Read Around Europe Challenge
Read at least one book by an author from each country in Europe.
Best books from Europe (2668)
321.
Tales from Two Pockets by Karel Čapek EN
Country: Europe / 
Czech Republic
Czech Republic
Description:
Capek mystery stories from the 1920s are among the most enjoyable and unusual ever written though only a few have previously appeared in English and then only in poor translations. This new collection - admirably translated from the Czech by Norma Comrada - should introduce a whole new legion of admirers to this leading fiction writer, playwright and columnist whose work includes 'War with the Newts'.
322.
War with the Newts by Karel Čapek EN
Country: Europe / Czech Republic
Czech Republic
Description:
'I gave them my word that if they would bring me the pearl shells I would give them harpoons and knives in exchange, so that they could defend themselves, see? That's an honest deal, sir.' War with the Newts (1936) is Karel Capek's darkly humorous allegory of early twentieth-century Czech politics. Captain van Toch discovers a colony of newts in Sumatra which can not only be taught to trade and use tools, but also to speak. As the rest of the world learns of the creatures and their wonderful capabilities, it is clear that this new species is ripe for exploitation - they can be traded in their ... continue
323.
I Served the King of England by Bohumil Hrabal EN
Country: Europe / Czech Republic
Czech Republic
Description:
A comic, picaresque novel set against the backdrop of twentieth-century Czech history, about the rise and fall of an ambitious busboy in Prague.
324.
How I Came to Know Fish by Ota Pavel EN
Country: Europe / Czech Republic
Czech Republic
Description:
How I Came to Know Fish (1974) is Ota Pavel's magical memoir of his childhood in Czechoslovakia. Fishing with his father and his Uncle Prosek � the two finest fishermen in the world � he takes a peaceful pleasure from the rivers and ponds of his country. But when the Nazis invade, his father and two older brothers are sent to concentration camps and Pavel must steal their confiscated fish back from under the noses of the SS to feed his family. With tales of his father�s battle to provide for his family both in wealthy freedom and in terrifying persecution, this is one boy�s passionate and affe... continue
327.
The Dark Interval: Letters on Loss, Grief, and Transformation by Rainer Maria Rilke EN
Country: Europe / Czech Republic
Czech Republic
Description:
From the writer of the classic Letters to a Young Poet, reflections on grief and loss, collected and published here in one volume for the first time. “A great poet’s reflections on our greatest mystery.”—Billy Collins “A treasure . . . The solace Rilke offers is uncommon, uplifting and necessary.”—The Guardian Gleaned from Rainer Maria Rilke’s voluminous, never-before-translated letters to bereaved friends and acquaintances, The Dark Interval is a profound vision of the mourning process and a meditation on death’s place in our lives. Following the format of Letters to a Young Poet, this book a... continue
328.
Country: Europe / Czech Republic
Czech Republic
Description:
From its gripping first sentence onward, this novel exemplifies the term "Kafkaesque." Its darkly humorous narrative recounts a bank clerk's entrapment in a bureaucratic maze, based on an undisclosed charge.
329.
Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke EN
Country: Europe / Czech Republic
Czech Republic
Description:
'What matters is to live everything. Live the questions for now.' A hugely influential collection for writers and artists of all kinds, Rilke's profound and lyrical letters to a young friend advise on writing, love, sex, suffering and the nature of advice itself. One of 46 new books in the bestselling Little Black Classics series, to celebrate the first ever Penguin Classic in 1946. Each book gives readers a taste of the Classics' huge range and diversity, with works from around the world and across the centuries - including fables, decadence, heartbreak, tall tales, satire, ghosts, battles an... continue
330.
Cutting it Short ; and The Little Town where Time Stood Still by Bohumil Hrabal EN
Country: Europe / Czech Republic
Czech Republic
Description:
From the flamboyant and unpredictable Maryska, who scandalises the town when she cuts short her golden tresses, to the eccentric Uncle Pepin, who always has to have a ready supply of furniture to smash when he's angry, Bohumil Hrabal creates a range of enchanting and memorable characters - confirming his status as one of Europe's greatest writers.