Reading with Style discussion

Ask questions or post suggestions about books that would be ideal for Backpacking through Europe.

Belgian*:
Hugo Claus
Hendrik Conscience
Kristien Hemmerechts
Amélie Nothomb
Ward Ruyslinck
Victor Serge
Felix Timmermans
Marguerite Yourcenar


*Disclaimer: I have not verified that all of these authors qualify for Belgium.

Goodreads shelves for Belgium and Belgian

German*:
Jurek Becker
Thomas Bernhard
L. Bielenberg
Heinrich Böll
Gabriele Eckart
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Günter Grass
Ursula Hegi
Hermann Hesse
Gert Hofmann
Uwe Johnson
Ernst Jünger
Marie Luise Kaschnitz
Siegfried Lenz
Thomas Mann
Monika Maron
Emily Prager
Erich Maria Remarque
Rainer Maria Rilke
Frank Schätzing
Bernhard Schlink
Brigitte Schwaiger
W.G. Sebald
Botho Strauss
Patrick Süskind
Uwe Timm
Christa Wolf
Hiltgunt Zassenhaus
Arnold Zweig

*Disclaimer: I have not verified that all of these authors qualify for Germany.

Goodreads shelves for Germany and German

Portuguese*:

António Lobo Antunes
Luís Vaz de Camões
Fernando Pessoa
José Maria Eça de Queirós
José Saramago

*Disclaimer: I have not verified that all of these authors qualify for Portugal.

Goodreads shelves for Portugal and Portuguese

Ursula Hegi was mentioned as approved for Germany in the itinerary thread and I highly reccomend her books. She has a new book coming out in the US in May but unfortunately that one will be too late!

Yes, her Stones from the River is on my Top Ten list. I think I will be reading Floating in My Mother's Palm this Challenge. Although written first, it is actually after Stones time-wise.

Does anyone have any ideas for Greece?

Coralie wrote: "Does anyone have any ideas for Greece?"

What about some of the ancient Greeks: You could read some plays by Euripides or some Plato or Aristotle...or Aesop's fables...

Another possibility for Greece - Nikos Kazantzakis

Christy wrote: "Another possibility for Greece - Nikos Kazantzakis"

Christy - fun suggestion. He is the author of Zorba the Greek, which I have not read, but gets a 4 star average and the movie was fun.

Thanks everyone. I was hoping for something more modern than the ancients and I do see that my library has some books by Kazantzakis Nikos so I will give him a try.

Wiki has a list of modern Greek authors

In regards to Portuguese books, you may end up with books other than Portugal that speak Portuguese, for example Brazil. Just be careful.

Here is a list of Danish authors: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_...

Melissa W wrote: "Here is a list of Danish authors: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_..."

Thanks for that link! I was just trying to decide if I should add Denmark to my lisk. I found Peter Hoeg on the list of Danish authors. I've been meaning to read Smilla's Sense of Snow for ages.

Stopping in Denmark? Check.

I think this website is posted every challenge, but I always have issues finding it so here is my favorite website for authors by nationality.

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/cou...

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Christy wrote: "Another possibility for Greece - Nikos Kazantzakis"

Christy - fun suggestion. He is the author of Zorba the Greek, which I have not read, but gets a 4 ..."

That's one I want to read too. It's referred to so many times in other books and movies etc.. I just read Animal, Vegetable and Miracle by B Kingsolver and she was even quoting from the book!

The Summer Book is an excellent choice for Finland. it is an elegant book of simply told vignettes of a grandmother and granddaughter's summer at their island home.

Liz- I read that for Finland , too. It's a 1001 book that my library didn't have. I ordered it from Amazon since it was so elusive :)

OK, so I hated The Name of the Rose: Including Postscript so much, I've set it aside after 150 pages. Since Italy was to be my first stop, this is a problem. I need something rather quick and light to replace it, I think, and if someone has a suggestion, I'd love to hear it.

Elizabeth -
I'm planning to read something by Italo Calvino for Italy. I've never tried him, so don't know if he qualifies as quick and light, but he might be worth a look. I'm thinking of If on a Winter's Night a Traveler

Oh, thanks, Christy. My library does not have that book, but it does have a collection of short stories by that author Numbers in the Dark: And Other Stories. This might be just the thing for me!

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "OK, so I hated The Name of the Rose: Including Postscript so much, I've set it aside after 150 pages. Since Italy was to be my first stop, this is a problem. I need something rather q..."

I'd recommend I'm Not Scared by Niccolò Ammaniti, it's fairly short & a quick read. Don't watch the movie, though.

I'd also recommend Silk by Alessandro Baricco. While even shorter then the above mentioned book, it is more....thoughtful, more lyrical.

Those both look terrific, Liz. Thanks!

Hi Elizabeth:

I ran out of time last challenge to read The Paper Moon by Andrea Camilleri. He seems to be a popular Italian writer. This particular book is in the middle of his Inspector Montalbano Mysteries series.

I haven't read it but it looked good to me, and it's at least another Italian option.

Thanks, Krista. My library has these. I did pick up a Calvino book yesterday, Numbers in the Dark: And Other Stories. If it doesn't go well . . .

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Thanks, Krista. My library has these. I did pick up a Calvino book yesterday, Numbers in the Dark: And Other Stories. If it doesn't go well . . ."

No problem. It's always nice to have options. I'm searching for a book by a German author that isn't too heavy. I'm not having much luck!

Krista wrote: "No problem. It's always nice to have options. I'm searching for a book by a German author that isn't too heavy. I'm not having much luck!..."

Hmm. I'm only coming up with All Quiet on the Western Front, The Reader, Death in Venice, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, and The Swarm. Not exactly uplifting. The last one is an eco-thriller and a fairly fun read (I skimmed the overly factual boring bits), but at 881 pages, it's a heavy book.

I'm going to read Ursula Hegi's Floating in My Mother's Palm. I really want to read this, and I really need to get the Italian out of the way!

Someone posted that Hegi was approved as a German author, right? I think she lives in US now.

Liz, I looked at Austerlitz from your German backpacking stop. I may try W.G. Sebald's After Nature for Germany. It doesn't sound light, but it isn't long! And my library actually has a copy on hand.

I'm listening to Kafka's The Trial right now for the Jewish Literature task. I don't know how much more of this heavy stuff I can take. Especially since I just this minute finished Alison Weir's new book The Lady in the Tower. What a nice light read about the death of Anne Boleyn. (Not!)

Hey, isn't Cornelia Funke German? I haven't read the Inkheart books yet. Can any one give me a recommendation about the series?

Krista wrote: "Liz, I looked at Austerlitz from your German backpacking stop. I may try W.G. Sebald's After Nature for Germany. It doesn't sound light, but it isn't long! And my library actually has a copy on hand...."

I didn't recommend Austerlitz for a reason. Now, I may have read it at the wrong time, but I found it extremely difficult to focus on. There were no paragraphs or chapters just pages and pages filled with blocks of text. And it felt far too intelligent for me, more like non-fiction.

Cornelia Funke's books are all good. Her newest, Reckless, is on my list and is getting good reviews. My book for Germany is one I've wanted to read for a long time and it is quite good so far, The Center of the World by Andreas Steinhofel. Sorry, I can't link to it from my phone.

Krista wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Thanks, Krista. My library has these. I did pick up a Calvino book yesterday, Numbers in the Dark: And Other Stories. If it doesn't go well . . ."

No prob..."

I was looking at Herman Hesse for my German author... the books that we own of his are fairly short but I don't much about the content.

Karen GHHS wrote: "Cornelia Funke's books are all good. Her newest, Reckless, is on my list and is getting good reviews. My book for Germany is one I've wanted to read for a long time and it is quite good so far, The..."

Perfect! My library has Reckless in CD Audiobook format. I just put it on hold. I'll listen to it after I finish listening to The Trial - and after I finish reading Smilla's Sense of Snow for my Danish stop.

Thanks! I'm actaully exicted about moving on to Germany when I can now.

Rachelccameron wrote: "Krista wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Thanks, Krista. My library has these. I did pick up a Calvino book yesterday, Numbers in the Dark: And Other Stories. If it doesn't go well . ...

I was looking at Herman Hesse for my German author... the books that we own of his are fairly short but I don't much about the content. "

Hi Rachelcameron: Thanks for the suggestions of Herman Hesse. I haven't read any of his books yet. I'm trying to read more contemporary books for the backpacking tasks. I hate to not be able to count the "Oldies" and/or "Canon" style points when they are earned. :-)

Sara Grace wrote: "I cannot find a Spanish author to read. Any ideas?"

Have you read The Shadow of the Wind?

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Sara Grace wrote: "I cannot find a Spanish author to read. Any ideas?"

Have you read The Shadow of the Wind?"

I second that. I just finished that book and I loved it - now I want to go find his other books. I thoroughly enjoyed The Shadow of the Wind.

Karen GHHS wrote: "Cornelia Funke's books are all good. Her newest, Reckless, is on my list and is getting good reviews. My book for Germany is one I've wanted to read for a long time and it is quite good so far, The..."

I just got "Reckless" on my Nook for free. Yay me! :)

Katy wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Sara Grace wrote: "I cannot find a Spanish author to read. Any ideas?"

Have you read The Shadow of the Wind?"

I second that. I just finished that book and ..."

He's written a prequel to this book titled, The Angel's Game. I listened to that a couple of quarters ago. I have The Shadow of the Wind as my Spanish stop. I just have to get through France, then it's on to Spain.

Another author I was looking at for Spain is Arturo Pérez-Reverte. He's written The Flanders Panel among other books.

I have The Angel's Game as my Spanish stop, which should be next. I'm so far behind on my plans, I don't know what I'm going to do.