Did you read any translated books last year? If so, what was its title, and in what language was it originally written?

General
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Did you read any translated books last year? If so, what was its title, and in what language was it originally written?

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I don’t track translated books that I read but for sure my favorite of the year was On the Calculation of Volume series. I’ve read three and eagerly await the US publication of the fourth.

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I had several:

On the Calculation of Volume (Books 1, 2 and 3) - Danish
Looking at Women, Looking at War - Ukrainian
My Friends - Swedish
Cafe with No Name - German
The Tobacconist - German

Of those, the two German books - both by Robert Seethaler - were incredible, especially The Tobacconist. I enjoyed My Friends most. And I found On the Calculation of Volume the most facinating/thought-provoking/unusual.

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I, too, really enjoyed My Friends–an unusual topic told with heart and humor.

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I listened to a couple of translated classics: Candide by Voltaire (tr. from French) and Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov (tr. from Russian). I think I would have enjoyed them in print more.

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The Divorce by Moa Herngren

It’s an interesting concept. The first half of the book is written from the wife’s perspective while the second half is from the husband’s perspective. Herngren’s exploration of a long, outwardly stable, marriage with its hidden betrayals, complexities, and changing expectations are deftly explored during a hot Swedish summer.

I liked Herngren’s studiedly neutral writing which keeps the reader in both camps because I enjoy writers who can create ambiguous situations where I’m able to draw my own conclusions. Alice Menzie’s translation from Swedish was well done and held to the tone of the original. The Divorce would be an interesting book club pick.

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One of my favorite books of the year was When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén translated from the Swedish by Alice Menzies. It’s a beautiful story

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My Friends - Swedish

When the Cranes Fly South - Swedish

Pale Shadows - French

We do not Part - Korean

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Discontent: A Novel by Beatriz Serrano. Spanish. About a young woman in Madrid who hates her job at an advertising company. Wickedly funny.

My Friends by Fredrik Backman: Swedish

We’ll Prescribe You. Cat by Syou Ishida: Japanese. Quirky, charming book about a mysterious clinic that recommends cats to unhappy people.