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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
The Yellow Dog – Georges Simenon (translated by Linda Asher)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Originally published in 1931, in English in 1939, and now re-released in English, The Yellow Dog offers readers a taste of Georges Simenon’s signature crime storytelling. Set in the small seaside town of Concarneau, France, a … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, French Literature, Lost and almost forgotten
Tagged cozy mystery, crime fiction, France
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A Carnival of Atrocities – by Natalia García Freire, Translated from the Spanish by Victor Meadowcroft
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Cocuán, a small town in Ecuador is doomed by a curse. Upon the death of Mildred Capa’s mother and the subsequent abandonment by her father, Mildred was intent on maintaining and working the farm. However, … Continue reading
Posted in Latin American Literature
Tagged abuse, Ecuador, literature, Religion
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Invisible Helix – Keigo Higashino (Author), Giles Murray (Translator)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “ If you’re searching for a crime thriller that grips you from the first page and doesn’t let go, Invisible Helix is the novel for you. When homicide detectives investigate a plausible murder: a man floating … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, Far Eastern Literature
Tagged crime thriller, family, homicide, murder, Tokyo
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The Book Censor’s Library – Bothayna Al-Essa , translated from the Arabic by Ranya Abdelrahman and Sawad Hussain
(Reviewed by JD Jung) This cautionary tale takes place “sometime in the future, in a place that would be pointless to name, since it resembles every other place.” All I know is that it is at a time … Continue reading
Posted in Middle Eastern Literature, Political fiction, Sci-Fi/Speculative/Fantasy/Mythology, Social Justice
Tagged censorship, freedom, liberty, library, Social satire
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Selamlik – Khaled Alesmael (translated from the Arabic by Leri Price)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “I am so glad I was born in Syria and get to be young in Damascus, no matter the fear and danger. I love Damascus even if she is cruel to me.” Our narrator Furat lives … Continue reading
Posted in Immigration, Middle Eastern Literature, Scandinavian Literature, World Issues
Tagged homoerotic, LGBTQ, refugees, Religion, Sweden, Syria, Syrian civil war
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The Propagandist – Cécile Desprairies, translated by Natasha Lehrer
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Our protagonist had to navigate between truth and lies, reality and denial for her entire childhood. Now as an adult and a historian, she must face these truths and the role her mother played in Fance … Continue reading
Posted in French Literature, Historical Fiction
Tagged anti-antisemitism, France, Nazism, propaganda, WWII
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Pentimento Mori – Valeria Corciolani
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “It’s simply a matter of yellows, figs, vans, and kites…Why can’t I get a nice simple gang murder or an old-fashioned serial killer?” Public Prosecutor Jacopo Bassi has had enough of this murder case, the victim … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, Italian Literature, World Literature
Tagged art history, cozy mystery, Italian literature
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The Coin – Yasmin Zaher
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “…in my family, America was both the key and the curse.” Our narrator, who is from a wealthy Palestinian family moved to New York after her parents died. She was left with an inheritance of which … Continue reading
Posted in Immigration, Middle Eastern Literature, World Literature
Tagged immigration, New York, obsession
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