ŷ������

It's time to start planning for 2021.

And the results are:

January: Honoré de Balzac France

February: Franz Kafka Czech Republic

March: Wladislaw Stanislaw Reymont/
Bolesław Prus Poland

April: Camilo José Cela Spain

May: Hermann Broch Austria

June: Germaine de Staël France

July: Hella S. Haasse Batavia, Netherlands

August: Emilia Pardo Bazán Spain

September: Hans Fallada Germany

October: Albert Camus Algeria, France

November: Eça de Queirós Portugal

December: Voltaire France

Thanks to everyone who has suggested authors this year. They have formed the basis of the list.

Thanks for your participation!

List of European Authors

Heinrich Böll
✔️Honoré de Balzac -suggested by Kathy, seconded by Gilbert
Henryk Sienkiewicz
Théophile Gautier
✔️Franz Kafka - suggested by Shaina, seconded by Kathy
Theodor Fontane
Erich Maria Remarque
Hella S. Haasse - suggested by Georgina
Louis Couperus
Italo Svevo
Bolesław Prus - suggested by Rosemarie
Joseph Roth
✔️Hermann Broch - suggested by Jesus, seconded by Jacquie
Conrad Ferdinand Meyer
✔️Wladislaw Stanislaw Reymont - suggested by Lesle, seconded by Peter
Aitmatov Chingiz
Hans Henny Jahnn
✔️Albert Camus -suggested by Andy seconded by Shaina
Jean Paul Friedrich Richter
✔️Voltaire - suggested by Piyangie, seconded by Ken (in another thread)
✔️Germaine de Staël -suggested by Gilbert, seconded by Kathy
✔️Hans Fallada- suggested by Pam, seconded by Jesus

Iberian Peninsula

Benito Pérez Galdós
✔️Emilia Pardo Bazán-suggested by Kathy, seconded by Georgina
Armando Palacio Valdés
Pedro Antonio de Alarcón
Fernán Caballero
Fernando Pessoa
Federico García Lorca
Luis Cernuda
Miguel Hernández
✔️Camilo José Cela - suggested by Jesus, seconded by Jacquie
✔️Eça de Queirós - suggested by Rosemarie, seconded by Kathy
Miguel de Unamuno
Pío Baroja
Leopoldo Alas
Mariano José de Larra
Ramón del Valle-Inclán

Shall we have a list of Asian, African, and Eastern European authors etc to choose from as well or are we neglecting them in the coming year?

These are the ones I'm aching so badly to explore. Japan, Korea, Poland, Russia, Sumali, etc.

And you forgot all the Central/South American authors who wrote in their own languages.

I only listed a few off the top of my head for those mysterious lists without knowing they would be used for any purpose, whilst waiting in earnest for these lists of authors from countries I so desperately want to explore.

There are a lot of Eastern European authors on the list, Jazzy.
Lesle is working with the Scandinavian and Western Hemisphere authors in 2021.

We have read a number of Asian and African classics in the past years.

Also why are Portugal and Spain given so many more choices than all the other many and varied countries of western Europe, especially since they are western European countries as well. I don't understand.

As Lesle said earlier this year, it is an experiment, which means there will be some bugs to work out.

For those members who are relatively new to the group, you may not be aware that all our past discussion threads are still active in the Archives.
Over the years we have read many famous classic authors, which I'm sure have some of your favourites among them.
Please feel free to comment on any of them and we will respond.

I suggest Honoré de Balzac.

I'm a little confused here, Rosemarie. Are we to suggest an author only or a work by these listed authors?

Ah, only an author I see. Sorry, Rosemarie. Kathy's message above cleared the confusion. :) Since its one author, I'll go for Voltaire.

I suggest Hermann Broch from the list of European authors and Camilo José Cela from the list of Iberian Peninsula authors.

Iberian Peninsula includes the countries of Andorra, Portugal and Spain, and the British Crown colony of Gibraltar.

We have not spent much time with Authors from these Countries or the other Countries in the list of our Experiment. If this goes well we will consider other Countries for the following year or something completely different. Who knows...it's the Moderators choices to keep things different and exciting for all not just one or five.

Trying to include Authors we have not explored before.
Remember too we have Buddy Reads available as well.

Kathy wrote: "I suggest Honoré de Balzac."

I second Honoré de Balzac.

Members can suggest one book from each list and also second(or third) a book from each list, if they wish to.

I second Hermann Broch and Camilo José Cela

Thank you!

Rosemarie wrote: "There are a lot of Eastern European authors on the list, Jazzy.
Lesle is working with the Scandinavian and Western Hemisphere authors in 2021.

We have read a number of Asian and African classics i..."
Lesle only had a Western European list and in anticipation of the Eastern European list which never materialised I did not even make a suggestion from a single Eastern Europe country

It just seems like mostly favourites and often read classics on the list

Lesle wrote: "Iberian Peninsula includes the countries of Andorra, Portugal and Spain, and the British Crown colony of Gibraltar.

We have not spent much time with Authors from these Countries or the other Count..."

That amounts to a mere 4 countries whilst there are 25 in Western European and 44 in all of Europe and those 4 countries are included in Europe

I just feel like the idea of reading little known classics has been completely forgotten and it makes me very sad. I am old and have limited reading time left in my life

Jazzy, this is a multi year project, and there are a number of Eastern European authors to choose from. Unfortunately, there are only twelve months in the year.

If you look at our Classics in Translations archives, you can see which books we have already read, plus we still have our November and December books.

The lists are always heavily American

Jazzy, I'm nine years older than you!
I'm sure you can find one author from each list that you would like to read.

No there was not a specific Eastern Europe list either

I’ve pretty much read all of these authors, if not all
Gutted

Have you read Chingiz Aitmatov (Aitmatov Chingiz)? He is from Kyrgyztan.

I’ve read two for sure but can’t find any others unless you know where we could download any.

I read this

And The Day Lasts More aHundred Years

I read Jamila as well. You really are well read, Jazzy!

I haven’t read as many as you but I grew up in an intellectual household surrounded by books, jazz music, and artwork but we never took holidays or went to the circus or the seaside, although we often went to the zoo (about once a year). I would have liked to go camping or horseback riding. And of course I adore Soviet writers.

You know there are 54 countries in Africa. How many of those countries has the group read books from?

We have read a few but many are too new, also they are hard to find for those who rely on the library as a resource.

I suggest Josep Pla, but I'm not sure how many of his books are translated. I have The Gray Notebook published by the New York Review of Books, but don't know the availability of others.

I looked up Joseph Pla at the Toronto Library website and they have none of his works, and applebooks didn't have any either.
It looks like he is a hard to find author, Kathy.
But there is always the possibility of a buddy read, if someone else would like to read the book with you, Kathy.

I checked East Baton Rouge Public Library, a fairly large system I have access to, and they have 2 copies of 2 of Pla’s books. He was Spanish, and southeast Louisiana has a growing Hispanic population, so that could be why. Perhaps his books could be obtained through interlibrary loan for those that really would like to try getting them through a library.

That's good to know, Samantha.

I second Camus

Andy, since you are the first person who put Camus' name forward, I will record you as the suggestor.

Kathy is there a kindle edition for Pla?

I found 3 books but their pricey mid 20's, 30's and one for 605 dollars lol

I would like to suggest Wladislaw Stanislaw Reymont who is a winner of the Nobel Prize.

Thanks, Lesle.

I didn't find an ebook for Pla. That's why it probably won't work out as a group read.

Availability is important. As I said earlier, we may be able to set up a Buddy Read.

I did just check Project Gutenberg for Josep Pla and came up with nothing. Some more obscure authors are just harder to find.

I'll second Albert Camus too

Thanks, Shaina!

I would like to second Wladyslaw Reymont.

May I throw at the same time I would like to throw a few other names into the round just add some variety (hoping that there is an English translation):
Boleslaw Prus (Polish)
Multatuli (aka Eduard Dekker, Dutch)
Ivan Vazov (Bulgarian)
Vasil Bykaŭ (Belarus)
Conrad Ferdinand Meyer (Swiss)
Valentin Rasputin (Russia, Siberia)

Thanks,Peter.
Boleslaw Prus and Conrand Ferdinand Meyer are on the list.
We read Max Havelaar by Multatuli earlier this year. The discussion is in the translation archives.

Peter wrote: "I would like to second Wladyslaw Reymont...."

Thanks Peter for the second!