Around the World in 80 Books discussion

I'm having way too much fun checking out other people's Translated Language Challenges! So I'm interested in how far I'll get.

Languages read so far:

Language learner
1. Swedish
2. Polish
3. Finnish
4. Chinese
5. French

Translator
6. German
7. Japanese
8. Pukapukan, Rarotongan and English
9. Spanish
10. Kannada

Interpreter
11. Thai
12. Russian
13. Uzbek
14. Lithuanian
15. Slovak

Linguist
16. Korean
17. Arabic
18. Danish
19. Norwegian
20. Italian

Polyglot
21. Portugese
22. Turkmen
23. Afrikaans
24. Turkish
25. Hungarian

#1. The Dogs of Riga by Henning Mankell
Original language: Swedish
Language read: Dutch, translated by Cora Polet
Place of action: Sweden and Latvia
The second in the Wallander detective series. Quick and fun read.

#2. The Shadow of the Sun by Ryszard Kapuściński
Original language: Polish
Language read: English, translated by Klara Glowczewska
Place of action: Various countries in Africa
A collection of the famous journalist's writings on his many travels on the African continent.

#3. Purge by Sofi Oksanen
Original language: Finnish
Language read: English, translated by Lola Rogers
Place of action: Estonia
Quite a disturbing read. I'm still mulling over whether I like the book. The ending felt a bit soft for such a powerful book. I had the same problem with Oksanen's other novel, Norma.

#4. Smaragd [English title: Emerald] by Zhang Jie
Original language: Chinese
Language read: Dutch, translated by Elly Hagenaar
Place of action: China
This is already one of my favorite books of the year. This short novella is so subtle and quiet that you don't notice it sneaking up on you. Only when I finished it, did I feel the force and impact of the story. Must read it again immediately!
[See review]

#5. Black Moses by Alain Mabanckou
Original language: French
Language read: Dutch, translated by Reintje Ghoos and Jan Pieter van der Sterre
Place of action: Congo-Brazzaville
I've been meaning to read something of Mabanckou's work for ages, and I'm so glad I started with this one. What a great read! I can see why Mabanckou is a literary superstar.

First 5 languages read: Level Language Learner completed

#6. Yellow Street by Veza Canetti
Original language: German
Language read: Dutch, translated by Theodor Duquesnoy
Place of action: Austria (Vienna)
I think Veza Canetti's work is one of those hidden gems. She wrote wonderfully moving stories about Vienna in the 1930's.
[See review]

#7. Lone Wolf and Cub by Kazuo Koike (writer) and Goseki Kojima (artist)
Original language: Japanese
Language read: English, translated by Dana Lewis
Place of action: Japan
I'm a big fan of graphic novels, but I'm not that familiar with manga. Reading this classic was a nice way of figuring out what I like. I won't be continuing with this series, as the story is not for me, but I did enjoy the art and the way in which the atmosphere of Edo Japan is captured.

#8. Miss Ulysses from Puka-Puka by Florence Johnny Frisbie
Original language: the manuscript was written in a mix of Pukapukan, Rarotongan and English, which was translated into English before publication by Robert Frisbie
Language read: Dutch, translated by Tinke Davids
Place of action: Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa and Tahiti
This was a really great read - a mix of memoir and travel writing written by a young girl from Pukapuka.
[see review]

#9. A Simple Story by Leila Guerriero
Original language: Spanish
Language read: English, translated by Thomas Bunstead
Place of action: Laborde, Argentina

Stellar book about a subject I wouldn't have though I'd find interesting (but I was fascinated!). Interestingly, there seem to be two translations of this book. There's also the American edition by Frances Riddle. I was very surprised to see two different translations of what seemed to me to be a rather niche book.

#10. Ghachar Ghochar by Vivek Shanbhag
Original language: Kannada
Language read: English, translated by Srinath Perur
Place of action: Bangalore, India

This little novella went in a slightly different direction than I thought based on the blurb. However, I loved the turn it took and the tension at the end of the novel.

First 10 languages read: Level Translator completed

#11. The Sad Part Was by Prabda Yoon
Original language: Thai
Language read: English, translated by Mui Poopoksakul
Place of action: Thailand

A short story collection in which the author plays a lot with language and form. I'm not sure I found it (or the translation?) entirely succesful.

#12. Boys in Zinc by Svetlana Alexievich
Original language: Russian
Language read: English, translated by Andrew Bromfield
Place of action: The former Sovjet Union and Afghanistan

As with the book I read previously by Svetlana Alexievich, I'm in awe of her ability to get to the humanity of those who went through war. If there was ever a literary monument against war, this would be it.

#13. The Devils' Dance by Hamid Ismailov
Original language: Uzbek
Language read: English, translated by Donald Rayfield and John Farndon
Place of action: Uzbekistan

What an unusual historical novel! I really enjoyed the poetry that was interspersed throughout the novel. It gave a good feel of the importance of the form in Uzbek culture.

#14. Shadows on the Tundra by Dalia Grinkevičiūtė
Original language: Lithuanian
Language read: Dutch, translated by Jan Bert Kanon
Place of action: Siberia

One of the few surviving testamonials of the Gulag during the 1940s. The horrors as seen through the eyes of a teenage girl who has to survive the deportation and deprivation of years in the Gulag.

#15. Samko Tále's Cemetery Book by Daniela Kapitáňová
Original language: Slovak
Language read: English, translated by Julia Sherwood
Place of action: Slovakia

The style of writing/voice of the main character takes some getting used to, but there's a lot to unpack in this story of a small town in (post-)communist Slovakia.

First 15 languages read: level Interpreter completed

#16. One Hundred Shadows by Hwang Jungeun
Original language: Korean
Language read: English, translated by Jung Yewon
Place of action: South-Korea

I loved the fairytale atmosphere in this novel.

#17. Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi
Original language: Arabic
Language read: English, translated by Marilyn Booth
Place of action: Oman

Beautiful novel about an Omani family and a wonderful glimps into the lifes of a wide cast of characters. I can't wait for more of Alharthi's novels to be translated.

#18. De krokodilvogel [Crocodile bird] by Katrine Engberg
Original language: Danish
Language read: Dutch, translated by Corry van Bree (not available in English (yet))
Place of action: Kopenhagen

Decent detective, but I wasn't blown away by the mystery, the writing or the characters. It all felt as if it had been done before. But is was a nice enough companion as audiobook during my chores around the house...

#19. The Bookseller of Kabul by Åsne Seierstad
Original language: Norwegian
Language read: Dutch, translated by Diederik Grit
Place of action: Afghanistan

Interesting topic for long-form journalism, but I found the novelistic style and the absence of her presence work against the credibility of the narrative.

#20. Interiorae by Gabriella Giandelli
Original language: Italian
Language read: English, translated by Kim Thompson
Place of action: Italy

Part of my attempts of broadening my graphic novel horizons. I loved the art work, but found the storyline lacking. I'd love to see what other works Giandelli has put out, as I'd love to see more of her art.

20 languages read: level Linguist completed

#21. Keerzijde [Portugese: O Chão dos Pardais] by Dulce Maria Cardoso
Original language: Portugese
Language read: Dutch, translated by Harrie Lemmens (not available in English?)
Place of action: Portugal

A pleasant surprise find in the bargain section of my local bookstore. I definitely need to read more by this author as she writes really intriguing characters and beautifully flowing prose.

#22. The Tale of Aypi by Ak Welsapar
Original language: Turkmen
Language read: English, translated by W.M. Coulson
Place of action: Turkmenistan

Feminist ghost story set in rural Turkmenistan? Yes please! Good to see that more work by this author has been translated. This one was a nice mix of folklore, history and social commentary.

#23. Hoe alles hier verandert by Antjie Krog
Original language: Afrikaans
Language read: Dutch, translated by Robert Dorsman
Place of action: South-Africa

A compilation of different pieces from her "trilogy" : Country of My Skull, A Change of Tongue and Begging to Be Black. It deals with being white, Afrikaans in post-apartheid South-Africa. Some pieces were really interesting, but for others I felt I missed a larger context. Overall, the collection felt disjointed and perhaps it would have been better to read the three books in full.

#24. I Will Never See the World Again by Ahmet Altan
Original language: Turkish
Language read: Dutch, translated by Hamide Dogan
Place of action: Turkey

A very powerful memoir by Ahmet Altan - all the more so knowing that in Turkey there's a crackdown on writers and journalists and there are many many more Altans out there still in prison. I was glad to read that Altan had been released earlier this month.

#25. Embers by Sándor Márai
Original language: Hungarian
Language read: Dutch, translated by Mari Aldölfy
Place of action: Hungary

Márai is a masterful writer! I wasn't completely charmed by this book, but the tension and the beautiful writing made me not want to put this book down before I finished it.

25 languages read: challenge completed!

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These 25 books were not the only books I read in translation during the year. I read 55 books in translation by authors from 36 different countries:



The other translated books I read are:

1. Swedish
Finland: A Winter Book by Tove Jansson
Sweden: [Currently reading:] The Book Thieves: The Nazi Looting of Europe's Libraries and the Race to Return a Literary Inheritance by Anders Rydell

2. Polish - all authors from Poland
On the Road to Babadag: Travels in the Other Europe by Andrzej Stasiuk
Vera Gran: The Accused by Agata Tuszyńska

3. Finnish
-

4. Chinese
China: Love in a Fallen City by Eileen Chang
China: A Bond Undone by Jin Yong
China: The Moon Opera by Bi Feiyu
Taiwan: Wedding in Autumn and Other Stories by Chiung-Yu Shih
China: Border Town by Shen Congwen

5. French
France: Het bal [Novella The Ball] by Irène Némirovsky
France: Ladivine by Marie NDiaye
Belgium: London calling by Zidrou
Mauritius: Eve out of Her Ruins by Ananda Devi
France: Translation as Transhumance by Mireille Gansel
France/Syria: The Arab of the Future by Riad Sattouf
Vietnam/Canada: Ru by Kim Thúy
France: Asterix and the Chieftain's Daughter by Jean-Yves Ferri
Togo: An African in Greenland by Tété-Michel Kpomassie
Algeria: The Meursault Investigation by Kamel Daoud
Comoros [Currently reading]: A Girl Called Eel by Ali Zamir

6. German
-
7. Japanese - all authors from Japan
Solanin by Inio Asano
Our Dreams at Dusk: Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3 and Vol. 4 by Yuhki Kamatani
Fullmetal Alchemist (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 1, Vol. 2 by Hiromu Arakawa
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

8. Pukapukan, Rarotongan and English
-

9. Spanish
Chili: Multiple Choice by Alejandro Zambra
Guatemala: I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian Woman in Guatemala by Rigoberta Menchú and Elizabeth Burgos
Colombia: The Book of Emma Reyes by Emma Reyes

10. Kannada
-
11. Thai
-
12. Russian
-
13. Uzbek
-
14. Lithuanian
Lithuania: Those Whom I Would Like to Meet Again by Giedra Radvilavičiūtė

15. Slovak
-
16. Korean
-
17. Arabic
-
18. Danish
-
19. Norwegian
-
20. Italian
-
21. Portugese
-
22. Turkmen
-
23. Afrikaans
-
24. Turkish
-
25. Hungarian
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