Well I’m a day late but earlier in the year I said I waned to do an Eastern European month .Thus reading books from what made up the soviet bloc behind the iron curtain before it fell . I have long enjoyed the literature from this region . From Ismail Kadare , Witold Gombrowicz to new voices like Andrej Nikoladis .The region also has three of my favourite publishers .
Istros books – publishing the best in Balkan fiction . I have reviewed a number of their books and every one has been a gem . Suggest book – The son by Andrej Nikoladis
Twisted spoon – They mainly do Czech fiction modern and classic but have done a few from elsewhere in Eastern Europe . Suggested book Of kids and parents by Emil Hakl .
Stork press – bring great voice from poland but also a great look at the uk through Polish eyes . Suggested book Madame Mephisto by A M Bakalar .
So a few suggestions .This just a small try out year , obviously with recent events I fell behind in planning but have a few books read for the month and look forward to every ones choices this month ,
Lovely! I will try and get involved Stu – I have at least 1 Twisted Spoon book on my pile!
I have been looking forward to exploring this genre.
My list :
`Cafe Europa` by Slavenka Drakulic – Croatia – (on recommendation from one of your previous posts )
`Poems` by Wistawa Szymborska – Poland – Winner of the 1996 Nobel Prize for Literature.
`We the Living` by Ayn Rand – USSR
`A Captive Mind` by Czeslaw Milosz- Poland – ( a re-read for me, first read in 1990`s )
`Vilnius Poker` by Ricardas Gavelis – Lithuania
Thank-you for recommending Istros Books.
They have an interesting collection, just ordered `Miruna, a Tale ` by Bogdan Suceava – Romania.
Thank-you for sponsoring this project !
Great selection know Vilnius poker a fav of richard over at caravana
Today I bought a copy of Journey by Moonlight by Antal Szerb so I now have two books to read for your month. I look forward to seeing what everyone else reads. Thank you for organising it!
great that is a wonderful choice
Drat, if I’d waited a week I could have claimed Satantango for Hungary. Now my reading for the next few months is going to be Australian
I’ve been looking for an excuse/reason to finally read Joanna Jodelka’s Polychrome. This is the nudge I needed!
I too want to read Jodelka, Col, but thought I wouldn’t have the time. However, I finished the Moldavian book by Lorchenkov in just a few hours yesterday, so I may have time to squeeze in another (I’m also planning to read Tales of Genji this month, hence the hesitation).
I just finished today a really good novella by Boleslaw Prus, Poland 1847 to 1912 about a factory. I will post on it and link to your great event very soon.
I plan to review: Virginia Zaharieva: 9 Rabbits; Zachary Karabashliev: 18% Gray; Alexander Shpatov: #LivefromSofia; Viktor Pelevin: Omon Ra; Ismail Kadare: The Fall of the Stone City; and maybe a few more if I can manage…
I loved 18% Gray.
I posted on “The Returning Wave”, a short story by Boleslaw Prus. There is a link in my post where you can download this story and other older Polish short stories.
Count me in, Stu. I have two upcoming billets about two Hungarian books.
Thanks Emma look forward to your reviews
Here they are :
I denounce humanity by Frigyes Karinthy
https://bookaroundthecorner.wordpress.com/2015/03/17/i-denounce-humanity-by-frigyes-karinthy/
and L’Epouse rebelle (1934) by Zsigmond Móricz
https://bookaroundthecorner.wordpress.com/2015/03/14/many-a-true-word-is-said-in-jest/
I’m sorry I’m so late. I’ve lost track of time. I hope to read Kundera and maybe Of Kids and Parents.
I’m hoping to start over the next few days. I thought this would be a great excuse to re-read some books that I read years ago: I’ve lined up ‘The Bridge on the River Drina’ by Ivo Andric & ‘The Joke’ by Milan Kundera.
I just posted on two interesting 21th century Hungarian short stories, both focusing on the narrator’s relationship to his mother.
http://rereadinglives.blogspot.com/2015/03/two-twenty-first-century-hungarian.html
I’ve posted a review of Milan Kundera’s first novel, The Joke.
You have no idea how excited I am that you are doing this for March. Cheers!
There are two excellent collections of older public domain translations of Polish short stories, including the novel,I just read The Outpost by Boleslaw Prus, at Manybooks.net
Thanks will look those up have the doll by him on my shelves
My apologies for missing this Stu, what with IFFP25 and a bit of turmoil on the home front (Aged Parents Interstate, cyclonic new puppy), I just didn’t get to it. I’ll do better next year.