Category Archives: World Literature
Violets – Kyung-Sook Shin, translated by Anton Hur
(reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “San’s attraction did not originate this summer. But rather it has lain in wait for millennia before bursting forth all at once. “ San was no stranger to abandonment. Her father left right after she … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Far Eastern Literature, World Literature
Tagged culture, Korea, mysogeny, Seoul
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Dogboy v Catfish – Luke Gracias
Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned When I first read the title, Dogboy v Catfish, I thought that it sounded silly, and was skeptical as to whether I would enjoy the book. I hope others are not turned off by it, … Continue reading
Posted in Australian Literature, Crime, Mystery and Thrillers
Tagged Australian fiction, Crime, deception, divorce, drugs, murder
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January – Sara Gallardo, translated by Frances Riddle
(reviewed by JD Jung) January (Enero) first published in Spanish in 1958, follows the daily life and thoughts of sixteen-year-old Nefer, who finds she is pregnant after a rape. Nefer works on the family farm, and lives in the shadow … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Latin American Literature, Lost and almost forgotten, Skinny reads
Tagged abortion, Argentina, class, culture, rape
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Down with the Poor! – Shumona Sinha, translated by Teresa Lavender Fagan
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “…the same stories and the same bodies blended in my head, lost all definition and all form, became a dark and shapeless mass of giant bodies, that growled, shouted, demanded, cried, pleaded. Were they inventing a … Continue reading
Posted in French Literature, Immigration, World Issues
Tagged immigration, imperialism, Misogyny, refugees
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Café Unfiltered – Jean-Philippe Blondel, translated by Alison Anderson
(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “Freedom of movement is what I want more than anything—particularly after eighteen months of restrictions.” Cafes just started to reopen after the release of the Covid-19 vaccines, and José, the waiter at Le Tom’s Café … Continue reading
Posted in French Literature
Tagged COVID-19, Paris
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Who is bombing Kyiv?! – Marina Alova
(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “It was disheartening and revolting to witness the country repeating the same mistakes and going around in circles. Slava believed that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, it would be impossible to make the … Continue reading
Posted in Slavic Literature, World Issues, World Literature
Tagged propaganda, Putin, Russia, Russian literature, Ukraine, war
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I’m Not Going Anywhere – Rumena Bužarovska,(translated by Steve Bradbury)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “She cried because her son didn’t love her, because her husband didn’t love her, because she felt lost at work, because the country was a total mess and had no future…” These words of desperation … Continue reading
Posted in World Literature
Tagged dark, jealousy, Macedonian literature
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Stay This Day and Night With Me – Belén Gopegui, (translated by Mark Schafer)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “Don’t think, Google, that the value of human acts can be measured in visits or by keeping track of how much information or money they generate.” Mateo, a twenty-two-year-old Spanish college student wants to apply … Continue reading
Posted in Spanish Literature, World Literature
Tagged artificial intellegence, Google, privilege, Spain
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Trash – Sylvia Aguilar-Zéleny, (translated by JD Pluecker)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “Who is the person who makes a life out of our leftovers? And, more specifically, what makes us who we are?” Griselda, a researcher, studies those who inhabit the Juárez city dump. She balances that … Continue reading
Posted in Latin American Literature
Tagged aging, dementia, family dysfunction, gender, love, Mexican literature, transgender, violence
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