Popular European Short Story Books
Find short story books written by authors from Europe for the next part of the Read Around The World Challenge. (188)
151.
FranceDescription:
The colours and scents of the Parisian world provide the backdrop to this book and its observations on the loss of childhood magic, the insecurity of solitude and the stresses and strains between husbands, wives, lovers and mistresses.
152.
The Periodic Table by Primo Levi, Raymond Rosenthal EN
ItalyDescription:
In these haunting reflections, Primo Levi, a chemist by training, takes the elements of the periodic table as his inspiration. He ranges from young love to political savagery; from the inert gas argon - and 'inert' relatives like the uncle who stayed in bed for twenty-two years - to life-giving car bon. 'Iron' honours the mountain-climbing resistance hero who put iron in Levi's student soul, 'Cerium' recalls the improvised cigarette lighters which saved his life in Auschwitz, while 'Vanadium' describes an eerie post-war correspondence with the man who had been his 'boss' there.
153.
The Physics of Sorrow by Georgi Gospodinov EN
BulgariaDescription:
Using the myth of the Minotaur as its organising image, the narrator of Gospodinov's long-awaited novel constructs a labyrinth of stories about his family, jumping from era to era and viewpoint to viewpoint, exploring the mind-set and trappings of Eastern Europeans. Shortlisted for prizes around the world, Georgi Gospodinov's thrilling new novel will appeal to fans of Dave Eggers, Tom McCarthy and Dubravka Ugresic for its unique structure, humanitarian concerns and stunning storytelling.
154.
The Pigeon by Patrick Süskind EN
GermanyDescription:
Set in Paris and attracting comparisons with Franz Kafka and Edgar Allan Poe, The Pigeon is Patrick Süskind's tense, disturbing follow-up to the bestselling Perfume. The novella tells the story of a day in the meticulously ordered life of bank security guard Jonathan Noel, who has been hiding from life since his wife left him for her Tunisian lover. When Jonathan opens his front door on a day he believes will be just like any other, he encounters not the desired empty hallway but an unwelcome, diabolical intruder . . .
155.
Luxembourg156.
The Poet and the Idiot and Other Stories by Friedebert Tuglas EN
EstoniaDescription:
Estonian literature in its written form is little more than a century old. As Estonia was part of the Russian Empire, then of the Soviet Union, it is something of a miracle that the powerful presence of the Baltic Germans, the periods of Russification, and other more subtle forms of cultural pressure, have not eradicated Estonian as a serious literary language. One of the central figures to credit for this was Friedebert Tuglas. The nine stories, and the essay, featured here were written during the World War One, or in the first years of Estonian independence in the early 1920s. They reflect t... continue
157.
The Private Apartments by Idman Nur Omar EN
Description:
Moving, insightful, linked stories about the determination of Somali immigrants -- despite duty, discrimination, and an ever-dissolving link to a war-torn homeland. In the insular rooms of The Private Apartments, a cleaning lady marries her employer's nephew and then abandons him. A woman accepts an opulent gold bangle from one man yet weds another. A depressed young mother finds unlikely support in her community housing complex. A new bride attends weddings to escape her abusive marriage. A failed nurse is sent to relatives in Dubai after a nervous breakdown. Beginning in 1991, the year the S... continue
159.
The Sandman by E. T. A. Hoffmann EN
RussiaDescription:
"Strange man, how can you have eyes for sale? Eyes? Eyes?" '
The disturbing tale of a young man's obsession with the Sandman, stealer of eyes, which has inspired writers from Sigmund Freud to Neil Gaiman.
160.
The Scent of Tears by Adrian Tchaikovsky, Frances Hardinge, John Gwynne EN
EnglandDescription:
A Shared world volume featuring stories from selected authors set in the realm of Adrian Tchaikovsky's Shadows of the Apt novels.