Even though the term dystopian was first coined in the 1740s by historian George Claeys, dystopian fiction novels did not become fully defined until the turn of the twentieth century. Written in 1921, Yevgeny Zamyatinâs social satire We laid the foundations for the genre that is now ubiquitous: dystopian fiction. Zamyatinâs We imagines a future … Continue reading We
Author: tastefortales
Sharing my love and joy of reading one book at a time đđâ
Kim Young-ha is an acclaimed writer in Korea. His works have been translated into English and other languages. Diary of a Murderer is a collection of four short stories ranging from suspenseful thrillers to ruminative explorations of human nature. The book opens with a thrilling titular story about a seventy-year old man, Kim Byeongsu, who … Continue reading Diary of a Murderer
Winner of the 2018 Man Booker Prize and 2019 National Book Critics Award for Fiction, Anna Burnsâ Milkman follows the story of an eighteen-year old unnamed narrator, exploring what her life is like in a community living under oppression and divided by conflict. Even though Anna Burns did not specify where and when the novel … Continue reading Milkman
When I feel like reading an atmospheric and gritty crime fiction novel, my mind takes me to the cold and snowy landscape that is Scandinavian or Nordic noir. Jane Harperâs gripping debut novel, The Dry, shows that the heat of the Australian outback is as good place as any for a good mystery story. Set … Continue reading The Dry
âHistory has failed us, but no matterâ is the opening line of Min Jin Leeâs novel Pachinko. This sweeping, historical, and immersive family saga delves deeply into the experiences of Korean immigrants in Japan between 1910 and 1989. The story begins in a small fishing village in Yeongdo, Korea. There, we are introduced to fishermen, … Continue reading Pachinko
Samanta Schweblinâs collection of twenty short stories, Mouthful of Birds, weaves between the realm of the real and the strange, exploring the deepest abyss of human psyche. These grotesque and surreal stories serve as a representation of the reality we live in. They question societal structures, norms, attitudes, and expectations. They examine how a person … Continue reading Mouthful of Birds
In Bruce Robert Coffinâs Among the Shadows, Portland, Maineâs gritty and dark atmosphere plays a starring role alongside an emotionally conflicted detective sergeant as he investigates the murders of multiple retired Portland police officers. Coffinâs debut novel is written with the type of confidence found in the best examples of police procedural fiction.  The story follows Detective Sergeant John Byron as … Continue reading Among the Shadows
Set in Lithvas, a fictional country in Eastern Europe, Naomi Novikâs Spinning Silver follows the story of a moneylenderâs daughter as she strives to survive in medieval England. Living in abject poverty, Miryem decides to take over her fatherâs failing moneylending business. She is quite successful at it that soon she attracts the attention of … Continue reading Spinning Silver
Han Kang, the author of the 2016 Man Booker Prize-winning The Vegetarian, has written a new novel, The White Book, which explores life and death through the lens of a single colorâwhite. The White Book follows an unnamed narrator as she looks upon her own life and its meaning through the prism of âwhite.â In … Continue reading The White Book
