Around the World discussion

Hello!
I'm new on goodreads and this is the first challenge I'm entering. I'm intrigued by the idea and I think this will really broaden my horizon. I'm sure I won't be able to finish in 2012 but I'm really looking forward to starting.
I enjoyed making my list. I also "borrowed" quite a few books from the master-list which sounded fascinating.
Glad to be here!

1. Afghanistan
A Thousand Splendid Suns

2. Albania
The Palace of Dreams
The Ghost Rider

3. Argentina
Labyrinths

4. Australia
Picnic at Hanging Rock

5. Belgium
Dirty Snow

6. Bosnia
Shards: A Novel

7. Botswana
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

8. Canada
The Handmaid's Tale

9. China
Dream of the Red Chamber
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

10. Colombia
Love in the Time of Cholera

11. Congo
The Poisonwood Bible

12. Croatia
Baba Yaga Laid an Egg

13. Czech Republic
Daniel Jesus

14. Egypt
Midaq Alley

15. England
Jane Eyre

16. Finland
Snow Angels

17. France
Perrault's Fairy Tales

18. Germany
The Invention of Curried Sausage

19. Hungary
Embers

20. Iceland
Last Rituals

21. India
The White Tiger

22. Iran
The Blind Owl

23. Iraq
I'jaam: An Iraqi Rhapsody

24. Ireland
Room
In the Woods

25. Israel
Almost Dead

26. Italy
I'm Not Scared

27. Jamaica
The Book of Night Women

28. Japan
Out

29.Kenya
Burn My Heart

30. Mexico
Like Water for Chocolate

31. New Zealand
The Bone People

32. Nigeria
Things Fall Apart

33. Norway
Out Stealing Horses

34. Poland
The Beautiful Mrs. Seidenman

35. Portugal
Blindness

36. Puerto Rico
Daughters of the Stone

37. Romania
Atemschaukel

38. Russia
Anna Karenina

39. Rwanda:
Murambi, The Book of Bones

40. Scotland
Stone Garden

41. Somalia
Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey Of A Desert Nomad

42. South Africa
Thirteen Cents

43. Spain
Don Quixote

44. Sri Lanka
Running in the Family

45. Sweden
Let the Right One In

46. Thailand
Ladyboys

47. Turkey
My Name is Red

48. Uganda
The Price of Stones: Building a School for My Village

49. Ukraine
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian
The Dogs and the Wolves

50. USA
East of Eden

51. Vietnam
Crossing the River: Short Fiction by Nguyen Huy Thiep

52. Wales
The Hiding Place

53. Austria
The Piano Teacher

54. Algeria
The Stranger

Thank you! Yes, I was just planning to comment in that thread. :)

Thank you! I'm really looking forward to reading those books. The master-list was a big help.

Jane Eyre is my least favourite book ever. I hate it. I just felt so let down by it. However, I won't say too much if you haven't read it yet, as so many people love it, and it's up to you to decide how you think about it.

Welcome, Miss Wednesday! Somehow, we didn't have Puerto Rico on the master list yet, but your selections *have* been added to it, so you can just post a comment here if you add anything.

I have Embers in the mail to me, and I'm interested in reading it even more after reading that there is a sequel of sorts that just got translated into English.

Gaeta1 wrote: "Hi Miss Wednesday! Glad you're reading Out--a favorite of mine. I don't know if it is important to you, but A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian is set amongst immigrants in Engla..."
....*pretends not to read this fact*....

Yes, there is little about the Ukraine in the book. I listened to it on audio and wondered about the title.

Re: Tractors

I have often thought how do you classify a book about people of a given country( in this case Ukraine) who are transplanted to another culture (in this case England)? Given our flexible rules, wouldn't it be OK to put in in the culture of origin that is most significant? We are all bending rules here. Hej, we are not even bending them......there are no rules. The characters in this book are not "typically English"! It is true, neither will you learn a whole lot about the Ukraine, but you will have a good time reading the book!

Gaeta1 wrote: "Hi Miss Wednesday! Glad you're reading Out--a favorite of mine. I don't know if it is important to you, but A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian is set amongst immigrants in Engla..."

Thank you for pointing this out! I initially wanted to read "Everything is illuminated" which takes place in the Ukraine, but I wanted to read a book by an Ukrainian author. It's difficult to find books by author from Ukraine which is too bad because I really want to read a book from that area. Any suggestions?
I have a friend from the Ukraine and I'll also ask her for suggestions, too.

Starfish13 wrote: "Jane Eyre is my least favourite book ever. I hate it. I just felt so let down by it. However, I won't say too much if you haven't read it yet, as so many people love it, and it's up to you to de..."

I've always avoided reading "Jane Eyre" up to now, because after having read "Wide Sargasso Sea" which I thoght was brilliant I fear I'm not going to perceive "Jane Eyre" as I should...
Still it's a classic I don't want miss.

Jenny wrote: "Welcome, Miss Wednesday! Somehow, we didn't have Puerto Rico on the master list yet, but your selections *have* been added to it, so you can just post a comment here if you add anything.

I have ..."

Hello! Thank you for adding my books! Somehow that makes me even more excited about starting to read.
I'm really looking forward to reading "Embers". I've been wantig to read that one for quite a while now.

Chrissie wrote: "Re: Tractors

I have often thought how do you classify a book about people of a given country( in this case Ukraine) who are transplanted to another culture (in this case England)? Given our flexib..."

And I suppose because the author is of Ukrainian heritage there will be elements of his culture and background seeping into his writing, even though isn't set in the Ukraine.

@Miss Wednesday, part of my dislike of the book comes from having read Wide Sargasso Sea first, and knowing just how wonderful and complex a character Antionette/Crazy Bertha in the attic really is, and being unable to view Rochester as the romantic lead he is intended to be.

@Gaeta1. None of the above. Jane seems destined to be a great character, but just falls flat in my opinion. She gives up all of what makes her interesting and exciting for her relationship with Rochester, but never truly as his equal, and only once he's effectively been stripped of his power.

Miss Wednesday wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Re: Tractors

I have often thought how do you classify a book about people of a given country( in this case Ukraine) who are transplanted to another culture (in this case England)?..."

That is how I was thinking. But the Tractor book is primarily funny - about older people and love. You might have to be a bit older in age to get a kick out of it.

I haven't read it but am considering The Silence of Trees. Then of course the border between Ukraine has been moved back and forth so many times that you can consider books set in eastern Poland, Gallicia. You might also check the Master List.

Oh I understand your reasoning Gaeta!

I am annoyed at myself for not being to help with more Ukranian books. I have previously thrown all the "countries" of the Soviet Union onto one shelf. I don't have the energy to go through them all and figure out which one took place in Ukraine. In the future I will put them on a Ukranian shelf. I know I have books set in Kiev, but which is the question......

BTW Two Caravans by Marina Lewycka just isn't at all as good!

Miss Wednesday,

here are three books written by Ukrainian authors which take place in the Ukraine.

Moonlight in Odessa by Janet Skeslien Charles

Katerina: A Novel by Aharon Appelfeld

The Dogs and the Wolves by Irène
Némirovsky

There's also Bulgakov's The White Guard. Bulgakov lived part of his life in the Ukraine, and fought there.

Anne wrote: "Miss Wednesday,

here are three books written by Ukrainian authors which take place in the Ukraine.

Moonlight in Odessa by Janet Skeslien Charles

[book:Katerina:..."

Thank you. I'll be sure to check them out and will probably switch to one of them. :)

Starfish13 wrote: "@Miss Wednesday, part of my dislike of the book comes from having read Wide Sargasso Sea first, and knowing just how wonderful and complex a character Antionette/Crazy Bertha in the attic really is..."

I understand that. I also wish I had read "Jane Eyre" before "Wide Sargasso Sea".

Miss Wednesday wrote: "hank you. I'll be sure to check them out and will probably switch to one of them. :) "

I hope one of them works for you.

Switched my German book from The Book Thief (which doesn't have a German author)
to Die Entdeckung der Langsamkeitand my Ukrainian book from A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian(which doesn't take place in Ukraine) to The Dogs and the Wolves.
Still not quite sure about the German book. I might change that again. Any recommendations?

Miss Wednesday,
have you seen this list: http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/48...

Also, here is a link to my Germany shelf: there will be some books there that don't take place entirely in Germany and some of the authors may not be born in Germany, but there are plenty of German authors who wrote about things happening in Germany. I just saw The Wall Jumper: A Berlin Story
for instance, but I cannot recommend it because I haven't read it yet myself. There are several by Irmgard Keun and then of course some German classics.


Just remembered: I recommended The Invention of Curried Sausage by Uwe Timm. Check it out. I loved this little book.
Good luck.

Anne wrote: "Miss Wednesday,
have you seen this list: http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/48...

Also, here is a link to my Germany shelf: there will be some books there tha..."

Two wonderful lists, Anne!

Thank you, Asmah. I edited that post and snuck in my recommendation for Germany while you were writing your post.

Anne wrote: "Just remembered: I recommended The Invention of Curried Sausage by Uwe Timm. Check it out. I loved this little book.
Good luck..."

Will check it! Thanks.

Asmah,
that rec. was for Miss Wednesday. Don't you have a book for Germany? I'm sure you do.

Thank you very much for your recommendations. I'll be sure to check them out!
I've heard a lot about The Invention of Curried Sausage but the title somehow always frightened me off. :D

Miss Wednesday wrote: "Thank you very much for your recommendations. I'll be sure to check them out!
I've heard a lot about The Invention of Curried Sausage but the title somehow always frightened me off. :D"

That's what others have said. But it really has nothing at all to do with curried sausage. It's a very charming book. If you look it up on GR you can read more about it. I didn't write a review because I read it pre-GR.

I've finally decided on my last book. I'm going to read Burn My Heartfor Kenya. I really love the title and it sounds interesting. Also Kenya is a country I would love to visit soon.
I've also changes my German book. I'm going to read The Diary of a Young Girl.
Everybody else in Germany semms to have read it at school and I still haven't read it so I figured it's time.
I've put The Invention of Curried Sausage on my personal list and also plan to read it soon.

Anne Frank's diary is probably more appropriate for Holland.

Thanks I honestly thought it took place in Germany as it's so popular here. I'll finally swap to The Invention of Curried Sausage than.

Jenny wrote: "Welcome, Miss Wednesday! Somehow, we didn't have Puerto Rico on the master list yet, but your selections *have* been added to it, so you can just post a comment here if you add anything.

I have ..."

That's good to know.

Hey just wanted you to know I got your adjustments. :)

Thank you very much!

I'm really happy to read that. :)
I'm especially looking forward to reading the two books you mentioned.

That's a good list with lots of interesting entries.

Thank you! I tried to pick books from varying genres to make it interesting for me to read through them all.

I've decided to change my russian book from Crime and Punishment to Anna Karenina, because I really want to read Anna Karenina soon and it's also a group read for January in another of my groups. (Shuld have read classics)

I've been wanting to read a book from Austria for this challenge since I love that country but I coulnd't really find one. Now I coincidentally borrowed The Piano Teacher from a friend and I figured I could as well add it to my list. I put it below the others because I didn't want to change all the numbers. I can really recommend that book. It extraordinary in a shocking way.

Miss Wednesday wrote: "I've been wanting to read a book from Austria for this challenge since I love that country but I coulnd't really find one. Now I coincidentally borrowed The Piano Teacher from a frien..."

Now you can see the movie based on the book.

Anne wrote: "Now you can see the movie based on the book. "

I really can't imagine how this book can be made into a movie as so much happens in the head of the protagonist. But it will be interesting to find out. They made
Ulysses into a movie after all.

Miss Wednesday wrote: "Anne wrote: "Now you can see the movie based on the book. "

I really can't imagine how this book can be made into a movie as so much happens in the head of the protagonist. But it will be interest..."
It can be fun to compare a movie to the book on which it is based. But there is a limit. I just looked up Ulysses, the movie. Not for me.

Anne wrote: "It can be fun to compare a movie to the book on which it is based. But there is a limit. I just looked up Ulysses, the movie. Not for me. "

I totally agree. With some books you just know that a movie won't work out but of course there are brilliant movies that are based on books. "One flew over the cuckoos nest" for example.

Miss Wednesday wrote: "Anne wrote: "It can be fun to compare a movie to the book on which it is based. But there is a limit. I just looked up Ulysses, the movie. Not for me. "

I totally agree. With some books you just k..."

I agree. it all depends on the book and the movie maker. I'm just re-reading 84, Charing Cross Road with Mikki. An excellent movie was made from the book.

Anne wrote: "
I agree. it all depends on the book and the movie maker. I'm just re-reading 84, Charing Cross Road with Mikki. An excellent movie was made from the book.
"

That book sounds charming. And from the synopsis you wouldn't know that it could turn into a good movie. But I totally believe you of course.

Miss Wednesday wrote: "Anne wrote: "
I agree. it all depends on the book and the movie maker. I'm just re-reading 84, Charing Cross Road with Mikki. An excellent movie was made from the book.
"

That book sounds charmin..."
It's charming and very funny. Mikki and I are just now discussing the funniest parts which are really on every page.

I put the book on my to-read list and will be sure to watch the movie when I'm through :)

Anne wrote: "It's charming and very funny. Mikki and I are just now discussing the funniest parts which are really on every page."....


I'm just now seeing this! Miss Wednesday, you will certainly experience many moments of smiling broadly and laughing aloud to yourself.

Added The Stranger for Algeria. I found it in my father's bookshelves and as I've always wanted to read it I thought I might as well add it to my World list.