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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.
Tag Archives: death
The Ferryman and His Wife – Frode Grytten, translated from the Norwegian by Alison McCullough
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Ferryman Nils Vik has spent decades carrying people across the fjord. Widowed for many years and the father of two grown daughters, he wants this crossing to be his last day on earth or sea. (more…)Read More →
Posted in Reviewers' Top Picks, Scandinavian Literature
Tagged death, life, Norwegian literature
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A Friend of Dorothy’s – Richard Willett
(Reviewed by John Heilman) A Friend of Dorothy’s manages to capture a young gay man’s search for belonging while simultaneously describing another young man’s decline during the early days of the AIDS epidemic. The book is a powerful reminder of … Continue reading
Posted in Historical Fiction, World Issues
Tagged AIDS, death, denial, Illness, LGBTQ
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My Bully, My Aunt, and Her Final Gift – Harold Phifer
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Hal endured a tumultuous upbringing under the cruel hand of his Aunt Kathy. While his mother suffered from severe mental illness, it was Aunt Kathy who had to step in to raise him and … Continue reading
Posted in Bios and Memoirs, Non-fiction
Tagged abuse, death, family dysfunction, mental illness
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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 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/Speculative/Fantasy/Mythology
Tagged angels, dark humor, death, God, greed, healthcare, magical realism, profits, Religion, short books
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Love, Death & Rare Books – Robert Hellenga
(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “I want to live life, not read about it.” That is what people kept telling Chicago bookseller Gabe Johnson, who came from generations of rare book dealers. With the growth of online bookstores, even his … Continue reading
Posted in Modern Literary Fiction
Tagged bookstores, death, love, philosophy
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An UnderratedRead Revisited: The Third Hotel: A Novel – Laura van den Berg
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “The foundation of horror is a dislocation of reality, a dislocation designed to reveal the reality that has been there all along, and such dislocations happen all the time. “ That was according to the fictional … Continue reading
Posted in Revisited
Tagged cinema, Cuba, death, grief, Havana, Latin America, surrealism
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Glimpses of Eternity: Sharing a Loved One’s Passage From This Life to the Next – Raymond Moody, Jr., MD, PhD with Paul Perry
(Reviewed by Pat Luboff) “… these shared death experiences open up an entirely new avenue of rational enlightenment on the question of life after death. They also open a new avenue for scientific studies. And as these studies are completed, … Continue reading
Posted in Non-fiction, Philosophical reads, Reviewers' Top Picks
Tagged afterlife, death, near death experience, shared death experience
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Cenotaphs – Rich Marcello
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “If you live long enough, most people leave, a few by staying true to themselves, more by death, indifference, or being driven away. “ Seventy-five-year-old retiree Ben Sanna realizes that no one has stayed with him … Continue reading
Posted in Modern Literary Fiction
Tagged death, grief, loss, love, redemption, relationships
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Sleepless Night – Margriet de Moor (Translated from the Dutch by David Doherty)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “The love, the hatred, the fascination with everything he had or had not done, fascination that spiraled into fervid curiosity. Into obsession. Into madness.” A teacher combats her insomnia by baking cakes in the middle of … Continue reading
Posted in World Literature
Tagged death, Dutch literature, marriage, short books
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