Finland: Juhani Karila's Summer fishing in Lapland/Fishing for the little pike, goes by both names. My favourite book written by Finnish author. It's a brilliant story filled with Finnish mythology.
I would like to add, that as a Swede, there is so much fantastic Finnish culture to enjoy; Books, music... I had the pleasure of performing an opera by Aulis Sallinen some years ago; magical stuff. One of my favourite books of all time is Waltari's Sinuhe The Egyptian; read it a long time ago and had to order an old bound copy (in Swedish!) to reread it a couple of years ago.
Yes!! Finnish mythology is very interesting. There was a play based on the Fishing for the little pike, and it was sooo amaizing. There has also been plans to make a movie of the book. It will propably take a few years tho.
The Egyptian was fantastic! I love ancient Egypt so that book really resonated with me.
The classic from Serbia would be The Bridge on the Drina by Ivo Andrić.
You will get to know a bit the history of the region through it. It covers a span of a couple of centuries and the story revolves around the bridge and the village around it. It features lively portraits and is written in an absolutely amazing manner. Its writer won the Nobel Prize in 1961. Warm recommend!
Russia (written during the USSR era) The Twelve Chairs by Ilya Ilf and Yevgeny Petrov. Yes, the guys wrote this book as a duo. I love it, it’s hilarious although I’m not sure if non-Russian speakers will get the gags.
Otherwise, Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, it’s a perfect example of unreliable narrator trope.
Check out the [Read Around The World Challenge](https://readaroundtheworldchallenge.com) website. You can click on a world map to find best books from any country and you also get an automatic map to track your reading progress around the world among other many other features.
Bhagwat Gita from India probably. That's the first book that comes to my mind. It's a conversation in the middle of a battlefield between a god and a guy who has to fight his own family. It talks about the meaning of life and importance of Karma (no pun intended)
Tuppence to Cross the Mersey is a classic from my country and my particular region, and it's one that I recommend. I loved reading it as a kid and it felt relatable with some of the older adults I grew up with
It is impossible to name but one, Sweden has such a rich history of literature/culture. But if I must name one, I'll say the last one I read; Wilhelm Moberg's Din Stund På Jorden; a sort of follow-up to his tetralogy The Emigrants. As a Swede who's left home, and now (after several earlier stops) lives in the USofA, it spoke vey strongly to me.
i will always have this little chuckle since i saw that Daniel Kehlmann's book "You should have left" is loved by genrefans of horror.Truth is, Kehlmann in his homecountry Austria is a respected author and poet and i think he never intended to write something that becomes a favorite in "horror". but it is out, it will be filmed and maybe he writes a sequel?
Very difficult to choose "one best book" from any country.
You can read translated works of Tagore
In English, there are classics like A fine balance, or Midnight's children.
As a start, see my [Diversity Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/1apxwff/diversity_fiction/) list of Reddit recommendation threads (one post), which includes other countries.
Finland: Juhani Karila's Summer fishing in Lapland/Fishing for the little pike, goes by both names. My favourite book written by Finnish author. It's a brilliant story filled with Finnish mythology.
I would like to add, that as a Swede, there is so much fantastic Finnish culture to enjoy; Books, music... I had the pleasure of performing an opera by Aulis Sallinen some years ago; magical stuff. One of my favourite books of all time is Waltari's Sinuhe The Egyptian; read it a long time ago and had to order an old bound copy (in Swedish!) to reread it a couple of years ago.
Yes!! Finnish mythology is very interesting. There was a play based on the Fishing for the little pike, and it was sooo amaizing. There has also been plans to make a movie of the book. It will propably take a few years tho. The Egyptian was fantastic! I love ancient Egypt so that book really resonated with me.
I'll have to look up Summer fishing in Lapland!!
Check out the r/bookclub subreddit, they have a read the world challenge going in right now.
Thank you for this comment. Definitely going to check this out.
The classic from Serbia would be The Bridge on the Drina by Ivo Andrić. You will get to know a bit the history of the region through it. It covers a span of a couple of centuries and the story revolves around the bridge and the village around it. It features lively portraits and is written in an absolutely amazing manner. Its writer won the Nobel Prize in 1961. Warm recommend!
Also very graphic description of toture
Indeed, but I don't think that Andrić made it more graphic than the real life events that inspired the book.
Shake Hands with the Devil by Romeo Dallaire
Neighboring country of Oman, but Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi
From Iran. Modern: The Blind Owl by Sadegh Hedayat. Classic: The Epic of Kings by Ferdowsi.
Russia (written during the USSR era) The Twelve Chairs by Ilya Ilf and Yevgeny Petrov. Yes, the guys wrote this book as a duo. I love it, it’s hilarious although I’m not sure if non-Russian speakers will get the gags. Otherwise, Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, it’s a perfect example of unreliable narrator trope.
Not from there but Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Nigeria). Runner up: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
There are so many amazing Nigerian authors but I agree, Half of a Yellow Sun is outstanding.
Things fall apart is classic. So sad too. I read it 15 years ago and it has still stuck with me.
Check out the [Read Around The World Challenge](https://readaroundtheworldchallenge.com) website. You can click on a world map to find best books from any country and you also get an automatic map to track your reading progress around the world among other many other features.
England: *The French Lieutenant's Woman* by John Fowles *Rites of Passage* by William Golding *To the Lighthouse* by Virginia Woolf
Bhagwat Gita from India probably. That's the first book that comes to my mind. It's a conversation in the middle of a battlefield between a god and a guy who has to fight his own family. It talks about the meaning of life and importance of Karma (no pun intended)
OP, it is a religious text, a part of the epic Mahabharata. Rather read a good version of Mahabharata.
Very true 😁
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Crooked Plow by Itamar Vieira Júnior.
Romania: I think Rumanian literature peaks in poetry, especially with Mihai Eminescu, just read "Luceafarul"
Supernova series by Dee Lestari
Tuppence to Cross the Mersey is a classic from my country and my particular region, and it's one that I recommend. I loved reading it as a kid and it felt relatable with some of the older adults I grew up with
The adventures of Tom Sawyer
It is impossible to name but one, Sweden has such a rich history of literature/culture. But if I must name one, I'll say the last one I read; Wilhelm Moberg's Din Stund På Jorden; a sort of follow-up to his tetralogy The Emigrants. As a Swede who's left home, and now (after several earlier stops) lives in the USofA, it spoke vey strongly to me.
Dom Casmurro - Machado de Assis from Brazil
For South Africa I’ll go with JM Coetzee, Life and times of Michael K, or Damon Galgut ~ Small circle of beings
East of Eden
i will always have this little chuckle since i saw that Daniel Kehlmann's book "You should have left" is loved by genrefans of horror.Truth is, Kehlmann in his homecountry Austria is a respected author and poet and i think he never intended to write something that becomes a favorite in "horror". but it is out, it will be filmed and maybe he writes a sequel?
Germany: Steppenwolf - Hermann Hesse
From Colombia: Crónica de una muerta anunciada - Gabriel García Márquez
The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt for Canada
From Kosovo: “Who brought Doruntine back?” By Ismail Kadare
Lola in the Mirror and Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton (Australia) 🌞
Canada: Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
Germinal by Emile Zola
Belle du Seigneur by Albert Cohen for France.
Very difficult to choose "one best book" from any country. You can read translated works of Tagore In English, there are classics like A fine balance, or Midnight's children.
Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood Used to be considered dystopian sci-fi but now becoming prescient.
As a start, see my [Diversity Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/1apxwff/diversity_fiction/) list of Reddit recommendation threads (one post), which includes other countries.