Nobody needs reminding, these are strange times and uncharted waters. With the Easter holidays upon us, many people will have had to cancel travel plans. No days out, no trips overseas. One method of leisure transportation, however, does remain open for business: books. Welcome to the Confinement Travel Agency.
We may not be able to physically travel to other countries (or even further than the local supermarket), but we can still read books from other countries. I have had a look over my bookshelves at past trips and compiled a brochure of 30 books from 20 countries. This is not an attempt at any kind of representative list, just a rather random collection of diverse recommendations. I have only included works available in English and have generally tried to exclude books I have previously mentioned on the blog. They are mostly but not exclusively novels. Part 1 of 3 below. Enjoy!
Algeria The Outsider – Albert Camus (transl. Joseph Laredo) An extended period in isolation is the perfect time to explore a philosophical and existentialist classic, right? Angola A General Theory of Oblivion – José Eduardo Agualusa (transl. Daniel Hahn) This novel might be particularly relevant right now as main character Ludo is in self-isolation, barricading herself into her apartment for thirty years on the eve of Angolan independence. Suddenly a few weeks of confinement doesn’t sound so bad. Perhaps you’ll find some survival tips and certainly an enjoyable read. Argentina An Open Secret – Carlos Gamerro (transl. Ian Barnett) We follow protagonist Fefe as he returns to a small town with a murky past and attempts to discover the truth about Darío, a local man who was one of thousands of Argentinians to be “disappeared” by the military government. A tense and claustrophobic mystery full of intrigue. Mouthful of Birds – Samanta Schweblin (transl. Megan McDowell) This short story collection is as weird, dark and brilliant as you would expect from the author of the breathtaking novella Fever Dream. Open Door – Iosi Havilio (transl. Beth Fowler) After her partner disappears, a young woman starts a new life in a rural town named after its psychiatric hospital. Often strange and surreal, this fascinating novel poses all kinds of questions, not least about the nature of freedom, sanity and happiness. Operation Massacre – Rodolfo Walsh (transl. Daniella Gitlin) A gripping true-crime masterpiece, probably the first of the genre in the modern era. We join the author as he trails with journalistic zeal the elusive truth behind the secretive and botched execution of a group of men in 1956.
Austria The Old King in his Exile – Arno Geiger (transl. Stefan Tobler) The author recounts his experiences when his father developed Alzheimer’s. Though the illness distances his father, in some ways they become closer as he learns more about his life growing up in the Austrian Alps. This memoir is moving, cathartic and ultimately uplifting, often combating suffering with gentle humour.
Brazil
Nowhere People – Paulo Scott (transl. Daniel Hahn) A powerful novel dealing with social and political issues. A law student from a privileged background driving home in the rain passes an indigenous girl at the side of the road. He stops to give her a lift and both their lives change course. All Dogs Are Blue – Rodrigo de Souza Leão (transl. Zoë Perry and Stefan Tobler) A short, funny novel narrated by a man in a Rio de Janeiro insane asylum. It is bizarre, hallucinatory and brilliant. Written by a writer who rarely left the house, this could be an apt choice for these times. Czech Republic The Metamorphosis and Other Stories – Franz Kafka (transl. Michael Hofmann) Speaking of bizarre…if you enjoy books described as ‘Kafkaesque’, why not try reading actual Kafka?