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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
Fatale – Jean-Patrick Manchette, Afterword by Jean Echenoz, (Translated from the French by Donald Nicholson-Smith)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) ” I don’t tell them I’m a killer. I’m a woman, and they wouldn’t take me seriously. I tell them that I know a killer. Sometimes I let them assume that he is my lover. That … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, French Literature, Lost and almost forgotten, World Literature
Tagged book reviews, French literature, noir, world literature
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Rupert: A Confession – Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer, (Translated from the Dutch by Michele Hutchison )
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “She was my martyrdom, my masochism, and my sugar-sweet, shimmering Mira. She appeared like a reflection before my eyes the first time I saw her, she killed me when she was mine, and she finally brought … Continue reading
Posted in Dark/Sordid/Bizarre, Modern Literary Fiction, World Literature
Tagged Dutch literature
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A Corner of the World – Mylene Fernández Pintado (Translated from the Spanish by Dick Cluster)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “It doesn’t seem crazy to want to live in my country. Or there must be a lot of crazy people around. Or is it that I belong to a group you left out…? The group for … Continue reading
Posted in Latin American Literature, Travel, World Literature
Tagged book reviews, Cuba, Latin American Lit, world literature
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The Oxford Murder – by Guillermo Martinez (Author), Sonia Soto (Translator)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Mathematicians collide with murder and mayhem in Guillermo Martínez’s thriller, The Oxford Murders. An un-named young Argentinean graduate student goes to Oxford University to study mathematics. One evening, he returns to the house where he’s renting … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, Latin American Literature, World Literature
Tagged Pythagoreanism, world literature
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The Black Spider – Jeremias Gotthelf (Translated from the German by Susan Bernofsky)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “And now the people where gripped by the ancient fear that the spider might carry off an unbaptized infant, the pledge of their old pact. The woman was beside herself, she had no trust in God, … Continue reading
Posted in Dark/Sordid/Bizarre, Lost and almost forgotten, World Literature
Tagged German literature, horror, short books
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The Stonecutter – Camilla Läckberg (Translated by Steven T. Murray)
(reviewed by Renée Kay) I came across The Stonecutter by Camilla Läckberg while at the library picking up another book I had reserved. What caught my attention was that is was yet another Swedish mystery, which I can’t seem to get … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, Scandinavian Literature, World Literature
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3 to Kill – Jean-Patrick Manchette(Translated by Donald Nicholson-Smith)
Reviewed by JD Jung Acheter ce livre! Shit happens. OK, that’s probably an understatement as it relates to Georges Gerfaut. Then again, maybe not. Gerfaut, a rather ordinary 30-something businessman, discovers how twisted life can get in the late Jean-Patrick … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, French Literature, Lost and almost forgotten, World Literature
Tagged French literature, noir
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Mygale – Thierry Jonquet (Translated from the French by Donald Nicholson-Smith)
Ah, revenge can be so sweet. Now mix it with obsession and a touch of madness, and it turns utterly twisted and bizarre. Such is the case with the intense and fascinating novel, Mygale, written by the late French crime … Continue reading
The Big O – Declan Burke
Check it out! Have you ever stumbled across a novel that contains such an implausible plot and a vague setting—and it doesn’t even allow you to feel for any of the characters? Believe it or not, I did—and I ate … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, Humor & Satire, Irish Literature
Tagged anti-hero, Irish literature, satire
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