Category: Translation

Growing up in the outer suburbs of Rio de Janeiro in the 1970s, Camilo is barely aware of the poverty around him and the repression of dissenting voices under the military dictatorship. He has problems enough with his crippled leg and delicate skin that blisters in the savage sun.

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Farmer, writer, influencer, tour guide, oxherd

8/6/2023

There must be more than six degrees of separation between a boy who attends his oxen in rural Thailand and a contemporary social media influencer in the USA. But the farmer could be one steppingstone between them and the writer a link from the other end. The tour guide could be the bridge in the middle because they might need to shit in the woods. What am I on about? The answer is in these five mini reviews.

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Marriage at a Crossroads: The Fire & The Motion of the Body through Space

5/6/2023

Two novels about a difficult patch in a long marriage, complicated by difficult relationships with the couples’ offspring. The first is the best book I’ve read so far this year. The second, by a more famous author, doesn’t come anywhere near.

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When boundaries blur: Alone, The North Shore & A Burning

20/4/2023

When I blog about boundaries, I’m usually berating chaotic fictional therapists. Not today. These three intriguing novels are about the liminal space between plant and human; reality and fantasy; and sanity and scapegoating within the political sphere. My short reviews should help you decide whether to cross the threshold.

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Women in translation: History. A Mess & Ada’s Realm

27/3/2023

Two translated novels, both with a contemporary and historical element, which address the female struggle for autonomy and self-expression in a misogynistic and racist world.

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Poland and Hungary under the Soviet system: The Snow Hare & The Fawn

7/2/2023

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine approaches its second year, a couple of recent reads reminds me of how other eastern European countries have suffered under the Soviet regime. These novels are about women’s lives in the late 1940s and early 1950s: the first set in Poland and the second in Hungary. Would you believe that it wasn’t until I came to post this that I realised both titles feature animals that should be in the wild?

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Exiled: All Your Children Scattered & Sisters

2/2/2023

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I’ve recently read two very different novels in which traumatised mothers suffer a second blow in being distanced from both their children, albeit the separation is for very good reasons. The first is a translation set against the backdrop of the Rwandan genocide. The tragedy in the second is less widespread, restricted to one particular family, but nevertheless extremely painful for those concerned. Read on to discover how these books are about so much more.

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My 12 favourite reads of 2022

18/12/2022

The year’s not quite over, but I’m taking a risk and committing to these as my twelve favourite reads of 2022. Scroll down for single-sentence reviews of eleven recently-published novels (a couple in translation) plus one modern classic. Not unusually for me, there’s a strong social justice theme addressing both contemporary and historical issues, including the on, LGBTQ rights in fiction, climate crisis, religion, race and culture, migration and LGBTQ rights, coupled with strong characterisation, fine writing and touches of humour. Click on the title for my full review of any that take your fancy.

Do let me know which, if any, appeal to you and what have been your favourite reads of the year.

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A few books I've read recently

11/12/2022

Another block of mini reviews: short stories, literary fiction, commercial fiction, and a translation.

You're sure to find something here to suit your tastes.

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A woman’s place? Lessons in Chemistry & Daughters Beyond Command

6/12/2022

These two recent reads are about challenging women’s traditional roles as homemakers in the mid twentieth century. The first focuses on the barriers facing a woman seeking a career in science in early 1960s America. The second follows the fortunes of three sisters and their mother as the times change in 1970s France.

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Breaking the cycle? The Bread the Devil Knead & Everything Calls for Salvation

5/11/2022

I was unsure how – or whether – I’d connect these two recent reads until I was pondering my response to this week’s flash fiction challenge. Although very different stories, both address how difficult it can be to find an escape route from repeating patterns of self-destructive behaviour. In the first, a woman approaching middle age faces up to her tendency to fall into abusive relationships. In the second, a young man admitted to a psychiatric ward wonders if his own future is written on the faces of his fellow patients, stuck in a cycle of relapse and remission. The wheels keep turning – will they manage to jump off?

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Severe illness from the inside: Body Kintsugi & Rocking with the Reaper

7/10/2022

Here are two recent reads about a woman’s experience of serious illness and associated treatments and surgeries. The first is a translated novella and the second a chunky mélange of memoir, popular psychology and self-help. But, genre aside, what distinguishes them is their tone: the first, distant and matter-of-fact; the second, unashamedly emotional. See which you prefer.

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Reading Women in Translation Sept 2021 to Aug 2022 #WITMonth #amreading

30/8/2022

August is women in translation month, a time when readers prioritise books by women in translation – yes, it does what it says on the tin! – and I share the qualifying books I’ve read over the last twelve months. This year’s dozen represents 7 languages (one up from last year): Arabic, Danish, French, German, Italian, Polish and Spanish, with almost half the books being translated from the French. The books come from 8 different publishers: Europa editions, Granta books, Heinemann, Maclehose Press, Peirene Press, Quercus, V&Q Books, Zed Books.

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Feminist crime: Woman at Point Zero & After the Silence

25/8/2022

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Here are two novels in which issues of female disempowerment are explored within a murder narrative. The first is a modern classic, translated from Arabic, set in a culture where women have no custody over their own bodies. The second is a contemporary Irish crime novel, set in a society where men have learnt ways of controlling their partners without leaving a physical mark.

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Nine mini reviews

11/8/2022

It's not often I showcase a bunch of exclusively male authors, although there's no reason why not. This includes two translations, a short story collection and a crime novel in addition to my usual literary novels. Of the latter, two prioritise illustrating 20th-century sociopolitical changes in England over story. The other three take us to Punjab, Yemen and and fantasy library midway between life and death. Read on to see what I thought of them.

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Mourning a marriage: The Chosen & So Long a Letter

15/4/2022

These two novels depict a character’s reflections on their life following the sudden death of their spouse. Both the male writer in the first novel and the female teacher in the second are mourning not only the loss of a partner but of the promise of their original romance.

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Supernatural identities: Woman, Eating & Witches

31/3/2022

Two novels about women whose identities stem from the supernatural: the first, a vampire who moves to London to work in a gallery; the second, a traditional healer in rural Mexico and the journalist who wants to write her story.

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The burning issues of our times: The Forests & The Bones of Barry Knight

15/3/2022

Although fire has a significant role in both of these novels, I intended this post’s title metaphorically: along with the pandemic, the climate crisis and the (sometimes related) refugee emergency are the defining themes of the 2020s. If you like to explore our times through fiction, as I do, see if you think you’d enjoy The Forests, a translated cli-fi novel and/or The Bones of Barry Knight, a poignant portrayal of people literally or figuratively estranged from their homes.

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Kinds of caring: Marzahn, Mon Amour & Here Again Now

8/3/2022

Here are two books featuring different kinds of caring: the first a translated memoir about a healthcare professional who looks after people’s minds along with their feet; the second a novel about an actor who opens his home to his struggling father and to his childhood friend.

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Haunted by the aftermath: The Memory Monster & Reeling

7/2/2022

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Two translated novels – the first from Hebrew, the second from French – about young people invited to apply for grants to support their ambitions, which lead them into damaging situations. The first is about a tour guide to the Nazi death camps; the second about a teenage dancer groomed for abuse (with a section from the point of view of her school boyfriend, who feels burdened by his Jewish heritage). They question whether the legacy of such cruelty is to forgive, forget or become monsters ourselves. Difficult subjects, but both an easy and worthwhile read.

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Recent reads: The Lobster’s Shell & Harrow

21/1/2022