yourself about this project if you wanted to. Especially if you read a book a week. And make it 52 countries instead of 48 (count Wales, England, Scotland, and NI separately and you'd be at 51 so would need to find just one more). So it would fall into the "my year of..." genre.

KiaOraOAotearoa · 05/05/2014 16:46

I can send you a Herta Muller for Romania if you wish?

Original poster
sonjadog · 05/05/2014 16:11

Ok, here are the rules I've made and the list of countries:

The rules:

  • I have to read 48 books, one from each country on the UN list.
  • The book has to be by an author from the country (they can live somewhere else when writing the book), and has to be set in the country.
  • The book has to a book I haven't read before.
  • Contemporary works are preferable where there is an option.
  • The book has to be fiction, a biography or something else that refers to the culture or life in the country. No history books or other non-fictional works allowed.
  • I will try to choose books that are recommended by other people.

Here are the countries I have to find books from:

ALBANIA

ANDORRA

ARMENIA

AUSTRIA

AZERBAIJAN

BELARUS

BELGIUM

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

BULGARIA

CROATIA

CZECH REPUBLIC

DENMARK

ESTONIA

FINLAND

FRANCE

GEORGIA

GERMANY

GREECE

HUNGARY

ICELAND

IRELAND

ISRAEL

ITALY

LATVIA

LIECHTENSTEIN

LITHUANIA

LUXEMBOURG

REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA

MALTA

MOLDOVA

MONACO

MONTENEGRO

NETHERLANDS

NORWAY

POLAND

PORTUGAL

ROMANIA

RUSSIA

SAN MARINO

SERBIA

SLOVAKIA

SLOVENIA

SPAIN

SWITZERLAND

SWEDEN

TURKEY

UKRAINE

UNITED KINGDOM

OP posts:
Original poster
sonjadog · 05/05/2014 14:55

Does Adult Fiction get so much traffic as Chat? If so, I can certainly move it, or if not, I could leave it here for a while and then move. I was planning on printing out the thread myself. I didn't really think anyone else would be that interested.

I am compiling the list of which countries I am going to include now. I'm using the UN lists.

OP posts:
brokenshoes · 05/05/2014 14:45

So many wonderful book suggestions here, it would be a shame for the thread to go pffft in a few months' time, with it being in Chat. Just wondering if sonjadog would consider it being moved to Adult Fiction?

ThingsThatShine · 05/05/2014 14:33

Allalonenow, of course Russia Ukraine and Turkey are Europe. Russia and Turkey are also in Asia but it doesn't mean they aren't in Europe at all Confused

Good idea OP!

Original poster
sonjadog · 05/05/2014 11:58

I see that there may be political issues here regarding what is Europe and what isn't. I think I will go for geographical Europe. Any country or bit or country inside Europe, gets a book read.

OP posts:
RabbitPies · 05/05/2014 09:16

Ukraine is considered to be entirely in Europe is it not? Russia is in both,yes the majority of land mass is in Asia,but the majority of the population is in Western,or European Russia.

WickedWitchoftheNorthWest · 05/05/2014 06:51

I do think Turkey should be included though as it is partly on the continent of
Europe and partly Asia. I believe Istanbul is the only major city in the world that spans two continents. And Orhan Pamuk is certainly a worthy addition to the list.

What a great idea for a reading project. Most of my favourites have already been listed but for Germany you could go with My Century by Gunter Grass - 100 interlinked stories, one from every year in the twentieth century.

DrankSangriaInThePark · 05/05/2014 06:19

Dara's Tickling the English is good as well.

DrankSangriaInThePark · 05/05/2014 06:18

The Devil's General for Germany would get my vote.

A pilot who doesn't want to be a fighter.

Stuart Maconie's books about Britain are bloody fucking lovely.

Pies and Prejudice (about the north) is one of my absolute favourite reads ever ever ever.

Bill Bryson's Notes From a Small Island is dated now, but still lovely.

Both make me homesick. And proud.

prettymess · 05/05/2014 00:15

Belgium:Zwarte Tranen / Black Tears by Tom Lanoye
Holland: De Avonden / The evenings by Gerard Reve

I could list so many from the Low Lands!

2468Motorway · 04/05/2014 23:21

Levi, surely should represent Italy? I love his writing but I love the Periodic Table most. He brilliantly expresses what it is to be human.

Allalonenow · 04/05/2014 23:15

I don't agree that Russia Ukraine or Turkey are in Europe. Grin

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