Culture Talk

Autumn is 'reading season' in Korea. What translated novel should I read next?

In Korea we have an old saying that autumn is the season for reading, when the sky is high and the horses grow fat. Now that I am retired I finally have the time the saying always promised me.

I have read most of the Korean classics I wanted to, and many Japanese novels in translation. This year I would like to go further from home. Something from Africa, South America or Eastern Europe, ideally a novel that tells me how ordinary people live rather than a political history.

I prefer books that are quiet and patient. I do not mind sadness. What would you recommend from your own country, and which translation should I look for?