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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:
revolutionarytoad · 04/05/2014 19:55

Zlata's Diary by Zlata Filipovic (Bosnia?)

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom (Holland)

My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk (Turkey)

My Life- Marc Chagall (Russia)

Aimee & Jaguar- Erica Fischer (Germany)

My Mother's House- Colette (France)

Don't think I've read anything Spanish ever but that'd be easy, be Marquez wouldn't it.

not very original! makes me realise how limited my reading is!

Inkspellme · 04/05/2014 19:52

from Ireland:

maeve binchy's "light a penny candle". A wonderful story about a london girl evacuated in ww2 to Ireland and her life long friendship with the family she is evacuated to.

John Boyne's "the thief of time" is excellent to.

Is Henri Charriere's book "Papillon" French?. Great story.

Bluestocking · 04/05/2014 19:51

Finland: Any of Tove Jannson's wonderful Moomin books - she was a Swedish-speaking Finn. Don't be fooled into thinking they are children's books, they are for discerning readers of all ages!

Spain: As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning by Laurie Lee - although he was English, this is a great book about Spain in the 1930s.

Germany: The Tin Drum by Günter Grass. Weird, spooky, fantastical.

Greece: Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis. A classic and hugely evocative of its time and place.

France: Madam Bovary by Gustave Flaubert. How Emma Bovary would have loved MN! (In fact, I think I feel a spoof AIBU coming on).

Simone de Beauvoir: Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter. I love a childhood memoir and this is a wonderful one.

kelda · 04/05/2014 19:47

Diary of Anne Frank (Holland)

PetiteRaleuse · 04/05/2014 19:47

I'd second The Historian by Ana Kostova. Wonderful book.

kelda · 04/05/2014 19:43

The 100 year old man who jumped out of the window and disappeared (Sweden).

Loads of Scandinavian/Icelandic detective books.

Scotland is easy too - Ian Rankin/Alexander McCall Smith.

HermioneWeasley · 04/05/2014 19:42

I enjoyed "the visit of the royal physician" which is set in Copenhagen and was translated from Danish.

kelda · 04/05/2014 19:41

Grimm's fairy tales for Germany/ Hans Christian Anderson for Denmark.

KenDoddsDadsDog · 04/05/2014 19:34

Agree with Requiem for a Spanish peasant. We did it at Uni, poignant story.

kelda · 04/05/2014 19:32

Agatha Christie's Poirot and of course Tin Tin for Belgium. I have to admit, never read them myself.

Tenrec · 04/05/2014 19:30

Does anyone have a good Latvian one? I recently found a few kid/nursery rhyme books which I was given by my birth mother, but no adult ones.

kelda · 04/05/2014 19:26

Loads of Irish authors, Maeve Binchy, Marian Keyes, Frank McCourt.

znaika · 04/05/2014 19:21

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Kveta · 04/05/2014 19:18

The year of the hare by arto paasilinna is the Finnish one. Lovely book.

BertieBotts · 04/05/2014 19:15

It's a children's book but When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit is one of my favourite books of all time. Actually I didn't realise until I looked it up just now but it's autobiographical - the author was born German but had to leave because of Nazi persecution and now lives in Britain where she has been most of her life.

kelda · 04/05/2014 19:12

Cheating a bit, but Neither Here Nor There by Bill Bryson covers a lot of Europe.

I am lookinjg up belgian authors but not many of them have been translated to English.

DrankSangriaInThePark · 04/05/2014 19:08

Don't read The Island or The Return by Victoria Hislop.

The Island is OK, but the Return is a pile o'shite.

treaclesoda · 04/05/2014 19:08

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova covers quite a few European countries, notably Hungary, although the author is American. Not sure if that counts, but it's a good read anyway!

DrankSangriaInThePark · 04/05/2014 19:07

Captain Corelli's Mandolin. Greece

Room With A View- Italy

Doctor Zhivago- Russia.

thanksamillion · 04/05/2014 19:07

Ooh there's a good one called Burying the Typewriter by Carmen Bugan from Romania which is all about growing up under Ceaucescu.

Shartibartfast · 04/05/2014 19:03

This is going to be a pretty hopeless post, but there's a book by a Spanish author set in turn of the (last) century Barcelona - Juan something Zafon, I think, and the book is Shadow of the Wind (I think!)

There's Kate Mosse 's trilogy set around Carcassone, and how about Child 44 ( Tom Rob Smith) for Russia?

I seem to remember that Middlesex by Geoffrey Eugenidies was set partly in Greece..... Or it maybe another book if his. Sadly I left that one in a hotel room so never got round to finishing it!

Original poster
sonjadog · 04/05/2014 19:00

Great suggestions so far! Thanks!

OP posts:
DrankSangriaInThePark · 04/05/2014 19:00

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Requiem_for_a_Spanish_Peasant

DrankSangriaInThePark · 04/05/2014 18:58

Requiem for a Spanish Peasant.

it's wonderful.

Or The Shadow of the Wind by Zafon.

Requiem is wonderful though.

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