If one were to read just one book by an author from your country of origin or the one you have been living in for a while, which one would you recommend? Ideally something that gives a peek into people’s lives or mentality or culture over there, but anything goes really. Hoping for answers for non-english speaking countries.
by usingbrain
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Spanish here and that one is easy: El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha
*The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha* by Miguel de Cervantes and one of the most relevant books of universal history (also the most sold book after the Bible).
UK- Thomas Hardy- Jude the Obscure.
Flawed book but sums up many UK mindsets.
Romania – I’d go with “Moromeții” by Marin Preda
I’m not particularly fond of Romanian literature, so maybe there is a better choice
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart (Scotland).
Italy – They will tell you Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy but NO –
Elena Ferrante – The Brilliant Friend quartet. Goes over fifty years of Italian history, and speaks especially intently to many issues of modern Italy and women’s condition in it.
From Ireland I’ll say Dracula by Bram Stoker.
Though I’ll admit I haven’t read many of the authors like Joyce or Wilde who would typically come up in a question like this.
India — Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (I might get a lot of hate for this rec but I stand by it).
The Dry by Jane Harper. Got every Australian cliché going.