Since we have had threads regarding the 'greatest' novels of American and British history, I felt that the rest of the world (non-English speaking) should get its shot. I realize that this pits many great French novels against Russian, German, Spanish etc. which may seem unfair to some. I decided to do this because it's likely that most English speakers have been unable to read non-English novels in either the native languages or in translation at anywhere near the prolific manner that they have been able to consume English language works. Thus, please forgive the crude lumping effect here.

When tallying I will take into account the favorites in the different language areas, just to sooth those of you who may have a pet genre.

I will go first with my choices: The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky, Monkey (Journey to the West) by Wu Cheng-En, 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Don Quixote by Cervantes!

Please add your choices below...

[ 03-27-2002, 10:15 AM: Message edited by: thejazzkickazz ]

I'm not sure if any of these qualify for the 'greatest' or even favourites, being simply the first three I can think of that I have actually read that fit:
Love In the Time of Cholera (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
Doctor Zhivago [Boris Pasternak]
August 1914 (Alexander Solzhenitsyn]

There are probably others, but will leave it at that for now.

[ 03-27-2002, 11:26 AM: Message edited by: spanishliz ]

Lessico Familiare, Natalia Ginsburg

Candide, Voltaire

Brothers Karamozov as well (I read it in the mountains during a storm!)

La nuit des temps, René Barjavel (I'm not sure what it's called in English, but it's one of the most beautiful science fiction stories I've ever read about a woman found in ice who is from the future.)

[ 03-27-2002, 11:45 AM: Message edited by: Bruyere ]

Robert Musil: The Man Without Qualities.
Joao Guimaraes Rosa: The Devil to pay in the backlands.
Alain Fournier: Le Grand Meaulnes, or the Lost Domain.

[ 03-27-2002, 05:33 PM: Message edited by: flem ]

The Tin Drum.. Gunther Grass
War and Peace...Tolstoy (what an achievement!)
Anna Karenina.... "
Rouge et le Noir...Stendahl
Madame Bovary....
To me all huge.

I've got to have Don Quixote somewhere in the frame.

Flaubert's "L'Education Sentimentale" - absolutely pixilating stuff.

Can we have poems too, I will never forget reading Rimbaud's "Le Bateau Ivre" for the first time.

My favorite non-English writer is Umberto Eco...
I wouldn't know which book to write as my favorite, because I loved every single one I've read!

Another novelist I like is Robert van Gulik, who wrote about a judge in China, judje Dee... Some say that Gulik is even better than Agatha herself...
I can't say that he is, but I also can't say that he is not...!
You should try to read some of his stories, he is GREAT!!!

I would also add Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace and Anna Karenina to the list.

Umberto Eco is good, though I'm having trouble getting through the last ones.
The name of the rose and subsequent film were very good.

Juz Aleshkovsky's Kangaroo and A Ring in a Case are just wonderful. My Childhood by Gorky as well, and of course Pasternak's immortal Dr. Zhivago! Outside of Russia, I'd have to include F.L. Vek by Jurasek and Foucault's Pendulum, which I absolutely loved.

The greatest has got to be All Quiet On THe Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque( or any books by Hans Helmut Kirst.

[ 05-10-2002, 11:22 AM: Message edited by: B ridie ]

The best book I ever read in German would be "Das Parfum" by Patrick Süskind. Don't know the translation, might be something like "the perfume"...

Best Dutch book? Well, there are tons of them !! But the best probably is this one (allthough it's a children's book...) "Kruistocht in spijkerbroek" (cruisade in jeans) by Thea Beckman.

Another one of my favorite books is called "kabalmysteriet" (now I really have no clue as to how to translate this! I don't speak any Norwegian.. Forfatter, where are you??) by Jostein Gaarder. In Dutch the title is translated as "the secret of the cards" (I obviously translated this in English again ).

When I read a book I usually don't notice what language it was written in originally...

Thus far, here are the results of this rather eclectic poll. As can be seen from the selections, the denizens of Funtrivia are rather well read and we vary in taste quite tremendously. However, I have noticed a trend...that is a distinct taste for long Russian tomes. The most popular authors seem to be Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Cervantes, Pasternak, Garcia-Marquez, Flaubert and Eco.

The Brothers Karamazov 2
Don Quixote 2
Doctor Zhivago 2
War and Peace 2
Anna Karenina 2

Monkey (Journey to the West)
100 Years of Solitude
Love In the Time of Cholera
August 1914
Lessico Familiare
Candide
La Nuit des Temps
The Man Without Qualities
The Devil to Pay in the Backlands
Le Grand Meaulnes (The Lost Domain)
The Tin Drum
Rouge et le Noir
Madame Bovary
L'Education Sentimentale
Le Bateau Ivre
The Name of the Rose
Kangaroo
A Ring in a Case
My Childhood
F.L. Vek
Foucault's Pendulum
All Quiet on the Western Front
Das Parfum
Kruistocht in spijkerbroek
Kabalmysteriet

Carry on...

Maybe those Russians are most translated ?

Putting to the side the really bad movie versions for a moment The Count of Monte Cristo. Iloved that book so much. I read it in high school and ive been afraid to reread it just in case it loses some of its magic.
Does Homer's Illiad and Odyssey count they're both terrific.
And dont forget Kafka!

I'd like to add my 'vote' for All Quiet On the Western Front. I can't believe I forgot to mention it in my first post!

Tale of Genji...Murasaki shibiku

I will third The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky which I thoroughly enjoyed.

I would like to nominate A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth but am not sure if it qualifies...

Pardon the age of this thread; I'm fascinated with linguistics and was interested in any further suggestions our new members may have.

My ultimate goal in life is to read 100 Years of Solitude, (Cien anos de soledad,) in its original language. In the meantime I love translations; so eye-opening!

Yes, it is an interesting thread, well worth re reading.
Someone said there was a book they had loved that they were afraid to re read in case it had lost its magic.I feel like that about The Tin Drum, but I will give it a try I think.
I stand by my choices of two years ago.

Well, compared to you all, I feel extremely not well-read. I've never been good enough to read any non-english work in it's native language, and probably 90% of the translated works I've read were plays, not novels. I have to bring up Les Miserables, just because no one else has, and I read the unabridged english translation back when I was in school. I have to admit the story fascinates me, though I'm sure many would not actually consider it a great novel. If you'll allow me to count plays, I have to put in a vote for Ibsen's "A Doll House". I have to admit I've avoided Anna Karinina and War and Peace, though my much better-read sister has repeatedly recommended them...

I'd like to add my vote to "Les Miserables" and Umberto Eco (especially "The Name of the Rose").

I also enjoyed Italo Calvino's 'If On a Winter's Night a Traveler"

The Brothers Karamazov, hands down for me.