Category Archives: World Literature

**Books translated from the original language to English**

Violets – Kyung-Sook Shin, translated by Anton Hur

Posted on December 4, 2023 by J D Jung

(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 →

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Dogboy v Catfish – Luke Gracias

Posted on November 19, 2023 by J D Jung

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 →

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January – Sara Gallardo, translated by Frances Riddle

Posted on October 24, 2023 by J D Jung

(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 →

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Las Biuty Queens: Stories- Iván Monalisa Ojeda, translated by Hannah Kauders

Posted on July 28, 2023 by J D Jung

(reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned Upon arriving in New York City from Chile, Iván became Monalisa and worked the streets of New York City. She befriended other Latin American transgender prostitutes, and though they were from different countries of origin, … Continue reading →

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Down with the Poor! – Shumona Sinha, translated by Teresa Lavender Fagan 

Posted on July 18, 2023 by J D Jung

(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 →

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Café Unfiltered- Jean-Philippe Blondel, translated by Alison Anderson

Posted on July 11, 2023 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “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 is … Continue reading →

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Who is bombing Kyiv?! – Marina Alova

Posted on May 22, 2023 by J D Jung

(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 →

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I’m Not Going Anywhere – Rumena Bužarovska,(translated by Steve Bradbury)

Posted on April 7, 2023 by J D Jung

(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 →

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Stay This Day and Night With Me – Belén Gopegui, (translated by Mark Schafer)

Posted on April 2, 2023 by J D Jung

(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 →

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Trash – Sylvia Aguilar-Zéleny, (translated by JD Pluecker)

Posted on March 21, 2023 by J D Jung

(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 →

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