I know, I know, reading a book from every country is not an original idea. However, that doesn’t make it any less fun, does it? It would be quite the achievement! I have been meaning to do this for a while. Well… no, I have been meaning to read books from every language, actually.
However, it will obviously be impossible to do that since there are like 7000+ distinct languages today, and as I am typing this, probably some of the endangered languages have gone extinct or something. Not to mention, I won’t be able to find English translations for many of the books, but I digress. So, it’s easier just to choose the more tame option, “country”.
There are generally considered to be 195 sovereign states in the world. However, there are obviously many grey areas (literally). So I will be focusing on the 195 countries at first, then I will be exploring the grey areas to read from them as well.
My Approach
Hard Rules
- Choice of language: English (Unless it’s Bengali)
- The author must be a native of the country and must be exposed to the culture.
- All 195 recognized sovereign states must be read
Soft Rules
- The book should take place in the country or be heavily influenced by its culture.
- The partially recognized states and territories will be included as long as they have a distinct culture.
- If a book was originally written in the native language of that country, it takes precedence over a local writing in English for a Western audience.
(For example: If an Indian author writes a book in Hindi that takes place in India, the translated version would be chosen rather than an Indian author writing the book in English for a western audience.) - If an author is a dual citizen (e.g., UK and Nigeria), only one country should be checked off.
Countries I’ve Already Read From
Origin Country
& Language
Book Title
& Author
Short Review
Bangladesh
Bengali
Lalsalu
Syed Waliullah
An amazing book that perfectly captures the hypocrisy of people. Good humor too.
India
Hindi
Five Point Someone
Chetan Bhagat
This book inspired the legendary movie “3 Idiots,” but this book itself was mediocre at best.
America
English
The Bell Jar
Sylvia Plath
One of the most iconic opening lines! Sylvia Plath can write very specific, unique descriptions that feel so relatable once you read them.
England
English
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen
A MUST-READ. Impossible to write a review so short
Russia
Russian
Crime and Punishment
Fyodor Dostoevsky
This is the most beautifully written book to ever exist. Read it and become the wiser version of yourself.
Italy
Italian
The Name of the Rose
Umberto Eco
Great writing with interesting debates & discussions. The postscript was one of the most unique things I’ve ever read. Just for the postscript alone, the whole book is worth a read.
France
French
Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Thief
Maurice Leblanc
A parodied version of Sherlock Holmes named “Herlock Sholmes” (to avoid copyright infringement) is in the series. He fails to catch our protagonist. Very entertaining and binge-able.
Germany
German
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
Patrick Süskind
His power is an absolute sense of smell. He can “collect” odors. He aims to create the “ultimate perfume,” which is the scent of a beautiful young virgin. The prose beautifully reflects this very unique & weird plot.
Colombia
Spanish
Chronicle of a Death Foretold
Gabriel García Márquez
It was okay. It just wasn’t for me.
Sweden
Swedish
A Man Called Ove
Fredrik Backman
A very wholesome book. All of Backman’s books I’ve read are masterpieces. The writing is very simple yet conveys emotions so well in a way that feels very personal.
Poland
Polish
Solaris
Stanisław Lem
The planet that our humans arrive at is mostly ocean. The ocean may be a massive brain that creates incarnate memories. So our protagonists don’t know what’s real and what hallucination the ocean is creating. A very haunting book that takes the concept of “alien” to a whole different level.
So it seems that I have a head start of 11 countries!
Countries That I Almost Crossed off
- Canada
Book: Mad Shadows by Marie-Claire Blais
(The author was a Canadian, and the story also took place there. However, the origin language is French) - Ireland
Book: Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
(The author was Irish, but the story took place in Austria) - Scotland
Book: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
(The author was Scottish, but the story took place in London)
Starting The Challenge
[Here I will be adding the new books I’ve completed]