The year is coming to a close and I am on my last 700 page book. I read 111 books this year, down slightly from the past two years. Ninety-eight of the books were translated into English. I added some new countries, such as Tunisia and Congo, while 8% were from France, 10% from Mexico, 12% from USA (mostly nonfiction), 13% from Spain, and 14% from Norway (my focus for the year). I read one trilogy a month, mostly Scandinavian, and unfortunately neglected short stories. I will remedy this next year. Female authors represented 32% of the total, a bit higher than the publishing total. I did not track gender of translators, but my guess is it is a match between male and female, if not dominated by females (my guess). Overall, a great year of reading. Looking forward to some great reading in 2018.
Seagull Books
Another outstanding publisher is Seagull Books out of Calcutta, India. They were founded in 1982 as an Indian publishing house, focusing on Indian theatre and art. Since early 2000, they have been releasing English translations from around the world, and now have quite an impressive catalog. They have a wide range of genres, but I focus on their literature, the picture below showing the books I have from them so far (except for the two I ordered this morning). While I have enjoyed all their books I have read, I am especially pleased that they publish some of my favourite authors, such as Hungarian László Krasznahorkai, and Austrians Thomas Bernhard and Elfriede Jelinek. While their focus is on extraordinary authors, their books are also beautifully crafted and a pleasure to look at and hold.
Margellos World Republic of Letters
Margellos World Republic of Letters is a small press out of Yale University. They produce incredibly interesting works in English translation from around the world. They publish old works in new translations, as well as translations of contemporary authors. Of interest is the French trilogy by Michel Leiris, several works by Romanian Norman Manea, the quite intriguing 'Cyclops' by Croatian Ranko Marinkovic, and a collection of works by Patrick Modiano. One of my favourite reads of 2017 is 'Melancholy' by Hungarian László Földényi. Quite a bit in their inventory I need to get to.
My small collection of Margellos books.
Three Lives & Company
Three Lives & Company is an incredible independent bookstore in NYC that I frequented when I lived in the states. I have been using a bookmark from them from my last visit over 12 years ago. While I read about 120 books a year, that adds up to many books and pages the bookmark has kept for me. My friend Jan just recently visited the bookstore and sent me a new bookmark, free of smudges, rips, and tears. I don't know if I can use it. I may have to put it in safe keeping and continue using the old one.
Old, and quite dependable and loved, and new.
Hispabooks
I am constantly impressed by the books Hispabooks Publishing releases. Last year I posted about three of their books which made it to my 2016 Favorite Reads list. This year, I have already read several that I recommend. Antón Mallick Wants to be Happy, Martutene, Landing, and The Birthday Buyer stand out as favorites this year. Hispabooks has been publishing out of Madrid since 2011. They publish only writers based in Spain and have quite a collection of worthwhile titles.
My Hispabooks collection so far. Still a few in the catalog I need to buy.
Home
Home by Leila S. Chudori, from Indonesia, and translated by John H. McGlynn, is my monthly favourite read. It is published by Deep Vellum Press, which is how I became aware of it. Chudori deals with love, identity, and the concept of home. Home is represented by where the characters live for different reasons, as well as where they wish to live, both in their current lives and when they die. The novel is a great mix of politics, personal relationships, and the search for a space to be oneself in today's world. A bit simple in some sections, but overall a tremendous read.
"And we drank."
There is a lot of drinking in a Jerzy Pilch story. In fact, you might say that was the main plot if not for the colourful characters and all their ambitious plans. I have enjoyed the three books of his that I have read and look forward to acquiring and reading "His Current Woman." "The Mighty Angel" (my favorite) translated by Bill Johnston, "A Thousand Peaceful Cities" translated by David Frick, and "My First Suicide" also translated by David Frick are available from Open Letter. A great Polish writer with lots to say on addiction in all its forms.
Jan Kjaerstad
I am in the second book of my March trilogy read. This month it is the Jonas Wergeland Trilogy by Jan Kjaerstad from Norway. All three books are translated by Barbara Haveland. The first, The Seducer, was published by Overlook Press. The next two, The Conqueror and The Discoverer, were published by Open Letter, one of my favourite publishers for translated works. It has been an interesting series so far, with an exploration into the stories that make up a life and the connections between those stories: which ones are important and lead to later life outcomes. Back to reading.
Micheline Aharonian Marcom
My March trilogy read was not a trilogy at all, but two interconnected novels by American author Marcom. Three Apples Fell From Heaven deals with the Armenian genocide during WWI and The Daydreaming Boy deals with a survivor of that genocide and how it determines his actions later in his life. Both are well-written novels and investigate history, memory, and the ways different people react to adversity. Highly recommended.
Jón Kalman Stefánsson
Two days away from starting my February trilogy. Up next is Stefánsson's trilogy from Iceland. The trilogy does not seem to have an overarching title but it consists of Heaven and Hell, The Sorrow of Angels, and The Heart of Man. All three have been translated by Philip Roughton and published by MacLehose Press.
