Popular European Short Story Books
Find short story books written by authors from Europe for the next part of the Read Around The World Challenge. (66)
51.
The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski EN
PolandDescription:
Geralt de Riv, a Witcher, uses his vast sorcerous powers to hunt down the monsters that threaten the world, but he soon discovers that not every monstrous-looking creature is evil, and not everything beautiful is good.
52.
The Lilac Bus by Maeve Binchy EN
IrelandDescription:
The Journey... Every Friday night a lilac-colored minibus leaves Dublin for the Irish country town of Rathdoon with seven weekend commuters on board. All of them, from the joking bank porter to the rich doctor's daughter, have their reasons for making the journey. The Destination... Rathdoon is the kind of Irish village where family histories are shared and scandals don't stay secret for long. And this weekend, when the bus pulls in, the riders find the unexpected waiting for them... as each of their private lives unfolds to reveal a sharp betrayal of the heart, a young man's crime, and a chan... continue
53.
The Physics of Sorrow by Georgi Gospodinov EN
BulgariaDescription:
Using the myth of the Minotaur as its organising image, the narrator of Gospodinov's long-awaited novel constructs a labyrinth of stories about his family, jumping from era to era and viewpoint to viewpoint, exploring the mind-set and trappings of Eastern Europeans. Shortlisted for prizes around the world, Georgi Gospodinov's thrilling new novel will appeal to fans of Dave Eggers, Tom McCarthy and Dubravka Ugresic for its unique structure, humanitarian concerns and stunning storytelling.
54.
The Pigeon by Patrick Süskind EN
GermanyDescription:
Set in Paris and attracting comparisons with Franz Kafka and Edgar Allan Poe, The Pigeon is Patrick Süskind's tense, disturbing follow-up to the bestselling Perfume. The novella tells the story of a day in the meticulously ordered life of bank security guard Jonathan Noel, who has been hiding from life since his wife left him for her Tunisian lover. When Jonathan opens his front door on a day he believes will be just like any other, he encounters not the desired empty hallway but an unwelcome, diabolical intruder . . .
55.
The Sandman by E. T. A. Hoffmann EN
RussiaDescription:
"Strange man, how can you have eyes for sale? Eyes? Eyes?" '
The disturbing tale of a young man's obsession with the Sandman, stealer of eyes, which has inspired writers from Sigmund Freud to Neil Gaiman.
56.
The Tinder Box by Hans Christian Andersen EN
DenmarkDescription:
Andersen's bittersweet fairy tales propelled their troubled author to international fame and revolutionized children's writing.
57.
The Trouble with Happiness : And Other Stories by Tove Ditlevsen EN
Description:
The Trouble with Happiness is a powerful new collection of short stories by Tove Ditlevsen, “a terrifying talent” (Parul Sehgal, The New York Times). A newly married woman longs, irrationally, for a silk umbrella; a husband chases away his wife’s beloved cat; a betrayed mother impulsively sacks her housekeeper. Underneath the surface of these precisely observed tales of marriage and family life in midcentury Copenhagen pulse currents of desire, violence, and despair, as women and men struggle to escape from the roles assigned to them and dream of becoming free and happy—without ever truly unde... continue
58.
There Once Lived a Woman Who Tried to Kill Her Neighbor's Baby : Scary Fairy Tales by Ludmilla Petrushevskaya EN
Description:
New York Times Bestseller Winner of the World Fantasy Award One of New York magazine’s 10 Best Books of the Year One of NPR’s 5 Best Works of Foreign Fiction The celebrated scary fairy tales of Russia’s preeminent contemporary fiction writer—the author of the prizewinning memoir about growing up in Stalinist Russia, The Girl from the Metropol Hotel Vanishings and aparitions, nightmares and twists of fate, mysterious ailments and supernatural interventions haunt these stories by the Russian master Ludmilla Petrushevskaya, heir to the spellbinding tradition of Gogol and Poe. Blending the miracul... continue
59.
Thirteen Storeys by Jonny Sims, Jonathan Sims EN
Country: Europe / 
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Description:
One apartment building, many stories. A chilling thriller that's perfect for fans of grounded horror like Get Out, Us and It Follows. A dinner party is held in the penthouse of a multimillion-pound development. All the guests are strangers - even to their host, the billionaire owner of the building. None of them know why they were selected to receive his invitation. Besides a postcode, they share only one thing in common - they've all experienced an unsettling occurrence within the building's walls. By the end of the night, their host is dead, and none of the guests will say what happened. His... continue
60.
Vilnius : three short stories by Kristina Sabaliauskaitė EN
LithuaniaDescription:
A journey across time and space. A journey into the soul, despair and the meaning of art. A young polish woman finds solace in art and the company of Wehrmacht troops in occupied Lithuania. The girl's school where she studies is opened by the influence of art to a wider world she is forced to inhabit and must learn to love.
An elderly KGB agent is confronted by an ideological past which crosses time to haunt his last days. Soviet Man is a long dead dream killed by the descendants of those oppressed because of art. Soviet monolith art and culture is once again overcome by the new past ove... continue