"The Land of Green Plums" Herta Muller. Translated from the German by Michael Hofmann. If anyone ever doubts the disabling, debilitating impact of authoritarian regimes, have them read this book. If you have ever believed, in your darkest moments, that something is worth the sacrifice of liberty or constraint of expression, then this book is … Continue reading 15. Romania
Category: Fascism
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
12. Germany II
"A Woman in Berlin" Anonymous. Translated from the German by Philip Boehm. It was quite by chance that I heard about this novel, reading some article or other that I do not even remember. But when I knew it existed I really wanted to read it alongside the other books dealing with the war and … Continue reading 12. Germany II
11. Luxembourg
"Borderlands" - Roy Jacobsen. Translated: Don Bartlett and Dan Shaw. It would be very easy for a book to teach me something of Luxembourg, for I am afraid my only knowledge of the country comes from news reports on multinational tax avoidance and dodgy banking. Yet trying to find an English book on the place … Continue reading 11. Luxembourg
9. Germany I
"Rosa Luxemburg" - Karl Frohlich . “Social Reform or Revolution”, “Organisational Questions of Russian Social Democracy” Rosa Luxemburg from “The Rosa Luxemburg Reader” eds. Peter Hudis and Kevin B. Anderson. Putting together this reading list I was quite intimidated by Germany, a country I have both studied and feel like I barely know. At the … Continue reading 9. Germany I
6. Portugal
"Perreira Maintains" - Antonio Tabucchi. Translated from the Italian by Patrick Creagh. I had intended to only pick authors who were from the country I was reading, however, not only is the author something of an expert on Portugal, this was recommended to me by a Portuguese friend whose taste I trust. It felt like … Continue reading 6. Portugal
5. Spain
"Books Burn Badly" - Manuel Rivas. Translated from Galician by Jonathan Dunne. I found this book by chance after browsing in Daunt's bookshop in Marylebone, London; the only place I know where books are divided by country and those with a geographic reading list can search for gems with little previous knowledge. It was a … Continue reading 5. Spain
The European Reader 