Around the World discussion

Welp, let's see how this goes. I shall need to fill a few blanks, I'm afraid.

Algeria: The Eight
Antigua: Mr.Potter
Argentina: Collected Fictions
Armenia: The Forty Days of Musa Dagh
Australia: The Song of Troy
Belgium: Memoirs of Hadrian
Botswana: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Burma: Burmese Days
Byzantium: Lost to the West: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization
Canada: The Last Gentleman Adventurer: Coming of Age in the Arctic
China: The Last Empress
Congo: Heart of Darkness
Czech Republic: The Book of Laughter and Forgetting
Dominican Republic: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Egypt: River God: A Novel of Ancient Egypt
France: The Invisible Bridge
Germany: In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin
Greece: Corelli's Mandolin
Hungary: Celestial Harmonies
India: A Fine Balance
Iran: סמטת השקדיות בעומריג'אן (this does not appear to have been translated into English, too bad)
Ireland: Room
Israel: If You Awaken Love
Italy: History: A Novel
Japan: The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet
Malta: The Disorderly Knights
Mexico: The Lacuna
Netherlands: The Bride of Dreams
New Zealand: Season of the Jew
Nigeria: Things Fall Apart
North Korea: Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea
Norway: Kristin Lavransdatter
Ottoman Empire: Pawn in Frankincense
Pacific Islands: Cloud Atlas
Poland: The Slave
Portugal: The Crime of Father Amaro
Rome: Medicus
Russia: Doctor Zhivago
Saudi Arabia: Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph
Scotland: Queens' Play
Serbia: Dictionary of the Khazars
Sicily: The Leopard
South Africa: King Solomon's Mines
Spain: The Map of Time
Sudan: What is the What
Surinam: Oroonoko
Sweden: Gosta Berling's Saga
Turkey: The Dervish House
U.K.: Joseph Andrews
U.S.: Fall of Giants
Ukraine: The White Guard

Genia, welcome welcome. That was really fast work. Now I'm going to look at your list.

It's obviously not finished; there are only thirty-two books. I still need twenty more.

You have twenty minutes. Go! Kidding. Looks good.

Corelli's Mandolin, yes! Can you say when you begin reading it?

Certainly. I've no idea when precisely that will be, though.

There are some great looking titles on your list, Genia.

Hi Genia, I enjoyed Corelli's Mandolin and have the same author's book Birds Without Wings, set for Turkey. There are LOTS oc characters in his books. I like Bernières writing style, but you have to be in the mood for keeping track of all the individuals.

You can't possible be disappointed by The Invisible Bridge. When I started I thought this would be a hyped up novel, I was completelyt wrong. I gave it five stars. Enjoy!

For Germany, if you are interested in learning how the Germans could come to support Hitler, I would recommendOn Hitler's Mountain: Overcoming the Legacy of a Nazi Childhood. Here is my review of that: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/.... I gave it five stars. The review is spoiler-free! I am restrictive with my stars andyet it did get five. Get a book with the photos.

Isn't it fun just simply making these lists!

Chrissie, I've read George Martin and the Russian classics. I shan't be deterred by some Englishman's notion of what 'many characters' may mean.

I'm trying to use books that I already have sitting on my shelves and looking at me accusingly. The Eric Larsson is already in my possession, so I am going t get it out of the way. I'm interested in your suggestions, but the less books I buy to crowd my shelves further, the better off my sanity will be.

This is bad. Uh... Can I count Introduction to Akkadian and An Akkadian Handbook: Paradigms, Helps, Logograms and Sign Lists for, uh, Assyria?

I understand perfectly, Genia. I love Bernièrs wrrting, but with him I usually have to keep a list of who is who! Birds Without Wing has a super intersting theme, if you find you enjoy Corelli's Mandolin.

Genia wrote: "This is bad. Uh... Can I count Introduction to Akkadian and An Akkadian Handbook: Paradigms, Helps, Logograms and Sign Lists for, uh, Assyria?"

The rules are that there are no rules. You can do what you like.

Yeah, but I would still feel bad cheating with my language textbooks.

Well, what is the nationality of the author? Is there just one author?

What an interesting list Genia. I loved The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet and plan to read Cloud Atlas later. I have The Invisible Bridge ready to read but I can't recall if it's on my list or not. There are several more on your list that I plan to read though I'm not sure whether they will be part of this project. It really is fun working on this.

Genia, are you having a difficult time figuring out what you haven't read in Russian Lit.?

That too. Mostly it's just a "I need to wait and grab whatever's handy", as is the case for Israeli stuff. I figure that so many books from both pass through my hands that I'll use whatever book is occupying my shelves at the moment.

Also, I've more or less completed the list, patching it up with cheap classics that can be downloaded for free. So far my purchase requirements out of that whole list are only eight books, which is pretty good.

I think that's amazing Genia--only needing to purchase 8 books. Wow. At some point I may look to you for some ideas re: contemporary Israeli lit. Right now I'm pretty overwhelmed with things to read but I'd love to get some ideas. I did ask my neurologist, who is a Russian emigre if she had recommendations and she gave me a couple of names (one Estonian, one Israeli). I'd have to look up both but I haven't been able to locate the Israeli author yet in the library circuit.

Are you guys having trouble getting emails and notifications? I am. I get some and not others. Typical weekend at GR I guess.

Well, I guess I have to be patient to see what Genia will be reading for Russia and Israel.

I think I'm getting mine today. There have been a lot of blips lately though. Sunspots? or getting busier?

I went to the GR Feedback thread where everyone reports not getting emails and notifications. I'm in the same boat as a lot of people. I never received email or notification for Genia's post above but I received yours.

Which authors did your doctor recommend? I probably know them, or of them.

Oh, a good Russian-Israeli author is Dina Rubina. She's a patient of my mother's, and we have all her books signed. She writes well and I think her book is translated.

It works on and off for me! I thought they fixed this.........

Genia wrote: "Oh, a good Russian-Israeli author is Dina Rubina. She's a patient of my mother's, and we have all her books signed. She writes well and I think her book is translated."

I found one in English. I saw that Sue had already noted it for her wish list: Here Comes The Messiah. I'm considering it. They are not inexpensive in English. Do you know about the Messiah Complex in Jerusalem?

Chrissie wrote: "It works on and off for me! I thought they fixed this........."

It's the weekend. They fix it, it gets a bug, they fix it again.....

Genia wrote: "Oh, a good Russian-Israeli author is Dina Rubina. She's a patient of my mother's, and we have all her books signed. She writes well and I think her book is translated."

I think she may be the one I couldn't get through the library system. I wanted to read some instead of buying but if she's that good maybe I'll take a chance. Is there one you'd suggest?

the other author was Sergei Dovlatov. I read The Compromise. Interesting working in and around the system.

I do! It's a documented and acknowledged psychological disorder, known as Jerusalem Syndrome. I always found it extremely funny. I've seen a manifestation or two around the streets, I think, and I know of a guy who lives in Ramot and takes his pet goat on the bus - don't ask, my best friend told me about that one; he's infamous.

For Rubina, Here Comes the Messiah is probably good. My mother really likes White Dove of Cordoba, and I know they're making a film out of Dual Last Name.

Anne wrote: "Genia wrote: "Oh, a good Russian-Israeli author is Dina Rubina. She's a patient of my mother's, and we have all her books signed. She writes well and I think her book is translated."

I found one i..."

thanks Anne. I couldn't find it on my own list since I didn't put her in any shelves to label her so I couldn't remember her name.

I think for my Israeli pick I will finally read Elon's book If You Awaken Love. That ups my purchases up to 9, but I did want to read it for a while.

Genia wrote: "I do! It's a documented and acknowledged psychological disorder, known as Jerusalem Syndrome. I always found it extremely funny. I've seen a manifestation or two around the streets, I think, and I ..."

Well, we'll have to wait for the movie. Nothing else is translated.

Genia wrote: "I do! It's a documented and acknowledged psychological disorder, known as Jerusalem Syndrome. I always found it extremely funny. I've seen a manifestation or two around the streets, I think, and I ..."

Yes, it is documented. Working as a shrink in Jerusalem I saw my fair share and heard about plenty more. Not speaking Hebrew isn't an issue for those with the syndrome.

Genia wrote: "I think for my Israeli pick I will finally read Elon's book If You Awaken Love. That ups my purchases up to 9, but I did want to read it for a while."

9 out of 52; not bad.
That looks interesting and it's available here in English.
What did you decide about Assyria?

I've managed to get 52 books without resorting to language textbooks; besides, as much as Akkadian is fun, reading an entire list of cuneiform syllables is staggeringly boring.

Well, I would have thought so.... Glad you found something else.

I just ordered Here Comes the Messiah! from Abebooks, so I will be reading it!!

Good for you.

Swapping India around for A Fine Balance.

Yuk Yuk, very funny, Mr Bunny!

Genia, wonderful recommendations and given within a stand-up comedy routine. Now, since I'm greedy, I'm going to ask you : what about recommendations for Russian and Ukraine? Is there anyone in the group better qualified to come up with recommendations for either ?

Hoooo boy. I don't know whether I actually have enough hours in the day to write up a list.

I might decide to do something by genre. Russian and Soviet sci-fi; Russian and Soviet thriller; Russian and Soviet Romance...

Genia wrote: "Hoooo boy. I don't know whether I actually have enough hours in the day to write up a list.

That's exactly what I mean. You don't have to recommend every book you know; how about your favorites?

I might decide to do something by genre. Russian and Soviet sci-fi; Russian and Soviet thriller; Russian..." .

By genre is a great idea!

Thank you, Genia.

Slight amendment to my list.

Changed the entry for Australia, and took out the one for Ancient Greece, also added Armenia The Forty Days of Musa Dagh and changed Norway to Kristin Lavransdatter.

A group I am in is planning to do a group read of this, to which I will most likely join. So I figured I might as well use it here, too; especially as I never liked "portraits of modernist fiction". Which is exactly what Hunger was rumoured to be.

I don't think I even like the phrase "portraits of modernist fiction".

I want to read Kristen Lavransdatter too but somehow don't see that happening in the midst of so many other books.

Concerning Kristen Lavansdater. I would have klike to join you, but it is important to get this translated properly. The little I read on the Kindle version, was not satisfactory. Do try to get the translation by Tiina Nunnally. I have read other books translated by her and she is excellent. Kristin Lavransdatter has her as a translator. Other editions don't.

Judy wrote: "Chrissie, I'll have to go with whatever book the library has, but fingers crossed its Tiina Nunnally."

I hope so too. I read the sample on the Kindle and boy was it strang. For example, some words that should have been translated to provide the reader with more information were left untranslated. One example I can think of was "dal", which means valley. It was just left untranslated as part of a name. And another example was "farfar" which is in translation the paternal grandfather. There the text was the father's father. Other sentences were, I felt, not well expressed. Perhaps as one gets into the story one would notice this less. I also have past experience or reading Tiina Nunnally's translations, and she does usually a wonderful. job!

I of course understand you choice to read what is available at your library! My fingers are crossed.

I have Kristen Lavansdater on my list too, and I was eying the Penguin edition (it looks pretty, hehe).

Jenny, pretty is nice too! Who is the translator of that? I do not remember the name of the Kindle translator, but it is the one of the first book of the trilogy that I tested.

Oh it looks like that one is Nunnally, even better.