Around the World One Book from Each Country
The goal of this list is to identify one amazing book from any genre that takes place in each country around the world. Please add books you loved from (or about) countries not already on the list. Under "Why you added this book" you can indicate the country where the book takes place.
Here are the countries we still need books from:
Population +1M
Bahrain, Benin, Central African Republic, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Maldives, Monaco, Niger, Samoa, The Gambia, Tajikistan, Timor-Lestea, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Zambia.
< 1M
Brunei, Burundi, Comoros, Cook Islands, Djibouti, Micronesia, Niue, San Marino, São Tomé and Príncipe
Here are the countries we still need books from:
Population +1M
Bahrain, Benin, Central African Republic, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Maldives, Monaco, Niger, Samoa, The Gambia, Tajikistan, Timor-Lestea, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Zambia.
< 1M
Brunei, Burundi, Comoros, Cook Islands, Djibouti, Micronesia, Niue, San Marino, São Tomé and Príncipe
Tags:
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Comments Showing 1-50 of 121 (121 new)
message 1:
by
Jessie
(new)
Dec 26, 2012 07:22AM
I added Anne of Green Gables which is set in Canada.
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Jessie wrote: "I added Anne of Green Gables which is set in Canada."
Jessie,
I finally added Canada to the list of countries that this list has a book from!
Jessie,
I finally added Canada to the list of countries that this list has a book from!
You can now add both the Netherlands and Belgium to the 'from anywhere except' list, as I've added a book from each country (Eline Vere by Louis Couperus for the Netherlands and Godenslaap by Erwin Mortier for Belgium).
I also noticed a German book by the way, The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann, so Germany is now listed as well, I guess? Or does this book count as Switzerland, as a large part of the book is set in this country (if I remember correctly)?
More questions, I'm afraid... Would Life of Pi be seen as Canadian, as the author is (now) Canadian, or as Indian, as the book starts in India? I noticed the book on the list and as most of the story is set at sea and only part of it on land, I wondered which country it would represent...
Also, The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx; The author is American but the book is set in Canada. So again, I wondered which country this book represents...
I noticed two Russian ones on the list by the way; Crime and Punishment and later on Life and fate
I do apologize fot these questions because I don't mean to be critical, as I think the subject of this list is a very original one, but when I browsed the list, some of the titles on it did raise questions :-)
I also noticed a German book by the way, The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann, so Germany is now listed as well, I guess? Or does this book count as Switzerland, as a large part of the book is set in this country (if I remember correctly)?
More questions, I'm afraid... Would Life of Pi be seen as Canadian, as the author is (now) Canadian, or as Indian, as the book starts in India? I noticed the book on the list and as most of the story is set at sea and only part of it on land, I wondered which country it would represent...
Also, The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx; The author is American but the book is set in Canada. So again, I wondered which country this book represents...
I noticed two Russian ones on the list by the way; Crime and Punishment and later on Life and fate
I do apologize fot these questions because I don't mean to be critical, as I think the subject of this list is a very original one, but when I browsed the list, some of the titles on it did raise questions :-)
The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Russia have been added to the list! I also added a suggestion in the description that anyone nominating a book put the country they had in mind under "Why you added this book". I have yet to read The Magic Mountain so I'm not sure if it should count for Switzerland or not but if you recall it taking place there or if the person who nominated it writes Switzerland under why they added the book than I'll add Switzerland to the list. I also have not read The Shipping News and there is not a comment to let me know why it was added so I'm not sure what the intended country was. It looks like either Judith or Ruth nominated it so maybe one of them can comment as to what they think. I had setting in mind rather than authorship so I'd lean towards Canada. I would consider Life of Pi as more India based on cultural references but I think it could count as Canada as well. I guess it would depend on the intentions of whomever nominated it. Either way both countries are already represented so I guess Life of Pi is just a bonus book! I nominated Interpreter of Maladies for India and Jessie nominated Anne of Green Gables for a Canadian setting. No worries re: all the questions! It's fun to see all the books that have been added to the list.
Nicole wrote: "The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Russia have been added to the list! I also added a suggestion in the description that anyone nominating a book put the country they had in mind under "Why you ..."
I've added a couple more books: One from South Korea (Een huis in Seoul by Pak Wansŏ), one from Bhutan (Tsomo's karma by Kunzang Choden), one from Vietnam (De hemel boven Vietnam by Dương Thu Hương) and one from Finland (De weg van een man by Nobel prize winner Frans Eemil Sillanpää).
I've added a couple more books: One from South Korea (Een huis in Seoul by Pak Wansŏ), one from Bhutan (Tsomo's karma by Kunzang Choden), one from Vietnam (De hemel boven Vietnam by Dương Thu Hương) and one from Finland (De weg van een man by Nobel prize winner Frans Eemil Sillanpää).
Finding Nouf by Zoë Ferraris is a mystery novel set in Saudi Arabia, a rare treat.
(sorry not sure how to tag it)
(sorry not sure how to tag it)
A few more titles;
Prague by Arthur Philips, actually set in Hungary.
Coming from Wa, Audrey Thomas for Ghana.
For bread alone, Choukri for Morocco.
Prague by Arthur Philips, actually set in Hungary.
Coming from Wa, Audrey Thomas for Ghana.
For bread alone, Choukri for Morocco.
Lots of new votes! Portugal, South Korea, Bhutan, Vietnam, Finland, Saudi Arabia, Hungary, Ghana, Morocco, Fiji, Italy, Switzerland, Greece, Chile, Bangladesh, Turkey, Poland, Dubai, Qatar all added to the list.
The Pirate by Abdul Aziz Al Mahmoud. On this list the book appears in Arabic but there is an English edition.
Tess wrote: "Great, thanks! Also, do you know which books are for Honduras, Singapore, South Korea, France, Ecuador, Armenia, and Mexico?"
South Korea is Een huis in Seoul by Park Wan-Suh (see also message 8). No editions in English on GR at the moment but that doesn't mean there might not be an English edition...
For France it is Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert.
I think Malcolm Lowry's Under the Volcano is meant for Mexico, although the author is British.
South Korea is Een huis in Seoul by Park Wan-Suh (see also message 8). No editions in English on GR at the moment but that doesn't mean there might not be an English edition...
For France it is Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert.
I think Malcolm Lowry's Under the Volcano is meant for Mexico, although the author is British.
From Ecuador there is The Beak of the Finch: A Story of Evolution in Our Time by Jonathan Weiner, From Korea (if you don't mind generalizing) there is Please Look After Mom. From Mexico there is also Crónicas mexicanas... y alguna otra más. I am not aware of any books on the list from Honduras, Singapore or Armenia. Maybe you can find some!
I noticed Child 44 on the list but there is at least one Russian and probably more British books on the list already.
Also I would suggest something else from Finland, maybe The Maid Silja: The History of the Last Offshoot of an Old Family Tree which was probably the main reason for Sillanpää's Nobel and is considered to be his best and most well known novel.
If you want the best Finnish book about Finland, then I'd suggest either Seven Brothers or Täällä Pohjantähden alla 1-3. But anyway, preferably something that at least most Finns would have heard about (and is more available to people around the world). The Way Of A Man doesn't even have a Finnish edition here.
Also I would suggest something else from Finland, maybe The Maid Silja: The History of the Last Offshoot of an Old Family Tree which was probably the main reason for Sillanpää's Nobel and is considered to be his best and most well known novel.
If you want the best Finnish book about Finland, then I'd suggest either Seven Brothers or Täällä Pohjantähden alla 1-3. But anyway, preferably something that at least most Finns would have heard about (and is more available to people around the world). The Way Of A Man doesn't even have a Finnish edition here.
@Tytti
This Listopia says: "Around the World One Book from Each Country. The goal of this list is to identify one amazing book from any genre that takes place in each country around the world."
I haven't read The Maid Silja yet, although a Dutch edition (Silja, de dienstmaagd) is on my shelves, but De weg van een man / The Way Of A Man (Miehen Tie) to me was an amazing novel to read and that is, after all, what this Listopia is all about, isn't it, when you read the intro...? De weg van een man isn't published here in the Netherlands anymore either by the way, but that goes for all of Sillanpää's books, unfortunately.
This Listopia says: "Around the World One Book from Each Country. The goal of this list is to identify one amazing book from any genre that takes place in each country around the world."
I haven't read The Maid Silja yet, although a Dutch edition (Silja, de dienstmaagd) is on my shelves, but De weg van een man / The Way Of A Man (Miehen Tie) to me was an amazing novel to read and that is, after all, what this Listopia is all about, isn't it, when you read the intro...? De weg van een man isn't published here in the Netherlands anymore either by the way, but that goes for all of Sillanpää's books, unfortunately.
As a Finn I just think it's a shame that the only Finnish book on the list is then something that most people won't ever be able to read, as there are several out there that are. It sort of spoils the challenge for me. (And it isn't known even in Finland as exceptionally great or a "must read", so I probably won't read it myself.)
@Tytti
I do agree with you up to a point :-) But there are many books on this list which I personally would not consider a good representative for a particular country. But that doesn't really matter, does it, as the aim of this Listopia is "to identify one amazing book from any genre that takes place in each country around the world." And that, of course, is very personal, so there are bound to be books on this list you and I, and probably several others, would never have picked as a representative for a certain country :-)
I do agree with you up to a point :-) But there are many books on this list which I personally would not consider a good representative for a particular country. But that doesn't really matter, does it, as the aim of this Listopia is "to identify one amazing book from any genre that takes place in each country around the world." And that, of course, is very personal, so there are bound to be books on this list you and I, and probably several others, would never have picked as a representative for a certain country :-)
Great list filled with inspiration! It's a shame Goodreads have made lists so inflexible though, for example it would have been great if there could be a small note attached to each book name/post saying which country it's from.
Anyways I've added Gösta Berling's Saga by Selma Lagerlöf from Sweden!
Anyways I've added Gösta Berling's Saga by Selma Lagerlöf from Sweden!
Leajk wrote: "Great list filled with inspiration! It's a shame Goodreads have made lists so inflexible though, for example it would have been great if there could be a small note attached to each book name/post ..."
You can add the country to "Notes" or whatever it's called when you vote for the book.
You can add the country to "Notes" or whatever it's called when you vote for the book.
I just added Sweden to the list of countries that the books on this list are from, thank you Leajk for adding it. I'm going to read the synopsis for Gosta Berlin Saga now. Will be great to read a Swedish book on the flight when I finally get to go to Sweden. Maybe others will be inspired to do the same! Hoping one year to go to Midsummer's eve.
You should definitely go around Midsummer's eve, especially if you go a bit further North where the sun is up forever, it's magical!
Ðɑηηɑ wrote: "I don't think THE HUNGER GAMES is supposed to be here! It's dystopian!"
Agreed. It's set in Panem, which is it's own country. And how is that the best choice for American literature? Plus it says in the book that Panem is located in what used to be North America... that means Canada and Mexico as well... not just the States.
Agreed. It's set in Panem, which is it's own country. And how is that the best choice for American literature? Plus it says in the book that Panem is located in what used to be North America... that means Canada and Mexico as well... not just the States.
I added "Beyond the Reefs" which is set in Seychelles; I'm pretty sure there are no Seychellois books on the list yet.
Kelly wrote: "I added "Beyond the Reefs" which is set in Seychelles; I'm pretty sure there are no Seychellois books on the list yet."
Seychelles has been added to the list!
Seychelles has been added to the list!
I added High Tide -Latvia
The Fall of the Stone City - Albania
Red Poppies: A Novel of Tibet
After the Bombs - Guatemala
Ximena at the Crossroads - Peru
Claire of the Sea Light - Haiti
The Fall of the Stone City - Albania
Red Poppies: A Novel of Tibet
After the Bombs - Guatemala
Ximena at the Crossroads - Peru
Claire of the Sea Light - Haiti
Hi, i am from Portugal and i saw the book for Portugal but although it is a really good book and very important, maybe saramago would not be that bad there.
I have added 'A pattern of islands' by Arthur Grimble for modern day Kiribati and Tuvalu, known in the book as the Gilbert and Ellice islands.
Tytti wrote: ...Also I would suggest something else from Finland, maybe [book:T..."
I was going to suggest you post your favorites then I saw you did - Thanks -C
I was going to suggest you post your favorites then I saw you did - Thanks -C
There are several countries mentioned more than once:
For India there is The God of small things as well as Midnight's Children and 走得越远,离自己越近 (which, by the way, could also be seen as Chinese). For Japan: Memoirs of a Geisha and Kitchen. For Russia: Crime and Punishment, The Brothers Karamazov and Life and Fate (and I'm not even going into British books, as you are absolutely right there Tytti: there are several of them on this list). Eline Vere: een Haagsche roman is as Dutch as it can get and still someone added The Diary of a Young Girl, which is also set in The Netherlands. And these are just the ones I noticed at first glance...
I'm not disputing the choice of titles in itself, as 'one amazing book from any genre' (that takes place in each country around the world) makes it a very personal preference and that's fine by me (after all, what's amazing to one can be horrible to another, and it has nothing to do with the general popularity of a book either). Nor do I think that whether or not a book is still in print is important because again, a book may still be in print in its own country but not abroad. Assuming it has been translated at all at one time or another, of course, otherwise it might not even have been heard of abroad. Or it may not be in print at all anymore, which is fine too, as far as I'm concerned. But just 'ONE book from each country' seems to have gone amiss and personally I think that's a shame, as the idea behind this list was great...
For India there is The God of small things as well as Midnight's Children and 走得越远,离自己越近 (which, by the way, could also be seen as Chinese). For Japan: Memoirs of a Geisha and Kitchen. For Russia: Crime and Punishment, The Brothers Karamazov and Life and Fate (and I'm not even going into British books, as you are absolutely right there Tytti: there are several of them on this list). Eline Vere: een Haagsche roman is as Dutch as it can get and still someone added The Diary of a Young Girl, which is also set in The Netherlands. And these are just the ones I noticed at first glance...
I'm not disputing the choice of titles in itself, as 'one amazing book from any genre' (that takes place in each country around the world) makes it a very personal preference and that's fine by me (after all, what's amazing to one can be horrible to another, and it has nothing to do with the general popularity of a book either). Nor do I think that whether or not a book is still in print is important because again, a book may still be in print in its own country but not abroad. Assuming it has been translated at all at one time or another, of course, otherwise it might not even have been heard of abroad. Or it may not be in print at all anymore, which is fine too, as far as I'm concerned. But just 'ONE book from each country' seems to have gone amiss and personally I think that's a shame, as the idea behind this list was great...
True.. but then I'd hate to choose between Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov (without even factoring in Dr. Zhivago and War and Peace)! Maybe what we should have done is nominated books and THEN voted on our favorites.
Really nice idea for a list. Albania and Peru weren't mentioned in the introduction as countries already taken so I posted "Broken April" and "Conversation in the Cathedral". Subsequently I noticed from the comments above that another user had already made other suggestions from those countries. I have also posted "The Bridge on the Drina," for Bosnia; "The Rock of Tanios," for Lebanon; "Another Day of Life," for Angola; and "The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency," for Botswana.
As Palestine was not mentioned in the text at the top of this Listopia ("Add a book from anywhere except"), I've added a Ochtend in Jenin (Mornings in Jenin) by Susan Abulhawa.
André wrote: "Hi, i am from Portugal and i saw ... maybe saramago would not be that bad there."
(CM):I loved Blindness by Saramago
(CM):I loved Blindness by Saramago
I've added books that cover Sri Lanka
, Martinique, Jamaica, Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad
& Haiti
. Enjoy!
I added The Man Without Qualities (Robert Musil), Malina (Ingeborg Bachmann), Chess Story (Stefan Zweig), Heldenplatz (Thomas Bernhard), Bunte Steine (Adalbert Stifter), The Radetzky March (Joseph Roth), Das Gemeindekind (Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach), The Adventures of Joel Spazierer (Michael Köhlmeier), Selected Poems by Georg Trakl and The Lord Chandos Letter and other Writings by Hugo von Hofmannsthal for Austria. Take a look!
I added "This Earth of Mankind" by Pramoedya Ananta Toer for Indonesia. It takes place on Java during the late 19th century when Indonesia was still a Dutch colony.
Link to book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
Link to book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
Enjoying the challenge ... will add ...
New Guinea : Dark Brown Is the River, alternate would be Savage Harvest.
Mauritius : Pieternella (Be sure to find an English language copy to read a review)
Indonesia : Indonesia, etc.
Greenland : Ice Brothers
Sunda : Eden In the East (Sunda is now under the ocean, but it's a former thriving civilization site.)
Borneo : Into the Heart ...
Vanuatu : Getting Stoned ...
Peru : Last Days of Incas
Columbia : One River
Panama : Path Between ...
New Guinea : Dark Brown Is the River, alternate would be Savage Harvest.
Mauritius : Pieternella (Be sure to find an English language copy to read a review)
Indonesia : Indonesia, etc.
Greenland : Ice Brothers
Sunda : Eden In the East (Sunda is now under the ocean, but it's a former thriving civilization site.)
Borneo : Into the Heart ...
Vanuatu : Getting Stoned ...
Peru : Last Days of Incas
Columbia : One River
Panama : Path Between ...
Chrisl wrote: "Enjoying the challenge ... will add ...
New Guinea : Dark Brown Is the River, alternate would be Savage Harvest.
Mauritius : Pieternella (Be sure to find an English language copy to read a rev..."
Interestting selection !
New Guinea : Dark Brown Is the River, alternate would be Savage Harvest.
Mauritius : Pieternella (Be sure to find an English language copy to read a rev..."
Interestting selection !
Thank you for all the books from countries not already on the list! I just added them to the list of countries we have books from. Some of you have noticed that people are adding books from countries that have already been added i.e. all the books from Russia and the UK. I originally meant for the list to be just one great book from each country but it has expanded well beyond that. I don't see any option for removing books (except for the ones I personally added) or voting on books. If there is a way for us to all vote on the books from multiple countries to narrow it down to one book from each that would be fun! I'm open to suggestions...
Hi Nicole, I just tried to add The Last Honest Man in Havana. It's set in Cuba. I really enjoy this list! Not sure if the book was added? I'm new to this.
Cuba ... Looking over the list, I see someone added Martin Cruz Smith's Havana Bay.
For baseball fans, Darryl Brock's Havana Heat could be an enjoyable read. And for an attempt to assassinate Fidel, David Robbin's Betrayal Game might appeal. Both Brock and Robbins have written better books.
Havana Heat
Havana Bay: A Novel
The Betrayal Game
For baseball fans, Darryl Brock's Havana Heat could be an enjoyable read. And for an attempt to assassinate Fidel, David Robbin's Betrayal Game might appeal. Both Brock and Robbins have written better books.
Havana Heat
Havana Bay: A Novel
The Betrayal Game
Nicole wrote: "Thank you for all the books from countries not already on the list! I just added them to the list of countries we have books from. Some of you have noticed that people are adding books from countri..."
If you become a Librarian here at the Librarian Manual . This allows you to (responsibly) remove any books from lists when they don't fulfill the requirements.
It seems difficult to do this for this list by now, but perhaps there could be a 'best of' list based on this list, like only the most popular one from each country, no added ones allowed.
If you become a Librarian here at the Librarian Manual . This allows you to (responsibly) remove any books from lists when they don't fulfill the requirements.
It seems difficult to do this for this list by now, but perhaps there could be a 'best of' list based on this list, like only the most popular one from each country, no added ones allowed.
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