Book Reviews by Author

↑A

Aareleid, Kai
Book cover for Burning Cities by Kai Aareleid. Image shows a two card tower, the card facing outwards is the five of spades.
Adimi, Kaouther
Our Riches
Agualusa, José Eduardo
A white chameleon cut out on a blue/yellow/green mosaic effect background
Akunin, Boris
A late nineteenth century Russian woman in a a red dress in front of a railway station building.
Cover shows a Russian military officer against a background of St Petersburg with a bottle of poison and a woman in a cameo brooch.
Alexievich, Svetlana
a woman in 1940s Russian army uniform
Ali, Sabahattin
Photo booth picture in black and white with a man and a woman in 1920s dress
Allende, Isabel
The Sum of our Days
Surreal cover illustration by Francisca Alvarez Sanchez depiction a dove and a floating upturned jug as well as crescent moon on top of a giant candlestick
The House of the Spirits
Almada, Selva
Brickmakers
A representation of a river delta which could also be the branching of veins and arteries
Image shows a green background with white splashes like costellations
Ammaniti, Niccolò
Ears of wheat from below with a bright blue sky and clouds
Andras, Joseph
A man faces the camera below and above is shown in profile like a police mug shot.
Andreev, Leonid
Cover image shows a protrait of Pushkin holding a quill pen byKonchalovsky
Andresen, Sophia de Mello Breyner
Paula Rega painting showing a woman in 19th century Portuguese dress holding a sword
Aspe, Pieter
Cover image for The Square of Revenge by Pieter Aspe, the cover shows a photograph of a Belgian street tinged with orange

↑B

Babel, Isaac
Cover image shows a protrait of Pushkin holding a quill pen byKonchalovsky
Bacharevič, Alhierd
A large dark bird on a blue background. A man and a child running away behind thorny red and blue branches.
Balestrini, Nanni
The cover is red and there are tow small male figures carrying large flags
Balzac, Honoré de
A painting of Place de la Concorde in 1829 by Canella.
Barakat, Najwa
Cover image shows the silhouette of a man's head and shoulders in pink and black, the outlilne filled with storm clouds or perhaps billowing smoke
Barbery, Muriel
Cover shows the title with a background reminiscent of a wrougt iron gate
Bassani, Giorgio
Image of book cover 'The Garden of the Finzi-Continis' by Giorgio Bassani
Beauvoir, Simone de
Cover shows Pierre Bonnard's painting of a woman in a wicker chair.
Bellová, Bianca
Photograph of a sunburnt child emerging from water.
Belorusets, Yevgenia
Book cover for Lucky Breaks by Yevgenia Belorusets, image shows a broken umbrella that resembles a flower in black ink
Bessa-Luís, Agustina
Paula Rega painting showing a woman in 19th century Portuguese dress holding a sword
Blissett, Luther
a skeleton with a violin under its arm steps out from the shape of the letter Q
Boschwitz, Ulrich Alexander
image shows book cover of The Passenger by Ulrich Boschwitz. A man in a suit looks over his shoulder and runs down a station platform in Nazi Germany as a steam train approaches behind him.
Buarque, Chico
Image of a man in 1930s dress, seated hands in pockets, head down eyes closes as if sleeping.
Black and white photo of a boy on a rooftop looking up at a flock of birds.
a sepia tinted view of Rio de Janeiro with printed names of Hungarian bridges added.
Bufalino, Gesualdo
Detail from the Memento Mori, a painting of mediaeval scene in a formal garden with a fountain and various figures, one playing a lyre.
Detail from The Triumph of Death, a fresco style close up image of a mediaeval man's face looking down.
A naked woman on a green background
A castle on a cliff, a rough sea below and gathering clouds above
Bulgakov, Mikhail
A man in a doctor's wite coat in front of a gurney where a heavily pregnant woman is laid, has a book in front of him showing anatomical depictions of a baby about to be born
Picasso-esque representation in blues and reds of a half human-half dog creature smoking and surrounded by mess and a bottle of vodka
Soviet era graffiti of a person's head on a stairwell wall and some Russian script.
Bunin, Ivan
Cover image shows a protrait of Pushkin holding a quill pen byKonchalovsky
Buzzati, Dino
book cover for Catastrophe by Dino Buzzati

↑C

Calvino, Italo
If on a winter's night a traveller
If on a winter's night a traveller
Camilleri, Andrea
cover features a line drawing of a man climbing up the outside of an old fashioned building
A man sits at a restaurant table with food and a bottle of wine with mysterious figures in the middle distance.
A French window with ornate stone surround opens inwards to show the silhouette of a figure playing the violin
Excursion to Tindari
Silhouette drawing of a man with a gun behind a car, the sea and a town with arid hills above.
Cover image of The Shape of Water by Camilleri
Image of book cover 'Hunting Season' by Andrea Camilleri
Image of book cover 'The Brewer of Preston' by Andrea Camilleri
Carofiglio, Gianrico
A man's hands, handcuffed behind his back. The man is wearing a smart suit and jacket.
Book cover for Reasonable Doubts by Gianrico Carofiglio, image shows a shadowy male figure walking away from us under an archway leading to a traditional Italian piazza.
Image of book cover for A Walk in the Dark by Gianrico Carofiglio, image shows a woman's bare legs from the knee down, she is standing andwearing a pair of red court shoes
Cover image for Involuntary Witness by Gianrico Carofiglio, image shows the back view of a shirtless boy lying on the ground in tones of blue and grey
Carvalho, Maria Judite de
Paula Rega painting showing a woman in 19th century Portuguese dress holding a sword
Castaldi, Marosia
A white cover which reprints the text from the opening of the book
Cercas, Javier
Photo fit of a man's face with each quarter being a different look
Cervantes, Miguel de
Watercolour in reds and oranges of a Spanish knight on a tired-lookin horse followed by a man on a donkey.
Chekhov, Anton
An empty hospital bed in front of an open window. Detail from Sleepless night (1903) by Nikolai Romadin
Black and white close up photographic image of a face in profile
Cover image shows a protrait of Pushkin holding a quill pen byKonchalovsky
Clerc, Guillaume le
Cover shows and extract from a leaf of the Winchester Bible 1160-1180
Coelho, Paulo
A blurry image in blues and black of a woman's figure in silhouette walking away from the camera through a park with trees.
A sunset with hills in the background and a church in silhouette in the foreground, bottom right
A woman with long red dredlocks, wearing a blue full skirt adn no top, sits bending forward with her hands round her ankles.
Cognetti, Paolo
The Eight Mountains
Colette
Silhouette of a cat on a fiery sunset background
Courtemanche, Gil
An African landscape in shades of rust, possibly at sunset
Cámara, Gabriela Cabezón
The Adventures of China Iron
Cârneci, Magda
Book cover for FEM by Magda Carneci, cover image shows a segmented sphere in deep pastel colours containing the book's title
Céline, Louis-Ferdinand
A yellow wall with a lamp and its shadow

↑D

Despentes, Virginie
Cartoonish face of a woman with black marker pen scribblies under the eyes
Djavadi, Negar
Book cover for Disoriental by Négar Djavadi shows a colourful phoenix on a purple background
Dostoyevsky, Fyodor
Cover image shows a protrait of Pushkin holding a quill pen byKonchalovsky
Dusapin, Elisa Shua
Winter in Sokcho cover is in landscape and shows a postcard of a seaside resort overlaid by the title.

↑E

Eco, Umberto
Image shows cover of Umberto Eco's The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana. a Jester holding a bottle stands in a spiral of orange peel
Edenborg, C/M
Image of book cover 'Hunger House' by C/M Edenborg showing young girl approaching abandoned house from a forest
Esquivel, Laura
Like Water For Chocolate

↑F

Falco, Federico
A Perfect Cemetery
Fallada, Hans
Cover image of Alone in Berlin by Hans Fallada show a black and white photo of 1940s Berlin in the fog
Ferrante, Elena
Image of book cover 'The Story of a New Name' by Elena Ferrante
My Brilliant Friend
Flaubert, Gustave
A deep blue background with a pattern of cream, gold and grey flowers and leaves.
A detail from a portrait of his wife by Claude Monet
Fo, Dario
An orange cover showing a square municipa type building

↑G

Garshin, Vsevolod
Cover image shows a protrait of Pushkin holding a quill pen byKonchalovsky
Genovesi, Fabio
The Breaking of a Wave
Gersão, Hélia CoTeolinda
Paula Rega painting showing a woman in 19th century Portuguese dress holding a sword
Gide, André
A crowd of men and boys in turn of the century dress outside a sandstone building with columns and arched windows
Giordano, Paolo
Like Family
Giovanni, Maurizio de
Splashes of red, yellow and green as the silhouette of a man walks through a portico
Glauser, Friedrich
Cover image for The Spoke by Friedrich Glauser shows the shadow of a bicycle on a pavement.
Gogol, Nikolai
A horizontal pyramid of Russian characters, including a peasants and an orthodox priest.
Gogol, Nikolay
Cover image shows a protrait of Pushkin holding a quill pen byKonchalovsky
Goldoni, Carlo
Cover shows a blurry images of the same man running in two different directions carrying plates and bottles.
Goncharov, Ivan
The Aristocrat at Breakfast by Fedotov.
Gorky, Maxim
Cover image shows a protrait of Pushkin holding a quill pen byKonchalovsky
Guez, Olivier
A man in nazi uniform, where his face should be is a colour photo of Buenos Aires
Gómez-Jurado, Juan
The Traitor's Emblem

↑H

Herrndorf, Wolfgang
Image of the cover of the novel 'Why we took the car' by Wolfgang Herrndorf
Hiekkapelto, Kati
A moonlit road in a forest with tyre tracks
Hjorth, Vigdis
A cartoon red tree, a cartoon woman in yellow troutsers and shades looks through the lower canopy. It must be evening because the long shadows of the woman and tree disappear off the edge of the book cover.
Image shows a house with a foreground of tall trees in silhouette.
Homer
Image shows a letter I with two greek soldiers fighting with spears
Huisman, Violaine
Collage effect with a blue cutout hiding the black and white photographic profile of a classically beautiful woman

↑I

Isaka, Kotaro
Image shows cover of Bullet Train by Kotaro Isaka

↑J

Jansson, Tove
Image shows a blurry image of a window pane on one side covered with ice crystals
Image shows a seascape in shades of blue and two figures in a small boat
Jorge, Lídia
Paula Rega painting showing a woman in 19th century Portuguese dress holding a sword
Jubaili, Diaa
Cover image for No Windmills in Basra, shows the yellow sails of a windmill with line drawings of amimals, birds a lighthouse and a wristwatch
Jónasson, Ragnar
A figure stands on a promontory on the edge of a body of water looking at an Icelandic style house with red roof. The image is sideways on
A figure in silhoutte stands on the edge of a lava flow with billowing dark grey smoke
Jónsdóttir, Auður
Cover of Quake by Auður Jónsdóttir, shows a small red brain in the centre of the cover

↑K

Kafka, Franz
A face which is half human, half insect on a blood red and black background
Kashiwaba, Sachiko
Book cover for Temple Alley Summer shwoing a school girl running down an old fashioned Japnese street with a mysterious building appearing out of the mist in the distance
Kawakami, Hiromi
Image of book cover 'The Ten loves of Mr Nishino' by Hiromi Kawakami
Image of book cover 'The Nakano Thrift Shop' a novel by Hiromi Kawakami
Image of cover for 'Strange Weather in Tokyo' by Hiromi Kawakami
Kazakov, Yury
Cover image shows a protrait of Pushkin holding a quill pen byKonchalovsky
Kertész, Imre
Light blue background with crudely drawn stick figures disappearing into the distance
Detective Story
Cover has a painting by Giorgio de Chirico showing a porticoed building in from of which a girl runs with a hoop (Melancholy and Mystery of a Street)
Kurkov, Andrey
Black and white line drawing of a gangster in a hearse throwing a gold fish into the air out of the passenger window. A woman wearing shades is driving and a parrot sits on the roof.
Cover image of Grey Bees by Andrej Kurkov shows a beekeeper lifting a comb from a hive on a bright golden yellow background
A black cartoon style penguin on a yellow background

↑L

Labatut, Benjamin
When We Cease to Understand the World
Lagioia, Nicola
Ferocity
Lampedusa, Giuseppe Tomasi di
The Leopard
A heraldic image of a leopard standing on one leg, on a red background
Lermontov, Mikhail
Cover image shows a protrait of Pushkin holding a quill pen byKonchalovsky
Leskov, Nikolay
Cover image shows a protrait of Pushkin holding a quill pen byKonchalovsky
Levi, Primo
A diagram of a chain of chemical elements.
Three men in concentration camp uniform look out at the camera
Levrero, Mario
Cover image shows the yellow chalk outline of a dove or pigeon on a grey background
Lins, Paulo
A crowd of people face the camera, with five stars above the image.
Lispector, Clarice
Cover image for Complete Stories by Clarice Lispector. Image shows detail from a portrait of Lispector by Giorgio de Chirico
Book cover for Near to the Wild Heart by Clarice Lispector. Cover image is a detail from Ariadne by Giorgio de Chirico
Liu, Cixin
A man walks towards a pyramid structure on what looks like an alien planet
Llosa, Mario Vargas
An elderly military dictator stands in the foreground with a blurry scene with men and palm trees fades into the background
A detail of a painting by Paul Gaugin of two Polynesian girls called When are you getting married?
Lucarelli, Carlo
The Darkest Winter
Lutsyshyna, Oksana
A goat's head in red and blue embroidery, with flowers and wedding rings

↑M

Mahjoba, Maryam
A blue cover with the edge of a birds wing with white feathers
Maliandi, Carla
Book cover for The German Room by Carla Maliandi. Cover image is abstract with black, white and red shapes squares on a mustard background
Malvaldi, Marco
Game for Five
The Measure of a Man
Mann, Thomas
A bare mountainside rises behind a conifer forest. Below a swiss castle with two pointed turrets and many windows approached by a winding road.
Marić, Senka
Cover image shows a collage made up of fragments of a photo showing a woman's body
Martínez, Guillermo
An Edwardian era black and white photo of a young girl seated sideways on a chair on the front of an old book tied with string.
A panelled door in a grand room with elaborate cornicing opens inwards to reveal an empty room
Marías, Javier
A coffee table dovered with an assortment of items including books, drugs and a glass of possibly port
Matsumoto, Seichō
1937 Japan government railway poster
Maupassant, Guy de
Black cover with title in white text and Penguin logo on centre strap
Mercier, Pascal
Night Train to Lisbon
Mishima, Yukio
A stylised depiction of the sea with blue spirals and white goam in the style of Hokusai
Modiano, Patrick
Blurry watercolour in browns, showing a couple walking down in a street
Mohebali, Mahsa
Image of book cover for In Case of Emergency by Mahsa Mohebali. Image shows book title falling diagonally down the page like a fault, with a backdrop of built up houses in Tehran superimposed with opium poppies.
Moravia, Alberto
Two Women
Murata, Sayaka
An Id lanyard badge with the picutre of a Japanese woman
Márai, Sándor
Black and white photo of a grand wrought iron gate standing open and leading into a tree lined drive
Márquez, Gabriel García
A young woman with bare shoulders, dark hair wound into a coil with dark pink ribbon and dark pink lipstick looks at a blue and gold macaw sitting at her side.

↑N

Nabokov, Vladimir
Cover image shows a protrait of Pushkin holding a quill pen byKonchalovsky
Nagibin, Yury
Cover image shows a protrait of Pushkin holding a quill pen byKonchalovsky
Noll, Ingird
Image shows book cover of The Pharmacist by Ingrid Noll with a picutre of poison bottles
Nordenhök, Hanna
Pencil drawing of the torso of a woman in a simple Victorian dress, pregnant belly exposed. A man's hands hold obstetric forceps with a baby's head visible through the stomach of the woman.
Nors, Dorthe
Book cover for Mirror Shoulder Signal by Dorthe Nors, Image shows a car door and a coat trapped in it with a hazy image of a woman in profile drivng the car
Nyembezi, Sibusiso
A colourful image of an African man in a red suit with a briefcase walking up a rural track with straw-roofed round houses and a cow looking enquiringly at him.

↑O

Oyamada, Hiroko
Cover image shows a light blue background with a gold fish in a free floating balloon

↑P

Pamuk, Orhan
Photograph of a group of westernised Turkish men and women in a luxury convertible car with the Bosphorus and Istanbul's skyline in the background. 1970s
A man in the foreground huddled against the snow with a cigarette in his mouth, in the background teh skyline of a Russian town.
Paustovsky, Konstantin
Cover image shows a protrait of Pushkin holding a quill pen byKonchalovsky
Pennacchi, Antonio
A scene from the film adaptation showing the two brothers against a backdrop of a mural depiction Lenin and Stalin and the hammer and sickle.
Pirandello, Luigi
Image shows grainy charcoal images of early twentieth century figures.
Piñeiro, Claudia
Cover shows the head and shoulders of a woman with dark hair in close up with head bowed
Cover image for Elena Knows by Claudia Pineiro, image shows a yellow background with silhouette graphic in bright blue of a woman in profile and a red chair superimosed.
Image of book cover for 'All Yours' by Claudia Pineiro
Image of a book cover for the novel 'A Crack in the Wall'
Platonov, Andrey
Cover image shows a protrait of Pushkin holding a quill pen byKonchalovsky
Proust, Marcel
A group of well dressed men in suits and top hats on a terrace
Pushkin, Alexander
Cover image shows a protrait of Pushkin holding a quill pen byKonchalovsky
Pérez-Reverte, Arturo
The Flanders Panel
Cover shows a carving of the Virgin Mary

↑R

Remarque, Erich Maria
All Quiet on the Western Front
Reza, Yasmina
A man stands behind a woman on a balcony with his arms around her. The image is black and white and the dress is 1960's style
Robben, Jaap
You Have Me To Love
Rodenbach, Georges
A stone tower with crows and storm clouds
Rodoreda, Mercè
Image of book cover of The Time of the doves by Merce Rodoreda
Rulfo, Juan
Black and white image of a colonial style church with a blurry image of a cowboy riding a horse in the foreground.

↑S

Sagan, Françoise
A young woman with a freckled face in close up stares out at the reader
Sagasti, Luis
A wonky piano keyboard, the black keys are blue and yellow, two are shaped like bombs.
Saramago, José
Cartoon like image of a man sitting in front of a tv which shines like a spotlight on his face. An actor is shown on the screen who is exactly like him except for a moustache.
A cartoon-like image of a hill with a crucifix and bird flying in the sky.
A bald and unadorned human head that looks like it's been moulded from clay, with splashes of bright blue, purple and pink.
Sartre, Jean-Paul
Cover shows a reproduction of Peace by Picasso
Cover shows a reproduction of Picasso's The War
Schlink, Bernhard
An open book with the pages cut out and the central section removed, inside which we read the title.
Image of the cover of 'The Reader' by Bernhard Schlink
Sciascia, Leonardo
One quarter face view of young man with dark hair eyebrows and moustache
Cover shows a photograph of Aldo Moro's body in the open boot of the Renault 4 car where he was found.
Scott, Paulo
Book cover for Phenotypes by Paulo Scott. Image shows blocks of turquoise and light green with the silhouettes of two boys fighting
Sebald, W. G.
Early photograph. A boy with blond hair wears a white suit with a fur edged cape and holds a tricornered white hat. He looks into the camera with an intent gaze and stands in a militaristic pose.
Seghers, Anna
Pencil/charcoal drawing of a woman's face by Francis Picabia 'Olga' 1930
A man in 1930s dress stands with one arm raised open palmed and the other at his temple in a salute.
A dark sky and sea with an oldfashioned liner named Norvid
Shibli, Adania
classic fitzcarraldo editions cover with a sharm white text on a deep blue background
Sierra, Javier
The Secret Supper
Silone, Ignazio
Fontamara
Simenon, Georges
Three cigarettes in a cigarette case with cut outs of part of a woman's face, a key and a length of rope.
A woman's hand rests on a blue tinged pillow case on a blue tinged background
An old wall, covered in graffiti with a window. A naked woman emerges from the wall.
Skármeta, Antonio
The Postman (Il Postino)
Slimani, Leila
Cl;ose up of the front of a woman's shirt, light blue with a white collar and trim, buttoned up to the neck
Solzhenitsyn, Aleksandr
Cover image shows a protrait of Pushkin holding a quill pen byKonchalovsky
Souza, Carl de
Cover image for Kaya Days by Carl de Souza. Image shows a young woman in balletic pose, walking on a river bed
Stanišić, Saša
Cover image shows a large image of a fox made up of a mosaic like design with buildings and more foxes
Book cover image of How the soldier repairs the gramophone, image shows a cartoon-like colourful depiction of a wind up old fashioned gramophone with horn
Starnone, Domenico
Trick
Stassi, Fabio
Book cover for Charlie Chaplin's Last Dance by Fabio Stassi. Image shows Chaplin dancing with cloaked figure of Death who is holding a scythe.
Szabó, Magda
Photograph of a young woman with a shadow across her face.
Image of book cover 'Abigail' by Magda Szabó showing a girl dressed in white climbing a spiral staircase
Szymiczkowa, Maryla
Cover image shows a collage with a lady in early 20th century dress, a grand building with lots of windows and a skull

↑T

Tabucchi, Antonio
The Mystery and Melancholy of a Street by Giorgio de Chirico
Book title has been crossed out and the word "censura" stamped across.
Tanpinar, Ahmet Hamdi
A man in a Turkish fez sits at a destk with a vase of flowers in a thoughtful pose
Taska, Ilmar
Book cover for Pobeda 1946 - A car called victory by Ilmar Taska. Image shows a light coloured car in the foreground against the silhouette of some houses and a church tower.
Tokarczuk, Olga
Blue Fitzcarraldo cover with white text
Tolstoy, Leo
A 19th century lithograph of a group of cossack men wearing traditional clothing and hats
A Woman with a black hooded cloak with a fur collar in profile looking intently out of shot. BBC tie in cover showing actress Morag Hood as Natasha.
Portrait of an unknown woman by Yaroshenko, a woman dressed in black furs with a lace hat is sitting on a chair with a sneering expression.
Tolstoy, Lev
Cover image shows a protrait of Pushkin holding a quill pen byKonchalovsky
Tuomainen, Antti
Cover image of The Rabbit Factor by Antti Tuomainen, cover shows a huge model rabbit with one broken ear. A man stands in front of it with his back turned to us
Turgenev, Ivan
Detail from On The Banks by Repin showing three figures in late nineteenth century dress, a slodier and an older couple, seated in a rural setting with willow trees and a lake.
Cover image shows a protrait of Pushkin holding a quill pen byKonchalovsky
Image of book cover 'Fathers and sons' by Ivan Turgenev
Tyszka, Alberto Barrera
Cover image shows two men at the stern of a boat looking away from us across a grey, calm ocean.

↑V

Verne, Jules
Geometrically repeating pattern of colourful hot air balloon shapes
Villalobos, Juan Pablo
Down the Rabbit Hole
A yellow and black cover with French bulldogs and police cars and stamps.

↑W

Wojda, Dennis
Image of book cover '566 Frames' by Denis Wojda
Wolf, Christa
Cover shows a blonde girl in a white top with a book on her lap.

↑Y

Yagisawa, Satoshi
Cartoonlike design of a bookshop with two silhouetted figures through a doorway, two cats and a bicycle
Yoshimoto, Banana
NP
Yoshino, Genzaburo
Book Cover for How do you live by Genzaburo Yoshino. Cover shows the itle and a lone figure dressed in a kimono style outfit with his back to us facing what might be the universe.

↑Z

Zafón, Carlos Ruiz
The Labyrinth of the Spirits
The Prisoner of Heaven
The Watcher in the Shadows
The Midnight Palace
The Angel's Game
The Prince of Mist
Zamyatin, Evgeny
Cover image shows a protrait of Pushkin holding a quill pen byKonchalovsky
Zamyatin, Yevgeny
A futuristic cityscape with a rockets and helicopters flying across a red sky.
Zola, Emile
Detail from Miners'Wives Carrying Sacks of Coal (1882) Van Gogh
Painting by Manet 'Nana' shows a woman in high heels, short skirt and sleeveless bodice applying makeup.
Detail from L'Absinthe by Degas, a couple sit at a table in a bar, the woman has a drink in front of her and wears a vacant sad expression
Painting of a woman with dark hair sitting at a writing desk with her back to the viewer

Latest Reviews

1937 Japan government railway poster

Tokyo Express

Author:

In a rocky cove in the bay of Hakata, the bodies of a young and beautiful couple are discovered. Sta

Night Train to Lisbon

Night Train to Lisbon

Author:

Night Train to Lisbon follows Raimund Gregorius, a 57-year-old Classics scholar, on a journey that t

Ears of wheat from below with a bright blue sky and clouds

I'm Not Scared

Author:

One relentlessly hot summer, six children explore the scorched wheat fields that enclose their tiny