Best Italian Books | Favorite Novels in the Most Romantic Language
Italy has a way of making you feel nostalgic even if you’ve never been there. After all, you won’t find the Venice canals, artisan pizza
The regular readers of CulturalReads very well know that I share lists of my favourite books and movies every year. There’s not only a personal preference but an inspiration behind these lists. The very inspiration which defines Cultural Reads.
And, that inspiration is to write about the culture, art, and history of countries that we never get to know through mainstream media. I enjoy writing about unique cultural experiences and histories in my weekly newsletter.
Also, how can I forget my past favourite lists? foreign books, best movies of 2023, best books to read in 2024, among many others. So, there’s no winning prize for guessing that I will be sharing my 10 favourite global novels.
Interestingly, these 10 best global novels aren’t the ones that are in the Times Best List or every other popular list. These foreign novels are diverse and delve into different themes and cultures.
So, let’s discuss the best global novels!
I really enjoyed reading The Power of One this year. This global novel takes place against the backdrop of pre-apartheid South Africa. The novel provides great insights into the racial divisions and injustices of the time, and how those lingered on for decades.
The novel takes place during the 1930s and 1940s and tells the story of a young English boy, Peekay. Peekay is a minority member in an Afrikaner-dominated society. And for these reasons, he faces hardships and bullying. However, these challenges ignite a powerful determination to overcome adversity.
There are other characters like Doc, who is a German musician and botanist, teaching how to appreciate nature. Geel Piet, a prison inmate, teaches Peekay boxing while exposing him to the brutal realities of racial discrimination. Then there’s Miss Bornstein, a librarian who opens his mind to the transformative power of ideas.
The Power of One is also a great novel in terms of personal development. If you find this South African novel interesting, you should also check more South African books.
The novel was also adapted into the same-name movie in which Morgan Freeman and Daniel Craig played lead roles. You can stream The Power of One on Amazon Prime.
I randomly ran into I Phoolan Devi in a secondhand bookstore. Many Goodreads readers shared it as their all-time favourite book, so I decided to pick it up.
She was a dacoit, became a parliament member and was later assassinated. She was just 37 at the time of the assassination and was serving as MP.
Phoolan Devi grew up in a poor rural Indian family and married a much older man at eleven. She was raped, abused, and almost died several times.
She eventually got kidnapped by a gang of bandits and ended up becoming their leader.
This unbelievable true story makes your blood boil with the injustice of the system and the amount of human suffering, but it is also incredibly courageous.
There’s also a movie, Bandit Queen (1994), which made her really famous throughout India.
It’s incredible how much women have suffered throughout history. If you’re interested in this theme, you should also consider reading Womaning in India, What We Talk About When We Talk About Rape, Song of Kieu, Woman at Point Zero, and The Sex Lives of African Women.
Before travelling to Brazil, one of my colleagues recommended reading The Crooked Plow, mainly because I work in agriculture.
It’s one of my recent best global novels and reminds me of the classic A Hundred Years of Solitude by the Colombian writer, Gabriel García Márquez.
Although the writer creates a similar mythical atmosphere, the book’s subject matter is about Bahian farmers’ harsh conditions. And how, despite the abolishment of slavery, these farmers still live in harsh conditions.
The story follows two sisters, Bibiana and Belonísia, who live in Bahia. Their lives take a dramatic turn when a childhood accident binds them together in an unspoken secret. As they grow, land disputes and generational labour struggles define their lives.
It is one of the most realistic fiction novels from Brazil that gives insights into Bahia’s strong Afro-Brazilian traditions. Since we are talking about Brazil, check my favourite list of the best Brazilian books and best Brazilian movies. I also covered this book in my best novels out of 250.
In 2007, the British Laura Coleman embarked on an adventure in the Bolivian jungle, volunteering for an animal shelter at Comunidad Inti Wara Yassi.
It all happens after she leaves her structured life in England. Little did she know that this trip would turn her life upside down after she fell in love with a majestic puma, Wayra.
Through moments of fear, connection, and triumph, Laura finds a new sense of purpose and courage.
She takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions in this beautiful and brutally honest memoir. One moment, you’re enjoying the idyllic Amazon forest, and the next, you’re getting attacked by a big cat.
Want to spark your creativity?
The legendary producer Rick Rubin, who worked with world-famous artists such as Johnny Cash, Adele, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Weeknd, and Ed Sheeran, has written a fantastic book called The Creative Act.
In this book, Rubin brings his wisdom and philosophy to guide readers on how to unlock their creative potential.
The interesting thing about the book is that it is structurally built as meditative reflections. Rubin discusses the nature of creativity by arguing that it is not limited to artists but is an essential part of human beings.
He shares practical advice on how to approach the creative process, overcome self-doubt, and find inspiration in the everyday.
So, through his words, we see creativity as a state of mind—a way of being rather than a destination. I’d highly recommend the audiobook narrated by Rick Rubin himself.
An African in Greenland is another memoir on this list. Kpomassie talks about his upbringing in Tongo, and how a snake bite made him bedridden.
The snake bite turned out to be a blessing in disguise as he stumbled upon a book about Greenland.
However, reading the book was just the beginning, as it changed his ambitions in life. He became determined to go to Greenland to become a hunter.
Another fun thing he learned about Greenland? There are no snakes due to the cold! This fun fact became an obsession for Michel, as he travelled for eight years to live with the Eskimos in Greenland.
The result is a fantastic autobiography that is adventurous, hilarious, and incredibly culturally sensitive. It comes from someone who decided to immerse himself in a culture and climate opposite to his own.
Besides the book, here’s a short BBC interview about his experience. I got a tip from Ann Morgan from ayearofreadingtheworld.
One of my Pakistani friends recently recommended his favourite book, a Case of Exploding Mangoes.
This best global novel is about the mysterious death of General Zia-ul-Haq, Pakistan’s military dictator, in a plane crash in 1988.
The novel follows Ali Shigri, a junior officer in the Pakistan Air Force, who is on a personal mission to avenge his father’s suspicious death. Ironically, Shigri’s path collides with General Zia.
Now, General Zia is a paranoid ruler surrounded by sycophants, schemers, and incompetent allies. So, through absurd events and dark comedy, the writer unravels corruption, betrayal, and irony.
But the question remains: who killed the president and accompanying American ambassador?
This humorous historical fiction novel provides several scenarios. Was it the protagonist’s need for revenge, the 2nd general’s hunger for power, or the mango farmers association?
Persepolis is an incredible black-and-white comic by the Iranian-born illustrator Marjane Satrapi.
Marjane grew up in Iran during an incredibly turbulent time: the overthrowing of the Shah’s regime and the Islamic Revolution.
The story is about Marjane, who grew up in Tehran in the late 1970s. As political unrest unfolds, she witnesses the fall of the Shah, the rise of the Islamic regime, and the devastating Iran-Iraq war.
Through her illustrations, we see the impact of these events on her family, friends, and daily life. Despite the oppression around her, Marji’s rebellious spirit and curiosity about justice shine through.
This Iranian comic book won Prix Alph’art and became a New York Times bestseller and later a movie. I also covered this movie in my newsletter-85.
You should also check out my post on the best Iranian movies.
Are you tired of reading the same things and looking for an entirely new genre?
Then you should read When We Cease to Understand the World.
It is the perfect blend of fact and fiction about the lives of scientists and mathematicians who revolutionized human understanding of the universe.
After researching Nobel-prize-winning scientists of all time, Benjamin Labatut wrote this novel to highlight how life-changing discoveries have moral consequences beyond their imagining.
It’s intriguing, a bit dark, but it reads surprisingly smoothly.
It also recounts the lives of personalities like Werner Heisenberg, Erwin Schrödinger, and Alexander Grothendieck. And, how their work reshaped humanity’s perception of reality.
Are you looking for a romantic novel to sweep you away?
Then you should check out Madonna in a Fur Coat by one of the best Turkish authors.
Raif Efendi is a quiet man who works a mundane job in Ankara. Through his diary, we are transported to his youth in 1920s Berlin. In Berlin, he meets Maria Puder, a free-spirited artist in an art gallery.
Although the interaction is brief, it leaves a lasting impression on Raif, shaping his outlook on life and love.
I wrote about this best global novel and how it remained unknown despite being published in 1943. As a matter of fact, it has only become one of the best Turkish selling books in recent times.
Also, check out my favourite Turkish movies and what Turkish souvenirs to buy when you visit Turkey.
2024 was a fun and full of growth year for Cultural Reads. I have expanded the topic coverage country-wise. There are many more interesting topics and fun aspects around the corner.
I have shifted the newsletter to Substack to interact with readers directly. So, watch out for that space as well. Some exciting things are coming your way!
Before we finish. What are you best global novels from 2024?
Please leave a comment.
Italy has a way of making you feel nostalgic even if you’ve never been there. After all, you won’t find the Venice canals, artisan pizza
Recently, I wrote about my favorite novels after reading 250 books over the past 10 years. In that post, I only compiled the best fiction
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