
Well #Witmonth is nearly upon us, and again I am gearing up to join in with what has become a huge annual reading event. As many of you will know – for members of the Virago readers group on Librarything August is also when we do AVAA (all Virago all August – though no one expects to do that literally).
So, this year I have got together a few titles that will tick off both challenges at once. A close look at the photo above will reveal many of the titles I have waiting for Witmonth – embarrassingly, a few of them were on last year’s pile. I won’t go through all of them now – but there are several I am really looking forward to. I have started my WIT/AVAA reading early by starting Deborah by Esther Kreitman (1936) – a novel of Jewish life in Poland in the early part of the twentieth century – translated from the Yiddish by M. Carr. Some of the others I am looking forward to include A Fine of Two Hundred Francs by Elsa Triolet, Waking Lions by Ayelet Gunder-Goshen and The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa – not pictured because I have the paperback on pre-order. There are also some excellent looking titles on my kindle including, The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree by Shokoofeh Azar and Paula by Sandra Hoffmann.
Last year I posted my top ten #Witmonth books (to date) so if you follow the link that will lead you to a few more recommendations from me. However, if you’re are still after some inspiration, here are some more recommendations for some great books by women in translation.
Abigail by Magda Szabó (1970) translated from Hungarian.
I have loved everything I have read by Magda Szabó – this was the most recent. It is 1943, and in Germany, Hitler is becoming frustrated by the direction the so called ‘Jewish question’ has been moving in Hungary. A senior army General in Budapest, sees the way the wind is blowing, knowing that their allies Germany will surely invade soon, he decides to send his fourteen year old daughter Georgina Vitay, across Hungary to a boarding school in Árkod, an old University town in Eastern Hungary. She has a lot to learn about others, and about what is really going on in her country.
The Artificial Silk Girl – by Irmgard Keun (1932) – translated from German.
An evocative portrait of the roaring Weimar Berlin of the 1920s/30s – it is also a wonderfully poignant story of a quirky, radical young woman, whose voice I found immediately captivating. The Artificial Silk Girl was Irmgard Keun’s second novel – banned by the Nazis it had been an instant best seller when it was first published. With the Nazis coming to power in 1933, this novel depicts life just before that tumultuous time.
Love by Hanne Ørstavik (1997) translated from Norwegian.
Beautiful but brutal, this unforgettable novella, had me thinking me about it for weeks after I had finished. Love is the story of a mother and son, and one long, bitterly cold night of their lives. Vibeke is a single mother, she and her eight-year-old son have fairly recently moved to this Northern town in Norway.
Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi (2010)– translated from Arabic.
A book I read quite recently; Celestial Bodies is a beautifully layered novel – told from several viewpoints. The story of a well to do Omani family and the society within which they live is told in alternating chapters, an omniscient third person narrator and Abdallah the husband of one of the sisters at the heart of this novel. The narrative moves back and forth in time, using the memory of various characters to reveal the story of three sisters, their parents, and in time their husbands.
Drive your plow over the Bones of the dead by Olga Tokarczuk (2009) translated from Polish.
This is an extraordinary, and endlessly readable novel Olga Tokarczuk is exploring lots of things at once. Examining traditional ideas of ‘madness,’ animal rights and the hypocrisy of religion Drive your Plow… is also a wonderful portrayal of the lives of those living in isolation who don’t conform to everyone else’s way of thinking. These are big themes, and they are presented in a very thought provoking, intelligent way, wrapped around a mystery, this can’t be seen as a traditional crime story.
Marie by Madeleine Bourdouxhe (1943) translated from French.
This short novel by Belgian writer Madeleine Bourdouxhe is a beautifully written story about a woman’s passion for life. In this novella, Bourdouxhe subtly combines, tenderness, humour and sensuality in her exploration of a woman’s experience of life.
Butterflies in November by Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir (2004) translated from Icelandic.
Despite its rather abrupt ending – I really enjoyed this novel last Witmonth. At the heart of it is a free spirited woman, whose life it set on an entirely new course, thanks to an Icelandic road trip and deaf-mute four year old. It’s a charming novel full of colourful characters, long empty roads and self-discovery.
A world Gone Mad – the diaries of Astrid Lindgren 1939 – 1945 – translated from Swedish.
Throughout the war, Astrid Lindgren documented the war as she saw it, felt about it and feared it, as well as what she read about it in the newspapers. Sweden had elected to remain neutral from the war – and given their precarious geographical position that probably saved a great many Swedes. However, their neutral position was one Astrid sometimes felt uncomfortable about – as she read about devastating occupations, war crimes and food shortages. The diary of a truly fascinating and intelligent woman.
Liar by Aylet Gundar-Goshen (2018) translated from Hebrew.
I persuaded my book group to read this last year – and though it divided us a little I think, I enjoyed this novel about a teenage girl caught up in her own terrible lie. Lies are tricky things – they have the habit of multiplying, taking on a life of their own – getting out of control. This novel explores the nature of lies and how quickly they can travel – what those lies might mean to the liar, and what the consequences could be.
Maman, What are we Called now by Jacqueline Mesnil-Amar (1957) translated from French.
Persephone book number 115, first published in French in 1957, it was re-issued by Persephone in 2015. It is the diary of a few weeks in 1944, after the author’s husband was arrested. It depicts the last weeks of the German occupation of Paris.
So, there we are, what are you planning to read (if anything) for Women in Translation month?
Some great pointers here, Ali, thank you. I am having fun planning my own list – as enjoyable as doing the actual reading!
It’s always a lot of fun putting together these lists for future reading.
This is such a great list of recommendations, Ali – some of which I’ve read and loved (Silk Girl, Love and Marie) and others I’m very keen to try (Abigail and Drive Your Plow). Hurricane Season (from your TBR pile sounds) very intriguing too. I keep hearing such great things about it…
I am sure I read The Artificial Silk Girl because of your enthusiasm for it, such an evocative novel. Abagail and Drive Your Plow… are two translated fiction highlights from this year.
Some great titles on your recommendation list, Ali, several of which I’ve read. Of the Viragos, Deborah is the one that most interests me. I’ll look out for your review.
I finished Deborah last night, and found it completely fascinating and immersive. Hope to review it at the beginning of #WITMonth.
What a wonderful list — I’m adding several titles from it to my own TBR. I read Magda Szabo’s The Door and loved it (I plan on reading Katalin Street for another challenge) so I’ll look forward to any review of Abigail. I’m very, very tempted by Olga Tokarczuk but I’m afraid the animal rights issues might be a bit too brutal for me.
I thought Katalin Street was brilliant too. I really loved Abigail though it’s a bit different to The Door, Iza’s Ballad and Katalin Street. I understand your reservations regarding Olga Tokarczuk.
WITmonth is coming up already? There are several books on your list that are on my TBR also. I’m really excited about The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree and The Memory Police and already look forward to reading what you make of it.
I know, it soon comes around doesn’t it. The Enlightenment of the Greengage and The Memory Police look fascinating, I should think they will be on lots of people’s lists.
Thank you so much for this, at first glance Deborah looks very interesting and The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree is such a great title. From looking at your tags I see I can just go there to get all your WIT lists, very useful as I’m trying to read more in translation, fabulous!
The Enlightenment Of the Greengage Tree is a great title isn’t it. Tags are very useful, I use them myself when I am searching for things I have forgotten.
Great post and always happy to see Butterflies in November on there! I will be reading Marianne Grabrucker’s “There’s a Good Girl” for WITmonth and AVAA as it’s a Women’s Press book translated from the German, about trying to raise her daughter in a non-gendered way. A book from the 80s but very modern themes, and i read a good book that was based on it last year. It’s also one of my 20 Books of Summer so I get a triple whammy in!
Thank you, There’s a good girl sounds really good, I will look out for your thoughts on that one.
Happy reading for both of these events, Ali. 🙂
Thank you Jessica. 😊
A wonderful selection of choices, Ali – I’ve read and loved some of these, but some not yet, and I must admit I wouldn’t know which to pick from your pile. Flights is great, though… And I haven’t read The Listener yet, which is another possibility. So many options!!
I really should get around to reading Flights, I have had it such a long time. I am glad that I have so many options.
Im rather envying the variety of your options. I just looked at my TBR list and most of the books in translation seem to be by male authors. Of your recommendations, I’d wholeheartedly agree about Love. So impactful for what is really a short novella.
I am enjoying having so many to choose from. Love is a totally unforgettable little novella. It has stayed with me so clearly.
Some great suggestions here, Ali. I’m planning on reading Hurricane Season having bought a copy a month or so ago. Seeing so many mentions of Butterflies in November has reminded me I have a copy lurking on my Kindle which has been there forever so perhaps it’s time to read that one, too?
I have started reading Hurricane Season, it’s quite vivid and intense. I look forward to hearing what you think.
Yes, I’ve been told it’s pretty heavy hitting.
Yes, I think that’s a good description.
Wow… I’ll have to bookmark this post. Some interesting books here!
😊 Glad to tell you about them, there are so many interesting titles about.
I read Celestial Bodies earlier this year and really enjoyed it. This year I’m hopping all over the place but I’m hoping to get through a few Middle Eastern titles.
I hope you enjoy your wit reading this year.
Very interesting selections. I’m interested in 2. I’ll see if you read & review either of them.
Ooh OK. 😊 Hope you see the reviews you want.