2. Albania

 The General of the Dead Army by Ismail Kadare

Twenty years after the end of the Second World War, an Italian general is sent to exhume the remains of his country's fallen soldier sand return them to their homeland for a proper burial. Through the soldiers' diaries we get a glimpse into their lives and the lives pf those affected by the invasion.

Ismail Kadare is one of Albania's most beloved writers, and is regarded as one of the greatest writers of the 20th century. He was a voice against totalitarianism and in 1996 declined becoming the country's president after being asked by both political parties.

on 1 July, 2024, he died from a heart attack. Albania declared two days of mourning, and neighbouring Kosovo also declared a day of mourning.

I enjoyed this, however I found the slow pace made it challenging. 

163. South Korea

 The Vegetarian by Han Kang

A woman becomes vegetarian after having a nightmare. Her husband, family and the society around her find this unacceptable. 

This novel takes a look into the treatment of women and the mentally ill in South Korea. It is quite strange and unsettling, and as a westerner the misogyny in a novel set in modern day Seoul is quite shocking. We do sometimes forget that the freedoms and open-mindedness we take for granted are not shared by many other cultures in the world.

This novel won the International Booker Prize in 2016, translated by Deborah Smith.

83. Israel

 One Night, Markovitch by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen

Yaacov Markovitch and his friend, Zeev Feinberg, set sail to marry two women, bring them home to Israel, and then divorce them so they may escape Nazi-occupied Europe. But when Markovitch sets eyes on his beautiful bride he is instantly in love; later refusing to divorce her and vowing to make her love him.

This is a funny and sad novel, with an interesting bit of history. It won the Sapir Prize for best debut novel in 2013.

9. Australia

 The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas

My first impression was that this novel seems a bit like an episode for Neighbours or Far & Away if those shows had sex and swearing in them (I have since discovered there have been two television shows based on this novel, one Australian and one American). Later in the book there are some profound insights into love, marriage, infidelity, parenting, secrets and the lies we tell others and ourselves.

At a barbecue for family, friends and work colleagues, the host's cousin slaps a very badly behaved child. This is horrifying to some, while some feel the child deserved it. 

The novel follows eight perspectives, each one covering the person's view of the event and a look into their lives.

The Slap won the Commonwealth Writer's Prize in 2009 and was longlisted for the 2010 Man Booker Prize.

195. Zimbabwe

 Glory by NoViolet Bulawayo

This is part-fairy tale, part-factual account of the state of the revolution and the later regime change in Zimbabwe. Hailing from that part of the world, I found this novel sad and upsetting at times and fuelling anger at other times. This is political satire that delves into magical realism at times about the fictional African country of Jidada "with a -da and another -da" and begins just before the old horse known as the "Father of the nation" is ousted in a coup by his deputy who becomes known as the "Saviour of the nation." It bslao follows the story of Destiny, whose journey of discovery has the capacity to set in motion real change.

In a way this is a sequel to Animal Farm by George Orwell, or at least a companion piece. Where Animal Farm shows how the revolutionaries become the oppressors, this continues that thread to the point where the oppressive revolutionaries are overthrown in a coup... and these saviours are just as bad as the ones that came before. a vicious circle, it seems.

Glory is NoViolet Bulawayo's second novel. It was shortlisted for the 2022 Man Booker Prize, shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize, and longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction.

33. Canada

 All My Friends Are Superheroes by Andrew Kaufman

Tom is married to a superhero called The Perfectionist, but at their wedding her ex-boyfriend - a villain named Hypno - hypnotises her into thinking Tom is invisible. He tries to get her to see him, but nothing helps. Six months later, The Pefectionist is moving to Vancouver, convinced that Tom has left her. But he is right beside her. He needs her to see him before it's too late.

I found this book poignant and funny. It can be easily and enjoyably read in one sitting.

179. Tunisia

 The Ardent Swarm by Yamen Manai

A beekeeper in the North African village of Nawa has his beehives attacked by a swarm of hornets, destroying and killing everything in its wake. He has never seen anything like it, and ventures out to solve the mystery of what these hornets are and where they have come from. 

Set after the Arab Spring phenomena - when many citizens of Arab countries rose up in protest against the corruption and misrule of the regimes in control - and during Tunisia's first democratic elections. 

His quest reveals a country in fear and confusion as fundamentalists try to intimidate or coerce people into voting for them.