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.