Category Archives: World Literature
The Flowers of Buffoonery – Os Amu Dazai, (translated by Sam Bett)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “A man crushed by reality puts on a show of endurance.” This is exactly the case with twenty-five-year-old Yozo Oba, who is sent to a seaside sanitarium to recover from injuries due to failed suicide … Continue reading
Posted in Far Eastern Literature, Humor & Satire, Lost and almost forgotten, Skinny reads
Tagged Japan, mental illness, suicide
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The Words That Remain – Stênio Gardel (Translated by Bruna Dantas Lobato)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “The river calmly flowed and cried its eternal murmur. Raimundo got up and looked at the empty sky. The shadows had taken over the blue as well. The stars must have fallen and become the … Continue reading
Posted in Latin American Literature, World Literature
Tagged Brazil, LGBTQ, society
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Tower of the Sun – Tomihiko Morimi (Translated by Stephen Kohler)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “Even if the tides of time take to trumpeting tender togetherness, should we not remain alert to the dangers of praising love? Love is irrational. It is a dark passion that swirls in the depths … Continue reading
Posted in Far Eastern Literature, Humor & Satire, World Literature
Tagged humor, love, self-awareness
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Ti Amo – Hanne Ørstavik (translated from the Norwegian by Martin Aitken)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “I look at you and tears run down my face, yet I feel nothing, no grief, no sadness, I can’t feel at all. Is it true, is it actually true, is my love really intense … Continue reading
Posted in Scandinavian Literature
Tagged cancer, death, love, truth
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The Scent of Burnt Flowers – Blitz Bazawule
(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned It’s the mid-1960s and an African American couple, Melvin and Bernadette are on the run. Melvin sees that their only chance is to flee the U.S. Back in college, Melvin saved the life of a … Continue reading
Posted in African Literature, Historical Fiction, World Literature
Tagged 1960s, colonization, FBI, Ghana, racism
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The Woman in the Library – Sulari Gentill
(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned Four strangers sit in a reading room at the Boston Public Library when they hear a bloodcurdling scream. It appears that a murder has taken place and the four are forced to remain there until … Continue reading
Posted in Australian Literature, Crime, Mystery and Thrillers
Tagged Australian fiction, Boston, library, murder
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The Lisbon Syndrome – Eduardo Sánchez Rugeles (Translated from the Spanish by Paul Filev)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “I feel a deep regret for encouraging them to dream, for reinforcing illusions that will lead nowhere, because they’re unattainable, because this county is finished. It stopped existing a long time ago. We are the … Continue reading
Posted in Immigration, Latin American Literature, World Issues, World Literature
Tagged corruption, Lisbon, political activism, Portugal, Venezuela
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The Book of Morfeo – Stefano Benni
(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “What you do is supposed to be sacred. It’s supposed to be about healing. You should be taking it seriously, as seriously as death.” Italian writer, Stefano Benni addresses a serious issue that is prevalent … Continue reading
Posted in Humor & Satire, Italian Literature, Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Mythology, Skinny reads
Tagged angels, death, God, greed, healthcare, magical realism, profits, Religion
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