Been a while since I posted books I ve got so done last few I ve got in last week or two .I manage to clear some library books as I always have my quota maxed out but had chance to get 8 books this time for a change .
Monseiur Pain By Roberto Bolano -
This is part of the ongoing translations of Roberto’s early novels a short novella ,A mystery book about a Peruvian poet ,this is the time Bolano changed from a poet to a prose writer .another for the Bolano challenge
While the women are asleep by Javier Marias -
Last year i got the first part of his your face tomorrow trilogy and never got to it so took it back to library ,this seems a better intro his first collection of short stories in a number of year ,characters on the edge of society.
Antipodes – Igacio Padila
Mexican writer ,the cover appealed and knew he was part of the crack movement that want to move latin american literature from the boom style .
The tree and other stories by Abdallah Al Nasser
Don’t know a lot about this writer but like short stories from Arabic ,,so thought I d give it a whirl ,he is from Saudi Arabia he currently live in london .
The character of rain by Amelie Nothomb
This short novella is told from the point of view of a two and half-year old and I thought be great to compare to the room that I want to read at some point this year .
Hidden camer by Zoran Zivkovic
This Serbian novel sounds wonderful a man is invited to a film show gets there and find he is the only one and the film is him on his lunch hour ,dark sounding this will do for my eastern European challenge .
Jia by Hyeiln Kim
A novel about North Korea ,It says it all based on true life accounts of growing up under an oppressive regime ,I have another book I want about north Korea this caught my eyes as I scanned the shelves .
Lizka and her men by Alexander Ikonnikov
A new russian writer this follows a young women growing up under russia’s new freedoms ,spend time with a number of different men ,I like the cover of this and another for the Eastern European challenge.
The particular sadness of lemon cake by Amiee Bender
This is Bender’s new novel follows a young girl that finds she can sense people’s emotions via the food she eats this follows her to adulthood as she finds out how to cope with this unusual gift ,this was sent after a request from Harvey at windmill books .
Corrections by Thomas Benrhard
I ve been looking for a Bernhard for a while and happened on this at the local Oxfam ,the book is about a character similar to Wittgenstein driven mad by pure thought .
The Murder in the vicarage by Agatha Christie
This is a bargain from the shop the works ,a copy of the original crime club books ,this is the first Miss Marple book ,my Gran loved Christie so snapped this up .
Peter Camenzind By Herman Hesse
This is one of Hesse’s earlier novels I loved the Glass bead game and Steppenwolf ,so this Oxfam buy is great want to see what his earlier works were like and this book is semi autobiographical .
These come from the lovely Lila that has just started at Penguin these are four of the Mini classics for the 50th year of modern classics .The books consists of number of short stories by each writer .





Feb 09, 2011 @ 02:41:03
These all look great, Stu. I am particularly curious about “The Tree and other stories”, “The Character of Rain” and “Corrections”.
Feb 09, 2011 @ 06:07:16
I love the look of,the mini classics, saw them on the penguin website, so am now full of envy. Read the Hesse books glass bead game, steppenwolf & Siddhartha (?) Years ago, don’t recall this one though.
Feb 09, 2011 @ 14:10:56
Those look all so great, Stu! I loved the Glass Bead Game and Steppenwolf as well, the first is one of my favorite books! And yay for the Christie mystery, it doesn’t get better than the queen of crime
Feb 11, 2011 @ 10:51:27
Great titles. Bernhard and Nothomb are among those I’d like to read more of. By the way, thanks for tweeting about the Bolano challenge to New Directions who re-tweeted it! As a result, lots of readers responded, even those who don’t have blog accounts.
Feb 13, 2011 @ 15:43:40
Ooo..I love those mini penguin classics Stu, wonder where I can get them? Enjoy your pile!