When I started this challenge I thought Britain’s exit from the european union would be the biggest piece of history I would live through. Yet, as I limped towards the final books in my reading list in early 2020, the entire world shut down. The Covid-19 pandemic fundamentally altered the lives of millions of people … Continue reading Lockdown Interval
Author: eurread
26. Italy
The 8 Mountains by Paolo Cognetti. Translated from the Italian by Erica Segre & Simon Carnell I asked an Italian friend to recommend a book that would teach me something about her country. She gave me a list and, with a certain exasperation, said of this one “I don’t think it’s even the best book, … Continue reading 26. Italy
25. Cyprus
“The Cypriot” Andreas Kuomi Feels very much like the home-straight now and, I must admit, my reading choices have lost all chronology. This is largely because I had been struggling with finding books and harboured hopes of finding something that really excited me. But I needn’t have worried because ‘The Cypriot’, while not a literary … Continue reading 25. Cyprus
24. Netherlands
“The Ten Thousand Things” Hans Konig; “The Evenings” Gerard Reve; “The Dinner” Herman Koch I found it hard to settle on a book for the Netherlands. There seemed to be quite a few out there, but whether it was tracking them down or finding one which caught my interest, this felt like more of a … Continue reading 24. Netherlands
23. France
“A Void” by Georges Perec. Translated from the French by Gilbert Adair. A book drawn up wholly without resorting to a particular symbol. “A Void” was jovial, ironic, sardonic and good to devour through my Christmas holidays. A conniving work of stunning difficulty which was as fun as it was absorbing. That’s about as much … Continue reading 23. France
22. Greece
“Adults in the Room” by Yanis Varoufakis This reading list wouldn’t feel complete without a book on the financial crisis, specifically the eurozone crisis, which engulfed Europe from roughly 2010 onwards. While the tumult and fury of those days are somewhat forgotten amongst everything that has happened since, the EU will no doubt be judged … Continue reading 22. Greece
21. Hungary
"The Paul Street Boys" by Ferenc Molnar. Translated from the Hungarian by Luis Rittenberg. I had wanted to read this book ever since it was recommended by a Hungarian colleague. It is, I was told, the childhood story with which all Hungarians (and many Italians) grow up; a classic tale of boyhood loyalty and schoolyard … Continue reading 21. Hungary
20. Poland
"Drive your plow over the bones of the dead" by Olga Tokarczuk. Translated from the Polish by Antonia Lloyd-Jones. If you were to invent a parodic title for a certain type of European novel, I think this would be it. An allusion to the peasant lifestyle that has sustained Europeans over the centuries, to a … Continue reading 20. Poland
The European Reader 