Given that I can do whatever I want here, I’ve decided that I no longer want to play by my own rules, and that some posts can just be about straight-up literature rather than forcing a pairing where one might be more of a stretch than not that takes away from rather than enhances a…
Minor Detail, by Adania Shibli
Trans. from Arabic by Elisabeth Jacquette Of the books I’ve read recently, I’ve been continually compelled by this one. I didn’t enjoy reading it, and I don’t enjoy remembering it; I found it grindingly oppressive in fact. But its achievement is undeniable in its effect. I was more glancingly informed than deeply familiar with the…
The ecstasies of Zero & The Hour of the Star
Zero by Gine Cornelia Pedersen, translated from Norwegian by Rosie Hedges, was a speedy read performing the internal experience of mental illness. It takes place in Oslo, Norway, but there aren’t many regional markers that tie it firmly to place or context. I struggled to find a good pairing for it. I previewed some Rouvy…
Pairings: Spain
I recently read London under Snow for my Borderless Book Group, by Jordi Llavina, published by the Fum de Estampa press (named for the sooty blow of ink created by the old printing presses), and translated by Douglas Suttle. It’s a book of short stories, all of which take place in the winter (the author’s…