Stasiland, Anna Funder The third book I read from Germany dealt with perhaps the most unappreciated - or unresolved - part of its recent history: the reign of the autocratic German Democratic Republic (DDR) and their state police, the Stasi. When Germany was divided after the Second World War the Soviets (occupying the eastern states … Continue reading 19. Germany III
Category: 1990s
18. Sweden
"The Man Who Smiled" Henning Mankell. Translated from the Swedish by Laurie Thompson. I havered for a long time over a book for Sweden. As I trawled through online lists recommending The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and other thrillers I admit to wondering if there wasn’t something rather more heavyweight in the pantheon of … Continue reading 18. Sweden
17. Slovakia
"The Equestrienne" - Uršul’a Kovalyk. Translated from the Slovak by Julia and Peter Sherwood. This was a short book, only 80 pages in the English translation, yet it packed in a rather beautiful story; effortlessly universal while at the same time speaking some intriguing truths about the collapse of Communism and transition to a capitalist … Continue reading 17. Slovakia
14. Slovenia
"Joyce's Pupil" Drago Jančar. Various translators. I had been struggling for some time to find a suitable book for Slovenia so was glad to come across Drago Jančar’s name. I was gladder still that a publisher had seen fit to translate this collection of short stories into English. Jančar is a famous author in Slovenia … Continue reading 14. Slovenia
7. Ireland
"The Green Road" - Anne Enright. What do you expect from an Irish story? Family, guilt, so many words spoken but so much left unsaid, a grim, hope-crushing ending. Maybe this is just my inherited Celtic Catholic sensibilities. But this is what you got with the Green Road. The novel is about a family in … Continue reading 7. Ireland
2. Croatia
"Girl at War" - Sara Novic. I generally wanted to read the books in some form of chronological order, but almost immediately after starting my reading list I had to pick a title for my local book group and that came with responsibilities, not least that the book should be easy for everyone to get … Continue reading 2. Croatia
The European Reader 