“The night was deep, the stars were out, and I felt like the only person left in the world.” Hardboiled The first novella follows an unnamed woman who […]
Japanese literature
Under the Midnight Sun
“The sun never sets on some sins.” Prologue The novel opens in Osaka, 1973, with the brutal murder of a pawnshop owner, Yosuke Kirihara. Detective Sasagaki is assigned […]
Japanese literature
Journey Under the Midnight Sun
“The sun doesn’t go down, and the darkness never comes. That’s what the midnight sun is like.” Chapter 1: The Murder at the Pawnshop The story begins in […]
Japanese literature
Battle Royale
“The loser is always at fault in this world.”— Koushun Takami, Battle Royale The novel Battle Royale follows a class of junior high school students forced into a […]
Japanese literature
Sputnik Sweetheart
“In the spring of her twenty-second year, Sumire fell in love for the first time in her life.” Chapter 1 The narrator, K, recounts his friendship with Sumire, […]
German literature
On the Edge
“The abyss is always closer than you think.” Chapter 1: The Unraveling The novel opens with the protagonist, a middle-aged man named Thomas Clarin, standing on the edge […]
German literature
My Century
“Every year has its own voice, its own melody, and its own story to tell.” My Century by Günter Grass is a unique literary work that chronicles the […]
Russian literature
Generation “П”
“The world is ruled by signs and symbols, not by laws or strength.” Chapter 1: The Advertising Age The protagonist, Babylen Tatarsky, is a disillusioned Soviet intellectual turned […]
American literature
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
“So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I’m still trying to figure out how that could […]
English literature
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
“I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.” — The Marauder’s Map Chapter 1: Owl Post Harry Potter is spending another miserable summer with the Dursleys […]