A hypnotic novel, itself seemingly hypnotized by bodily fluids.
Like a Sky Inside – Jakuta Alikavazovic
Alikavazovic’s writing is contemplative and digressive, roving like the insatiable gaze of a consummate museum goer.
Where the Wind Calls Home – Samar Yazbek
The drama of recent Syrian history—the reign of the dictatorial Assad family, the brutal civil war begun in 2011—plays out in the struggle of one single consciousness trapped in its gears.
The Simple Art of Killing a Woman – Patricia Melo
While violent fantasy is cathartic, it does not bring about justice. That, the narrator comes to realize, is found elsewhere.
kochanie, today i bought bread – Uljana Wolf
It’s a testament to Nissan’s work as a translator that this collection of Wolf’s poems offers an abundance of doorways for English-language readers. You don’t need to be steeped in the history of German poetry to engage with this book deeply and powerfully.
The Sanctuary – Gustavo Eduardo Abrevaya
Álvaro, an Argentinian indie filmmaker traveling to a cabin in the south of his country to finish writing a screenplay . . . simply can’t shut off his attempts to turn every real-life event into a plot point.
The writing has nothing to hide behind. That alone can make a reader nervous. What’s even more nerve-rending is the prospect of living inside an artistic experiment when its creator has warned you there’s no trapdoor.
Nora grieves, remembers, and writes, and the streams of her inward life flow through a text that vibrates with texture.
Our Philosopher – Gert Hofmann
OUR PHILOSOPHER is no celebratory Bildungsroman. But why should it be, when, for Hans, growing up means integrating into a sick society?
The Case of Cem – Vera Mutafchieva
The Case of Cem takes place in the fifteenth century, when the world was crudely split between East and West—not unlike the Cold War world in which the novel was written.