Book Nook Cafe discussion

Here is the a thread to share lists of books by authors that were translated into English. Please include the original language they were written in and also a Good Reads link.

You may want to separate your posts by country of origin.

For example, I know I enjoy books translated from Japanese, I would find it more helpful to see that list and not mixed up with books translated from other countries/languages.

I look forward to seeing your lists !

Countries starting with "A"
Here's some to get started. These authors were all born in Countries starting with "A", but they may have changed nationality since then. Sometimes they write/wrote in more than one language. If it says (e.g.) translated from Arabic and French some books will have been translated from Arabic, some from French.

Albania

Ismail Kadare
example book: The Doll
Translated from Albanian and French
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Algeria
Yasmina Khadra
example book: The Swallows of Kabul
Translated from French and Arabic
https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Ya...

Adimi, Kaouther
Example book: A bookshop in Algiers
Translated from French
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

buoalem sansal
harraga
Translated fromm French
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Andorra
Albert Salvadó
example book: The Teacher of Cheops
Translated from Catalan or Spanish
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Angola
José Eduardo Agualusa
Example book: A general theory of oblivion
Most books translated from Portugese
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Argentina
Gabriela Cabezon Camara
Example book: The Adventures of China Iron
Translated from Spanish
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Mariana Enriquez
Our share of night
Translated from Spanish
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Samantha Schweblin
Example book: Mouthful of birds (currently, Dec 2024, her only translated book. Short story collection, genre horror)
Translated from Spanish
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Guillermo Martínez
example book: The Oxford Murders
Translated from Spanish
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Silvina Ocampo
Example book: The imposter and other stories
Translated from Spanish
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Armenia
Narine Abgaryan
Example book: Three apples fell from the sky (this might be her only book currently in English - Dec 2024)
Translated from Russian
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Austria
Moriz Scheyer
Example book: Asylum
Translated from German
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Stefan Zweig
Example book: The Collected Novellas of Stefan Zweig
Some books translated from German. Some might have been written in English - check for a translator
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Ursula p archer
Sample book: Five (Currently her only translated book - Dec 2024)
One book "Five" translated from German (Dec 2024)
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Joseph Roth
The Radetzky March
Translated from German
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Heinrich Harrer
seven years in Tibet
Translated from German
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

KeenReader wrote: "Countries starting with "A"
Here's some to get started. These authors were all born in Countries starting with "A", but they may have changed nationality since then. Sometimes they write/wrote in m..."

Thank you, KR. :-) A lot of books, and we're only in the As!

Wow ! You really are organized, Keen Reader. You must read a lot of international books. That's terrific.

Thank you !

I haven't read all of these, just Our Share of Night, Mouthful of Birds and Three Apples Fell from the Sky. As you can see, I have been busy collecting possibilities.

Russia

Cancer Ward - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Germany
Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family - Thomas Mann
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

France
Bel-Ami - Guy de Maupassant
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Malaysia
The Gift of Rain - Tan Twan Eng
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Japan
1Q84 - Haruki Murakami
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Out - Natsuo Kirino
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

China
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress - Dai Sijie
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Rickshaw Boy - Lao She
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Portugal
Cain - José Saramago
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Hungary
The Door - Magda Szabó
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Iceland
Reykjavík Nights: Murder in Reykjavík - Arnaldur Indriðason
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Independent People - Halldór Laxness
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Excellent, Petra ! Thank you

A friend of mine loved IQ84. She recently read it for a second time. That is saying something as the book is a tad over 1000 pages.

I loved 1Q84, too, and am contemplating a reread. Within, it also mentions 4-5 other books whose themes are central to the book that I'd like to read, too.

....there's always more books that I want to read. Heck! I'll never catch up....

KeenReader wrote: "I haven't read all of these, just Our Share of Night, Mouthful of Birds and Three Apples Fell from the Sky. As you can see, I have been busy collecti..."

I'm impressed that you are so organized. I aspire to be as good at managing my list. Thank you, KeenReader.

I love that we'll be able to go to this thread when we want to read literature from a specific nation.

Petra wrote: "Russia

Cancer Ward - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Germany..."

You, too, are so well organized. Thank you for sharing. I've read a couple you mentioned.

I appreciate your links to your review, too, Petra. I read the one for Doors, a book i liked. You ending question was a good one, do doors protect? Harm? Your comment reminds me of the Robert Frost poem "Mending Wall"*.


*https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem...

Petra wrote: ".there's always more books that I want to read. Heck! I'll never catch up....."

Join the club. Though it's a fun problem to have.

Books by authors born in countries beginning with "B", "C" and "D"

These authors were all born in countries starting with "B", "C" or "D" but they may have changed nationality since then. Sometimes they write/wrote in more than one language. If it says (e.g.) translated from Arabic and French some books will have been translated from Arabic, some from French.

Belarus
Sasha Filipenko
Example book: Red Crosses
Translated from Russian
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Svetlana Alexievich
Example book: Second hand time - non fiction
Translated from Russian
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...


Belgium
Amélie Northomb
Example book: Antichrista
Translated from French
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...


Bulgaria
Georgi Gospodinov
Example book: Time shelter (possibly the only book translated in Dec 2024)
Translated from Bulgarian
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...


Chile
Roberto bolano
Example book: A little lumpen novel
Translated from Spanish
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Lina Meruane
Example book: Seeing Red
Translated from Spanish
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

China
Liu Cixin
Example book: The three-body problem
Translated from Chinese
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Hoa Jingfang
example book: vagabonds
Translated from Chinese
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Czechia (Czech Republic)
Bohumil Hrabal
Example book: Too loud a solitude
Translated from Czech
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8...

Jaroslav Hašek
Example book: The Good Soldier Svejk
Translated from Czech
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Denmark
Peter Hoeg
Example book: Miss Smillas feeling for snow
NB I've also seen "Smilla's sense of snow", which has the same synopsis. "Smilla's sense of snow" is possibly a more recent translation.
Translated from Danish
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Sarah Blaedel
Example book: Only One Life (possibly also published as The Drowned Girl)
Translated from Danish
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Jussi adler olsen
Example book: Mercy
Translated from Danish
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Pia Juul
Example book: The murder of Halland
Translated from Danish
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

I'll put some of the books from Croatian authors, as well as other authors I know were translated into English, and I will add as I find new ones.

CROATIA:

Written in Croatian


AUTHORS FROM THE 15th - 17th CENTURY
Judith by Marko Marulić (an epic written in 1501 by a writer we consider the father of Croatian literature - not included in GR database, translated by Henry R. Cooper)
Uncle Maroje - A Comedy in Five Acts by Marin Držić (written in 1551)
Osman by Ivan Gundulić (written around 1620, English translation not included in GR database, translated by Edward D. Goya)

AUGUST ŠENOA
The Goldsmith's Treasure
The Peasant Rebellion; Seljacka Buna

IVANA BRLIĆ-MAŽURANIĆ
The Brave Adventures of Lapitch
Croatian Tales of Long Ago

MIROSLAV KRLEŽA
The Croatian God Mars (not in GR database)
The Return of Philip Latinovicz
On the Edge of Reason
The Banquet in Blitva
Journey to Russia
The Cricket Beneath the Waterfall: And Other Stories

VESNA PARUN
Selected Poems of Vesna Parun
You with Hands More Innocent: Selected Poems of Vesna Parun

VJEKOSLAV KALEB
Glorious Dust
The Guest (can be found in Magical Realist Fiction: An Anthology)

MIRO GAVRAN
Forgotten Son
Greta Garbo's Secret
Dangerous Plays: How to Kill the President, Doctor Freud's Patient, Night of the Gods
Judith
John the Baptist: A Novel
Pontius Pilate
(These three books are part of the Biblical Trilogy, and they are one of my favourite books. They are read in this order)

SLAVENKA DRAKULIĆ
They Would Never Hurt a Fly: War Criminals on Trial in The Hague
Frida's Bed
S.
Invisible Woman and Other Stories
The Taste of a Man
Marble Skin: A Novel
Flesh of Her Flesh: In Search of Goodness
Holograms of Fear

IVANA BODROŽIĆ
The Hotel Tito: A Novel
In a Sentimental Mood
We Trade Our Night for Someone Else's Day: A Novel

ROBERT PERIŠIĆ
Horror and Huge Expenses
Our Man in Iraq
No-Signal Area

DUBRAVKA UGREŠIĆ
The Culture of Lies: Antipolitical Essays
Baba Yaga Laid an Egg

VIKTORIA FAUST
The Great Escape from Fairyland: The Witch, the Prince, the Girl and the Dragon
It's Hard to Be a Vampire
Beauty of The Beast

A Trilogy of Dubrovnik by Ivo Vojnović

Twelve Poems by Tin Ujević

Cyclops by Ranko Marinković

The girl from Zagreb by Branislav Glumac

Divine Child by Tatjana Gromača

Do Angels Cry?: Tales of the War by Matko Marušić

A Brief Excursion and Other Stories by Antun Šoljan

Zagreb, Exit South by Edo Popović

Strangers Either Way: The Lives of Croatian Refugees in Their New Home by Jasna Čapo Žmegac

Farewell Cowboy by Olja Savičević Ivančević

Trieste by Dasa Drndic (28-Feb-2013) Paperback by Daša Drndić

Kaleidoscope World by Tomica Šćavina

Dark Mother Earth by Kristian Novak

Priestess of the Moon by Milena Benini

Zagreb Noir by Ivan Sršen

Wild Woman by Marina Šur Puhlovski



Written in English:

SLAVENKA DRAKULIĆ
How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed
The Balkan Express: Fragments from the Other Side of War
Café Europa: Life After Communism
(These three books are part of a non-fiction trilogy)
Café Europa Revisited: How to Survive Post-Communism This is the forth book, published a few years ago, but I couldn't find the information of the original language, so I'm placing it here because it's connected to the first three books)
A Guided Tour Through the Museum of Communism (part of a series of books about communism written by different authors https://www.goodreads.com/series/3531...)

When Hen Was on Her Way to Market: A Folktale-Inspired Story of Manners by Irena Stanic Rasin

AUTHORS OF CROATIAN ORIGIN

April Fool's Day by Josip Novakovich (original language: English)
Infidelities: Stories of War and Lust by Josip Novakovich (original language: English)

The Naked She-Wolf by Vesna Curo-Tomic (original language: Croatian)

Running Away to Home: Our Family's Journey to Croatia in Search of Who We Are, Where We Came From, and What Really Matters by Jennifer Wilson (original language: English)

Mama Leone by Miljenko Jergović (original language: Bosnian)
The Walnut Mansion by Miljenko Jergović (original language: Bosnian)

The First Rule of Swimming by Courtney Angela Brkic (original language: English)

Girl at War by Sara Nović (original language: English)

Immigrant Daughter: Stories You Never Told Me
by Catherine Kapphahn (original language: English)

KeenReader wrote: "Books by authors born in countries beginning with "B", "C" and "D"

These authors were all born in countries starting with "B", "C" or "D" but they may have changed nationality since then. Sometime..."

Thank you, KeenReader. I've been a fan of Svetlana Alexievich since reading what was then titled The Unwomanly Face of War: An Oral History of Women in World War II. When she won the Nobel, the committee cited her "for her polyphonic writings, a monument to suffering and courage in our time". I learned more about how Russians felt about their government from her books because she tries to quote them directly.

Thanks for the many other titles, too.

Samanta wrote: "I'll put some of the books from Croatian authors, as well as other authors I know were translated into English, and I will add as I find new ones.

CROATIA:

Written in Croatian
AUTHORS FROM THE ..."

I'm glad you shared your wealth of knowledge about books written in Croatian, Samanta. Each month we read your thoughts on the Croatian books you've read but this offers so many in one post, i'm sure we are all grateful. It'll make them easier to locate.

Again, thank you.

madrano wrote: "Samanta wrote: "I'll put some of the books from Croatian authors, as well as other authors I know were translated into English, and I will add as I find new ones.

CROATIA:

Written in Croatian
AUT..."

No problem, madrano! This was an education for me, too. I had no idea we had so many translated books, and I found out about writers I didn't know existed.

Neat! Win-Win!

madrano wrote: "Thank you, KeenReader. I've been a fan of Svetlana Alexievich since reading what was then titled The Unwomanly Face of War: An Oral History of Women in World War II.."

I've just got a copy of Last Witnesses: An Oral History of the Children of World War II. It was on a charity bookshelf at a local supermarket. I couldn't believe my luck! I've flicked though it and read a few of the entries, but I need to think about when I'll be able to put time aside to give it a thoughtful read-through.

What a find! Finding time for her work is a chore, isn't it? Thinking about the words said by those who lived the history of an era takes time.

Books by authors born in countries beginning with "E" and "F"

These authors were all born in countries starting with "E", or "F" but they may have changed nationality since then. Sometimes they write/wrote in more than one language. If it says (e.g.) translated from Arabic and French some books will have been translated from Arabic, some from French.

I've added a classification to give an idea of the book's genre. I've not read most of these and I got the classification from how Goodreads members have tagged them.

Egypt
Naguib Mahfouz
Palace Walk
Classification ; historic / classic
Translated from Arabic
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Ala Aswani
The republic of false truths
Classification: Historic fiction / politics
Translated from Arabic
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Ibrahim Abdel Meguid
Birds of Amber
Classification: Historic fiction
Translated from Arabic
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Ethiopia
Maaza Mengiste
The shadow king
Classification: Historic fiction / war
written in English
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Finland
Tove Jansson
The Summer Book
Classification: literary fiction
Translated from Swedish
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Pajtim Statovci
My cat Yugoslavia
Classification: Magical realism
Translated from Finnish
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Leena Lehtolainen
The nightingale murder
Classification: mystery / nordic noir (NB this is the 9th book in a series. The first book is “My first murder”)
Translated from Finnish
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Minna Lindgren
The Lavendar Ladies Detective Agency: Death in Sunset Grove
Classification: Crime / humour (first book of a series)
Translated from Finnish
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Sofi Oksanen
Purge
Classification: Historical / literary fiction (first book of a series)
Translated from Finnish
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

France
Jean-Paul Didierlaurent
The reader on the 6.27
Classification: Contemporary / books about books
Translated from French
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Jean Giono
The man who planted trees
CLassification: Fiction / Nature / philosophy
Translated from French
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...

Herve leTellier
The Anomaly
Classification: Contemporary / science fiction
Translated from French
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

Patrick Modiano
The black notebook
Contemporary / literary ficrtion
Translated from French
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

Laurent Binet
Civilisations
Alternate hitory / fantasty
Translated from French
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

Michel Brussi
the red notebook
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...
black water lilies
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...
Classification (both books) crime / thriller
Translated from French


Marie NDiaye
LaDivine
Classification: Contemporary / literary fiction
Translated from French
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Valérie Perrin
Fresh water for flowers
Classification: literary fiction / romance / mystery
Translated from French
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

Jean-Claude Grumberg
The most precious of cargoes
Classification: World war 2
Translated from French
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

Honoré de Balzac
Old Goriot
Classification: Classic / 19th Century
Translated from French
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

Alphonse Daudet
In the land of pain
Classification: memoir / 19th century / illness
Translated from French
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

Bernard Minier
A song for drowned souls
Classification: mystery thriller / suspense
Translated from French
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Annie Ernaux
The Years
Classification: memoir
Translated from French
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

François Sagan
Bonjour Tristesse
Classification: Romance / coming of age
Translated from French
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Delphine de Vigan
Loyalties
Classification: family / drama
Translated from French
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Virginie Despentes
Vernon subutex 1
Classification: contemporary
Translated from French
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

KeenReader wrote: "I've added a classification to give an idea of the book's genre. I've not read most of these and I got the classification from how Goodreads members have tagged them...."

They way they tag them here on Goodreads is helpful for readers but frustrating for me, linear thinker that i am. GR folks offer too many classifications, although it's most useful who those who want "something like" a book they enjoyed. I get it.

Thank you for supplying this list, KeenReader.

From this list i've only read two, both from France. Two years ago (unless my old brain is playing a trick on me) i read The Anomaly--Hervé Le Tellier for our Challenge, translated work. I liked it enough. But i'm a sci-fi fan from way back.

The other was Honoré de Balzac's Père Goriot, above titled Old Goriot. It was my first Balzac and i liked it quite a bit.