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. (108)
81.
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
82.
The Murderess by Alexandros Papadiamantis EN
GreeceDescription:
The Murderess is a bone-chilling tale of crime and punishment with the dark beauty of a backwoods ballad. Set on the dirt-poor Aegean island of Skiathos, it is the story of Hadoula, an old woman living on the margins of society and at the outer limits of respectability. Hadoula knows about herbs and their hidden properties, and women come to her when they need help. She knows women’s secrets and she knows the misery of their lives, and as the book begins, she is trying to stop her new-born granddaughter from crying so that her daughter can at last get a little sleep. She rocks the baby and roc... continue
83.
The Museum of Unconditional Surrender by Dubravka Ugresic EN
CroatiaDescription:
Critically acclaimed experimental, literary fiction by the famous Croatian exile author.
84.
The Periodic Table by Primo Levi, Raymond Rosenthal EN
ItalyDescription:
In these haunting reflections, Primo Levi, a chemist by training, takes the elements of the periodic table as his inspiration. He ranges from young love to political savagery; from the inert gas argon - and 'inert' relatives like the uncle who stayed in bed for twenty-two years - to life-giving car bon. 'Iron' honours the mountain-climbing resistance hero who put iron in Levi's student soul, 'Cerium' recalls the improvised cigarette lighters which saved his life in Auschwitz, while 'Vanadium' describes an eerie post-war correspondence with the man who had been his 'boss' there.
85.
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.
86.
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 . . .
87.
The Poet and the Idiot and Other Stories by Friedebert Tuglas EN
EstoniaDescription:
Nine stories and an essay written during WWI.
88.
The Private Apartments by Idman Nur Omar EN
Description:
Moving, insightful, linked stories about the determination of Somali immigrants -- despite duty, discrimination, and an ever-dissolving link to a war-torn homeland. In the insular rooms of The Private Apartments, a cleaning lady marries her employer's nephew and then abandons him. A woman accepts an opulent gold bangle from one man yet weds another. A depressed young mother finds unlikely support in her community housing complex. A new bride attends weddings to escape her abusive marriage. A failed nurse is sent to relatives in Dubai after a nervous breakdown. Beginning in 1991, the year the S... continue
89.
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.
