Alex's Around the World Challenge

[Alexi]

I was tempted into this in October 2011. Definitely going to be a very long term challenge with no finish date in mind, given the length if I finish this at all I will treat myself to a large glass of wine and slab of cheesecake.

Countries are where the author was born (obviously apart from Vatican City!). Unless I can't find ANYTHING else, I'm not including memoirs or non-fiction.

1. Afghanistan - A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
2. Albania - The Fall of the Stone City by Ismail Kadare
3. Algeria
4. American Samoa
5. Andorra
6. Angola - The Book of Chameleons by Jose Eduardo Agualusa
7. Anguilla
8. Antigua and Barbuda
9. Argentina - Tequila Blue by Rolo Diez
10. Armenia
11. Aruba
12. Australia - Cloudstreet by Tim Winton
13. Austria
14. Azerbaijan
15. Bahamas
16. Bahrain
17. Bangladesh
18. Barbados
19. Belarus
20. Belgium - Madame Verona Comes Down the Hill by Dimitri Verhulst
21. Belize
22. Benin
23. Bermuda
24. Bhutan
25. Bolivia
26. Bosnia and Herzegovina
27. Bostwana
28. Brazil
29. British Virgin islands
30. Brunei
31. Bulgaria
32. Burkina Faso
33. Burundi
34. Cambodia
35. Cameroon
36. Canada - The Flying Troutmanns by Miriam Toews
37. Cape Verde
38. Cayman Islands
39. Central African Republic
40. Chad
41. Channel Islands
42. Chile - By Night in Chile by Roberto Bolano
43. China - Dream of Ding Village by Yan Lianke
44. Colombia
45. Comoros
46. Congo Brazzaville
47. Congo Kinshasa
48. Costa Rica
49. Croatia
50. Cuba - Spy's Fate by Arnaldo Correa
51. Cyprus
52. Czech Republic - Gargling With Tar by Jachym Topol
53. Denmark - The Last Good Man by A J Kazinski
54. Djibouti
55. Dominica
56. Dominican Republic - The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
57. East Timor
58. Ecuador
59. Egypt - Diary of a Country Prosecutor by Tawfik Al-Hakim
60. El Salvador
61. Equatorial Guinea
62. Eritrea
63. Estonia
64. Ethiopia - Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
65. Falkland islands
66. Faroe Islands
67. Fiji
68. Finland
69. France - Dangerous Liaisons by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos
70. French Guiana
71. French Polynesia
72. Gabon
73. Gambia
74. Georgia
75. Germany - All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
76. Ghana
77. Gibraltar
78. Greece
79. Greenland
80. Grenada
81. Guadeloupe
82. Guam
83. Guatemala
84. Guinea-Bissau
85. Guinee Conakry
86. Guyana
87. Haiti
88. Honduras
89. Hungary
90. Iceland - House of Evidence by Victor Arnar Ingolfsson
91. India - Q & A by Vikas Swarup
92. Indonesia
93. Iran - Sky of Red Poppies by Zohreh Ghahremani
94. Iraq
95. Ireland - Room by Emma Donoghue
96. Israel
97. Italy
98. Ivory coast
99. Jamaica
100. Japan - A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro
101. Jordan
102. Kazakhstan
103. Kenya
104. Kiribati
105. Kuwait
106. Kyrgyzstan
107. Laos
108. Latvia
109. Lebanon
110. Lesotho
111. Liberia
112. Libya
113. Liechtenstein
114. Lithuania
115. Luxembourg
116. Macedonia
117. Madagascar
118. Malawi
119. Malaysia
120. Maldives
121. Mali
122. Malta
123. Marshall Islands
124. Martinique
125. Mauritania
126. Mauritius
127. Mexico
128. Micronesia, Federated States of
129. Moldova
130. Monaco
131. Mongolia
132. Monserrat
133. Montenegro
134. Morocco
135. Mozambique
136. Myanmar
137. Namibia
138. Nauru
139. Nepal
140. Netherlands - The Dinner by Herman Koch
141. Netherlands Antilles
142. New Caledonia
143. New Zealand
144. Nicaragua
145. Niger
146. Nigeria - Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
147. Niue
148. Norfolk Island
149. North Korea
150. Northern Mariana Islands
151. Norway - The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo
152. Oman
153. Pakistan - The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
154. Palau
155. Palestinian Authority
156. Panama
157. Papua New Guinea
158. Paraguay
159. Peru - City of the Beasts by Isabel Allende
160. Phillippines - Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco
161. Pitcairn Islands
162. Poland
163. Portugal
164. Puerta Rico
165. Qatar
166. Rarotonga & the Cook Islands
167. Reunion
168. Romania
169. Russia
170. Rwanda
171. Saint Kitts and Nevis
172. Saint Lucia
173. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
174. San Marino
175. Sao Tome and Principe
176. Saudi Arabia
177. Senegal
178. Serbia
179. Seychelles
180. Sierra Leone
181. Singapore
182. Slovakia
183. Slovenia
184. Solomon Islands
185. Somalia
186. South Africa - The Classifier by Wessel Ebersohn
187. South Korea - Please Look After Mother by Kyung-Sook Shin
188. Spain - The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
189. Sri Lanka
190. Sudan
191. Suriname
192. Swaziland
193. Sweden - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson
194. Switzerland - Heidi by Johanna Spyri
195. Syria
196. Taiwan
197. Tajikistan
198. Tanzania
199. Thailand
200. Togo
201. Tonga
202. Trinidad and Tobago
203. Tunisia
204. Turkey
205. Turkmenistan
206. Turks and Caicos Islands
207. Tuvalu
208. Uganda
209. Ukraine - This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen by Tadeusz Borowski
210. United Arab Emirates
211. United Kingdom - Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
212. United States - The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald
213. Uruguay
214. Uzbekistan
215. Vanuatu
216. Vatican City
217. Venezuela
218. Western Sahara
219. Western Samoa
220. Vietnam - Postcards from Nam by Uyen Nicole Duong
221. Virgin Islands
222. Yemen
223. Zambia
224. Zimbabwe - The Voluptous Delights of Peanut Butter and Jam by Lauren Liebenberg

38/224

Edited June 8, 2015 by Alexi

[Janet]

Good luck, Alex. This challenge is so long that if and when you complete it, I think I'll have a slab of cheesecake and a glass of wine!

[Talisman]

I think I'll join you - provided the cheesecake is gluten free of course !

[Alexi]

There will be wine and cheesecake for all

 

Book 6: All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque (Germany) 10/10

 

Fantastic book. Best of the six I've read for the challenge so far, really moving. I also got a little bit about the author at the end, interesting to read about his experiences under the Nazis having written this about WWI. Now I just need to work out why Janet has 233 countries and I have 224 when I thought we were working from the same list...fail.And also, J, how do you post that pretty map?!

[Janet]

I use this site. Then I print screen and put into Paint and crop it so just the map appears, and then save it and upload it to Photobucket!

 

I think I got the countries from that site (or amended the list when I was first alerted to that site) but it's a few years since I did it so I can't remember.

 

I loved AQotWF too - having read lots of WW1 from the British point of view for my A level a few years ago it was good to read from a different perspective.

[poppyshake]

That is a challenge and a half .. I don't know about cheesecake .. you need to be treated with a holiday when you get to the end of it The very best of luck

[julie]

That is a challenge and a half .. I don't know about cheesecake .. you need to be treated with a holiday when you get to the end of it The very best of luck

 

Alex

Good luck with your TRAVELS through books .. Poppy, I think the vacation getaway is reading about all those places .. After that, it'd be good to sit in your own living room and enjoy the wine from your favorite chair .

[Alexi]

Book 7: The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald (USA) 5/10

 

Really didn't get on with this book until the last 80 pages or so. That sounds worse than it is, the version I had came in at 192 pages. Really didn't want to pick it up and had to force myself to read 10 or 15 pages at a time. But I got in at 11pm last night and read until my eyes were closing, so it definitely picked up! With the first half of the book I wanted to slap most of the characters silly, and I felt little interest or sympathy for any of them, bar the narrator. But by the second half I felt some sympathy for most, and the others were wonderful to hate. All in all, glad I read it but the first half dragged too much for my tastes.

[Alexi]

I really must remember to log in from a computer at some point to update my list - the iPad doesn't seem to believe in being able to scroll through a post so you can edit without deleting everything... Ho hum.

 

Book 8: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz (Dominican Republic) 6.5/10

 

After 50 pages I thought I was going to really struggle with this. At that stage, I contemplated putting it down. It's on the 1001 list though so I persevered, and I'm glad I did. The notes drove me bananas and the writing style did annoy me (I sort of got used to it but it still made me rage on occasion when they popped an 'author note' into the main body of the text. But the plot saved it. The first part centred on Oscar in New York, which wasn't that enthralling. But going back in time to read about the lives of his mother and grandfather in the Dominican Republic were horrifying yet fascinating, and Oscar's time there was much more interesting than his struggles in NYC. It made me want to go and read much more about people's experiences under Trujillo. Maybe 6.5 is harsh after that, but the writing style was, at times, like apples on polystyrene.

[Janet]

LOL @ apples on polystyrene!

 

I think, despite my reservations, I'll have to admit defeat and read this at some stage for the challenge. I'm not in any hurry to do so though!

[Alexi]

Given there are over 200 books to read, you can probably put it off for a while

 

I've read 3 this year, I need to have read 2 more by the end of March to be on track with my 20 in 2012 target. Probably unlikely - too many books, too little time!

[Janet]

too many books, too little time!

Absolutely - I'm going to request that on my gravestone!

[Alexi]

Book 9: Q & A By Vikas Swarup (India) 9/10

 

The version of this book I borrowed from the library is now entitled Slumdog Millionaire, but given it is the same story and wording as the book was when published as Q & A I refuse to pander to Hollywood, or the publishers who fall over themselves to republish under the new name to make money. I haven't seen the film of this (I'm rubbish with films, lose all concentration and fall asleep), and once I realised it was based on a book I knew I'd have to read the book first. Mainly because I'm damn cool.

 

I really, really enjoyed this. Other than knowing it was about a guy who wins a quiz show, I didn' know much about it and so how his story stitched into each of the questions asked was constantly interesting and made me want to keep picking it up. I liked how each question was a chapter and they could be taken as standalone short stories in many ways, but everything fitted together even though his life wasn't told in chronological order. Obiously the book tackles in 350 pages a whole host of issues we'd prefer not to think about, murder, rape, forced prostitution and others which I won't say for fear of spoilers, but because the main character is in many ways such a positive guy I think it works without becoming too maudlin.

 

My favourite bit was at the end though, with his "lucky" coin!

 

Loved this book...now to dust off the DVD and see if it lives up to it.

[Janet]

I tried the film once when it was on C4 but I turned over after half an hour. I do like the sound of the book though so maybe I'll try it one day and then try the fllm again.

[Alexi]

My Mum says it's very violent. While I read a lot of crime fiction, including Tess Gerritsen who gets very graphic when describing an autopsy, I find that so much easier to deal with in book form... maybe the film industry makes it more horrific than my imagination is capable of doing?!

[Alexi]

Book 10: The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid (Pakistan) 8/10

 

Well, this challenge has certainly been educational. As well as ticking off books from the 1001 list, I'm learning about history and in this case geography - I had no idea Pakistan shared a border with Afghanistan. Given I did a module at university in Indian (and obviously by extension Pakistan!) history, that's a tad worrying. Anyway, I know it now.

 

I was sad this book was as short as it was (200 pages of large writing) because I loved reading it. The style and the story were wonderful. The reason I have docked it 2 points out of 10 was the ending was so frustrating! I've never really read a book displaying the anti-American sentiments that Changez does, and it did rather open my eyes somewhat. While I did read a lot about the suffering of Afghanistan and Iraq and their citizens in the news, it was interesting reading about how it impacted on India and Pakistan after the September 11 attacks. Given this is fiction I should probably go and get out a politics textbook from the library, but I love books that make me think, and this one did that.

[Alexi]

Book 11: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (Afghanistan) 10/10

 

 

Synopsis:

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking story set against the volatile events of Afghanistan's last thirty years, from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding, that puts the violence, fear, hope and faith of this country in intimate, human terms. It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives, the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness, are inextricable from the history playing out around them.

Propelled by the same storytelling instinct that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once a remarkable chronicle of three decades of Afghan history and a deeply moving account of family and friendship. It is a striking, heartwrenching novel of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love, a stunning accomplishment.

 

Thoughts:

Wow. I've been putting off reading this for various reasons, but chief among them was how much I loved his previous novel, The Kite Runner. I was a bit concerned that despite the positive reviews it wouldn't live up to it's predecessor (and that's a theme the author himself mentions in his postscript). I really wish I'd read it sooner. I think its actually better than the Kite Runner.

 

The 30 years the book covers were/are an extremely turbulent time in Afghanistan, but my favourite bit of the story is how the author weaves the relationships through that. I did shed a few tears on two occasions - but they were both associated with the human relationships in the book, rather than the horrors we witness as a result of the fairly constant war. But those atrocities never lost the power to shock me. Just when you think it couldn't get any worse, it really does! It's frightening to see how these women are completely at the mercy of the men who govern their lives, whether that be their husband or the "government" in power at the time. They can have their freedoms and rights stripped of them basically on whim. The scene outside the hospital, when a group of women in serious pain are being told that no hospitals in the city bar one will treat them, and that is the one without basic facilities, broke my heart. And Laila then having her stomach cut open with anaesthetic! It's amazing what the human body can go through if forced. the complete disregard of women was frightening, both by the national leadership and on a more domestic level.

 

I raced through the last 150 pages because I was desperate to find out what happened to Mariam and Laila, and then when I got to the end I was disappointed the story had finished! Wonderful, from start to finish.

Edited May 19, 2012 by Alexistar

[Janet]

I, too, loved it more than the Kite Runner! I keep looking at Mr Hosseini's website to see what else we can look forward too, but sadly the answer seems to be 'nothing'. I'm getting impatient!

[marypaixao]

Alex, what kind of book do you like to read?

You asked me brazilian authors suggestion, I wanna know your favorite genres to suggest you something

[Alexi]

Oh, all sorts! (that's not helpful is it....)

 

I'm trying to steer away from biography/non fiction for this challenge, but otherwise anything is going. I'd prefer it to be set in Brazil as well as being written by a Brazilian author I guess what I have mainly been reading is "general fiction" (terrible term) about ordinary people and their lives in each country.

 

But ultimately, this challenge was designed to get me reading things I might not have done otherwise, so I'm keen to try anything you've enjoyed really

[marypaixao]

Well...

 

There's a classic I think it would be a good reading: The Slum by Aluisio Azevedo. There's also books by Chico Buarque, Patricia Melo and Clarice Lispector, more contemporary authors (but not so much). Sincerely, I couldn't find any of the authors I've read recently translated into English (what a shame...). Hope you like it. If you don't, just ask for more =)

[Alexi]

Sorry Mary, I missed your reply! Thank you for those, The Slum in particular sounds really intriguing so I'll keep an eye out for that one for Brazil

[Alexi]

Book 12: A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro (Japan) 8/10

 

Synopsis:

 

In his highly acclaimed debut, A Pale View of Hills, Kazuo Ishiguro tells the story of Etsuko, a Japanese woman now living alone in England, dwelling on the recent suicide of her daughter. Retreating into the past, she finds herself reliving one particular hot summer in Nagasaki, when she and her friends struggled to rebuild their lives after the war. But then as she recalls her strange friendship with Sachiko - a wealthy woman reduced to vagrancy - the memories take on a disturbing cast.

(from Amazon)

 

Thoughts: I have to say, I'd never heard of Ishiguro writing anything but Never Let Me Go, but this was on the quick selection shelf of the library and a quick search revealed it is also on the 1001 list so I picked it up (also noting he has written a great many acclaimed titles, a number of which are on the 1001 list!).

 

This is unlike anything I've really enjoyed before. It's very mysterious and open to lots of interpretation (to the point which, having finished it I Wikipedia-Ed to see if others had the same interpretation as I did! It's enjoyable, short read which plods along nicely with the life of Etsuko in post-war Nagasaki, and her friendship with another woman, Sachiko. However, she is reminiscing about that time from her new home in England where she is middle aged, and so the book does jump between time periods, which can throw you a bit when you get engrossed! At about page 100 the feeling started creeping up on me this wasn't going to end well for the characters I had come to care about and I then raced through the second half of the book desperate to find out what happened...only to find nothing was explained clearly! I don't want to say more for fear of spoilers, but if you enjoy clear cut endings (and to some extent a clear cut plot!) I'd avoid this. Having said that, I'm *often* a clear ending sort of girl and I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I suspect that has more to do with the fact the way I interpreted it seems to be widely accepted.

 

I was a but disappointed that although the book is set in Nagasaki, the atomic bomb seems a bit of an after thought. Much is made of a changing Japan - including values and ideas - and the loss a lot of people suffered in the war, but that was the same all over Japan (and most of a war torn Europe!), there didn't seem the significance I was expecting from the city in which it was set.

 

Final thought - treatment of women has been a theme through the last two books. Women treated very much like second class citizens here, expected to jump when husbands say jump. They have the vote, but must vote as their men tell them or suffer a beating - seen as acceptable! Obviously this is indicative of the time, and women certainly didn't enjoy equality in the UK at this point in history, but it's still a little unnerving to read.

[bobblybear]

Great review. It certainly is a book that's very open to interpretation and I think that's very clever of the author even if it can leave the reader a bit frustrated. Like you, as soon as I finished it, I jumped straight on the net to see what other people's interpretations were. It left me feeling quite uneasy while I was reading it, and I don't think I have had a book do that to me before. I'd like to read his other work eventually to see if it is similar.

[Alexi]

Yeah I'd like to read more by him too it's certainly a very clever skill - drop enough hints to make the reader get one interpretation, but also to make them vague enough that several are available depending on how the reader takes it!

 

I wonder if the writer has one particular interpretation that they envisage in their head?!