If you missed Part 1 in this series, catch up here. A quick recap of the idea: looking back on my past literary travels to create an eclectic list of 30 recommended books from 20 countries, because physical confinement can't stop us from travelling by book. Part 2 of 3 below.
England The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August – Claire North If you’re looking for escapism, you’ll find it in this thriller which offers a fresh take on the idea of time travel. When Harry August dies, he is born again in the same birthplace at the same time. But he remembers. Harry discovers there are others like him and not all with benevolent intentions. A message is passed down from the future, he must decipher the clues and save the world. India The Lives of Others – Neel Mukherjee A vast and expansive novel telling political through a family saga. From wealthy households to slum neighbourhoods, student politics to Naxalite rebellions, city to countryside. Masterfully written, this is an epic tale of empathy, politics (societal, familial, world), interconnectedness, haves and have-nots. It is not a quick read but definitely worth the commitment.
Ireland The Spinning Heart – Donal Ryan Ryan is always such a pleasure to read and this novella is wonderfully crafted. Flitting between a multitude of voices, tensions unfold in a town suffering from the effects of Ireland’s post-Celtic Tiger economic downturn. The more voices we hear, the more we can piece together the larger story and see how ordinary lives intertwine. The Testament of Mary – Colm Tóibín This is an appropriate if controversial read for Easter time. Tóibín reimagines the life of Jesus as seen and told by his mother, now older and alone. She is weary but strong and in her recollections we see her concern for her son and mistrust of those around him, as she navigates the enormity of a situation that has serious ramifications in her own life. Tóibín handles the subject matter with a fine touch, resulting in a compassionate study of a woman who suffered so much, which, I believe, can be appreciated by anyone, regardless of religious persuasion. Japan Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World – Haruki Murakami (transl. Alfred Birnbaum) Hop into the wild imagination of Murakami with this dream-like dual narrative novel. Two very different worlds begin to overlap more and more with signs, clues, repetitions.
Mexico
I’ll Sell You a Dog – Juan Pablo Villalobos (transl. Rosalind Harvey) Villalobos is a genius and such great fun to read. Here, the protagonist is a retired taco seller and one-time aspiring artist. He keeps himself and us entertained with tales from his colourful past and by antagonising those around him, including his neighbours who have formed a pretentious literary salon and the American missionaries who come to his retirement building. I can’t do this book justice by talking about it, so let me just say it is fantastic and you should read it. Signs Preceding the End of the World – Yuri Herrera (transl. Lisa Dillman) Short, intense, linguistically inventive. This wonderful novella explores crossings and translations, of borders, languages, cultures. Our hero Makina is a young woman who must cross the border from Mexico to the United States in search of her brother and carrying two messages.
Shadow Without a Name – Ignacio Padilla (transl. Peter Bush and Anne McLean) A novel that will change how you think about the game of chess forever. Identities and destinies are at stake in this historical fiction that jumps between various points in the 20th century, between Europe and Argentina and four narrative voices. It is inspired in part by the true story of high-profile Nazi Adolf Eichmann who exiled himself in Buenos Aires before being caught by Israeli authorities. Nigeria
Things Fall Apart – Chinua Achebe A tragic, nuanced and powerful examination of the impact of British colonialism and Christian missionaries on local people and traditional ways of life. Achebe’s narrative is deceptively simple and deeply human. An essential work of African fiction.
Oman
Celestial Bodies – Jokha al-Harthi (transl. Marilyn Booth)
Last year’s International Booker winner. Here we see a society undergoing huge changes through the lives of three sisters whose lives take very different paths.
#Books #Travel #Literature #Fiction #England #India #Ireland #Japan #Mexico #Nigeria #Oman #ShelfIsolation #StayAtHome #QuédateEnCasa #FicaEmCasa #Coronavirus #Confinement
Comments