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UnderratedReads is devoted to discovering underrated books and under-represented authors. We highlight hidden gems from around the world–honest reviews only, never pay-to-play.
Category Archives: World Literature
Morel’s Invention – Adolfo Bioy Casares, Margaret Jull Costa (Translator), Jorge Luis Borges (Foreword), Tom McCarthy (Afterword)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Originally published in Spanish in 1940, Morel’s Invention by Adolfo Bioy Casares is a short literary classic that kept me guessing until the end. Our narrator, a man from Caracas, Venezuela, has been sentenced to life … Continue reading
I Did Not Survive. I Just Refused To Stop.: The Extraordinarily Abnormal Life of an Average Desi Muslim Girl – MissFit Writes
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “There is one unforgivable sin in any society: to be different. Be different and be damned. And yet—whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” … Continue reading
Posted in Bios and Memoirs, Middle Eastern Literature, Poetry, World Literature
Tagged culture, Muslim, Pakistan, poetry
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All That Dies in April – Mariana Travacio (Author), Will Morningstar and Samantha Schnee (Translator)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Lina wants to leave her Argentinian quebrada, where the soil is dry and the land barren, no longer offering them anything for sustenance. Her only son left years earlier with her younger brother. She is … Continue reading
Posted in Latin American Literature, World Literature
Tagged Argentina, family, migration
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Eden at Dawn – Karim Kattan (Author), Jeffrey Zuckerman (Translator)
(Reviewed by John Heilman) Eden at Dawn is the mesmerizing tale of two Palestinian men, Isaac and Gabriel who meet in Jerusalem and slowly captivate one another, only to back away and later reunite. Their love inspires them to embark … Continue reading
Posted in Middle Eastern Literature, Romance
Tagged LGBTQ, Palestine
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The Imaginary Life of a Laurel Tree – Mario Fortunato (Author), Michael F. Moore (Translator)
When I was visiting Genoa, Italy, I popped into Feltrinelli Librerie and picked up a book with an intriguing and original plot: The Imaginary Life of a Laurel Tree by Mario Fortunato. Our unnamed narrator, a writer in his forties, … Continue reading
Posted in Italian Literature, Modern Literary Fiction
Tagged LGBTQ, obsession
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The Eye of Goliath – Diego Muzzio (Author), Rahul Bery (Translator)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) When I started reading The Eye of Goliath, I was immediately intrigued by Dr. Edward Pierce, a physician running a sanatorium outside Edinburgh who uses hypnosis and other controversial methods to treat soldiers suffering from the … Continue reading
Posted in Historical Fiction, Latin American Literature
Tagged insanity, psychological thriller, WWI
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Pereira Maintains – Antonio Tabucchi, translated by Patrick Creagh
(Reviewed by JD Jung) When I picked up Pereira Maintains at Paperback Exchange in Florence, Italy, I had no idea how relevant this novel would feel today. Set in Portugal in the summer of 1938, during the rise of fascism … Continue reading
Posted in Historical Fiction, Italian Literature
Tagged fascism, Italian literature, political fiction, Portugal
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Almost Blue -Carlo Lucarelli (Author) , Oonagh Stransky (Translator)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “That’s why I’m listening to the city tonight, with Chet Baker playing softly in the background.” Another book I picked up while visiting Bologna, Italy, was Almost Blue by Carlo Lucarelli at Feltrinelli Librerie. … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, Italian Literature
Tagged crime fiction, Italian literature, noir
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Buyer Beware – Catherine Ryan Howard
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Set on the outskirts of Dublin in 2025, Buyer Beware follows Ellie as she moves into the first home she’s ever owned. Unfortunately, it’s cold, filthy, and falling apart, and with little money to spare, she can … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, Irish Literature, Reviewers' Top Picks
Tagged Irish literature, murder
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