Read Around Europe Challenge
Read at least one book by an author from each country in Europe.
Best books from Europe (2888)
2401.
The Heart of a Dog by Mikhail Bulgakov EN
UkraineDescription:
WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY ANDREY KURKOV A rich, successful Moscow professor befriends a stray dog and attempts a scientific first by transplanting into it the testicles and pituitary gland of a recently deceased man. A distinctly worryingly human animal is now on the loose, and the professor's hitherto respectable life becomes a nightmare beyond endurance. An absurd and superbly comic story, this classic novel can also be read as a fierce parable of the Russian Revolution.
2402.
Wartime Lies : A Novel by Louis Begley EN
Description:
"Extraordinary...Rich in irony and regret...[the] people and settings are vividly realized and his prose [is] compelling in its simplicity." THE WALL STREET JOURNAL As the world slips into the throes of war in 1939, young Maciek's once closetted existence outside Warsaw is no more. When Warsaw falls, Maciek escapes with his aunt Tania. Together they endure the war, running, hiding, changing their names, forging documents to secure their temporary lives—as the insistent drum of the Nazi march moves ever closer to them and to their secret wartime lies.
2403.
Zinky Boys : Soviet Voices from the Afghanistan War by Svetlana Alexievich EN
Description:
Winner of the Nobel Prize: "For her polyphonic writings, a monument to suffering and courage in our time." --Swedish Academy, Nobel Prize citation
2404.
Voroshilovgrad by Serhiy Zhadan EN
Description:
Easy Rider meets Pedro Páramo in this darkly funny, fast-paced road novel that barrels through eastern Ukraine's ravaged industrial landscape.
2405.
Przemieszczenie by Margaryta Jakowenko PL
Description:
Historia Darii Kowalenko Petrowej, która urodziła się w 1992 roku w Mariupolu, lecz w dzieciństwie wyemigrowała z rodzicami do Hiszpanii, to opowieść o współczesnej miłości, problemach ekonomicznych, rodzinie naznaczonej emigracją, a zarazem świadectwo pokolenia, które żyje w trwałym kryzysie. To także historia dwóch rozczarowań – Związkiem Radzieckim w XX wieku i społeczeństwem Zachodu w wieku XXI.
U Margaryty Jakowenko, hiszpańskiej pisarki ukraińskiego pochodzenia, można odnaleźć ślady prozy Zadie Smith, tekstów Anne Carson czy reportaży Swietłany... continue
2406.
Viy by Nikolai Gogol EN
Description:
Three students. A deserted house. A witch. This horror novella boasts an abundance of supernatural encounters, dazzling effects, and folktale elements. Included in the cycle ‘Mirgorod’, this is one of Gogol’s most successful works and has witnessed some notable movie adaptations. Considered one of the most prominent figures in the short story genre, Nikolai Gogol (1809-1852) was born in Ukraine. Both a writer and a dramatist, he is known for the unconventional nature of his works, so much so that they often touch upon folklore and fantasy. He has been attached to a range of different literary ... continue
2407.
The Inspector-General by Nicolai Gogol, Thomas Seltzer EN
Description:
The Inspector-General is a national institution. To place a purely literary valuation upon it and call it the greatest of Russian comedies would not convey the significance of its position either in Russian literature or in Russian life itself. There is no other single work in the modern literature of any language that carries with it the wealth of associations which the Inspector-General does to the educated Russian.
2408.
Death in Soho by Emily Organ EN
Country: Europe / 
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Description:
It's the Roaring Twenties. London's bright young things are partying, Soho's nightlife is buzzing and Augusta Peel is hiding in her basement. She has a reason to hide there: it's home to her Bloomsbury workshop where she repairs old, neglected books. After a busy time during the war, all Augusta wants is peace and quiet - even if it is routinely disturbed by the tube trains beneath her feet. But events take a turn when Augusta agrees to chaperone 19-year-old Harriet Jones on a date. Failing to get her home on time, she ends up in a riotous nightclub. She can't imagine the evening getting much ... continue
2409.
Abroad in Japan by Chris Broad EN
Country: Europe / United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Description:
When Englishman Chris Broad landed in a rural village in northern Japan he wondered if he'd made a huge mistake. With no knowledge of the language and zero teaching experience, was he was about to be the most quickly fired English teacher in Japan's history? Abroad in Japan charts a decade of living in a foreign land and the chaos and culture clash that comes with it. Packed with hilarious and fascinating stories, this book seeks out to unravel one the world's most mysterious and impenetrable cultures.
2410.
A House Without Windows by Ellison Marc EN
Country: Europe / United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Description:
By the delicate hand of Didier Kassaï (Storm Over Bangui) comes a comic book documentary about the street children of Bangui, told in a style that mixes photos and illustrations. In the Central African Republic, children grow up in a state of insecurity, poverty, and malnutrition. The 2013 conflict only exacerbated this situation. The Central African Republic has become what many call "a house without windows." Through illustrations, photos and videos (activated via QR codes), this comic takes you into the heart of this "forgotten crisis." With Central African artist Didier Kassai and British ... continue