I think one of the best ways to understand a country and the thinking of its people is to know some of the most important and meaningful writers of that country. Unfortunately we live in an age in which people read less. But if I go to a bookshop I think this is just a cliché, because there are so great books and writers in classic and modern literature.
As I said before I'm from Germany – the so-called „Land of Poets and Thinkers” … what a chliché
One of my favorite classic German writers is Heinrich Heine. His ballade „A Winter's tale” is maybe the best work, what was ever written about Germany. It's „lightly”, with a lot of sarcasm and fine irony. It was written in 1844, when Germany was in a pre-revolutionary time; there you can find many references to German history and culture. For a long time Heinrich Heine lived in France and his view on his "old" homecountry is full of sarcasm and ironie, but also brilliancy.
Would you like to share with me your / your country's favorite writers?
Wanna recommend u all one of my favourites, yet not so much well known author in my country. His name is Peter Gibey. My favourite book of him is Cozy Chilling Bedtime Stories.U can find buch of stories which will grab u right into the story, and u won't be able to stop reading nor to move out of the bed. Pretty much scary.There's a discount on it right now, so it's real must have!!!
I love Bertold Brecht. His poems agains war are great.
In Italy we have thousands of writers, starting from Dante Alighieri with his Divina Commedia.
At the moment I am rereading Trilussa (1871-1950) He wrote in “romanesco”, Roman dialect. I put here one of his poem that speaks more then a lot of words.
It is now a song.
NINNA NANNA DI GUERRA
ninna nanna nanna ninna
er pupetto vò la zinna
fà la ninna dormi pija sonno
che si dormi nun vedrai
tant'infamie e tanti guai
che succedono ner monno
tra le bombe e li fucili
per i popoli che sò civili
ninna nanna tu non senti
li sospiri e li lamenti
de la pora gente che se scanna
che se scanna e che s'ammazza
a vantaggio della razza
de la gente che se scanna
per un matto che comanna
e a vantaggio pure d'una fede
per un Dio che nun se vede
ma che serve da riparo
ar re macellaro
che sa bene
che la guerra è un gran giro de quattrini
che prepara le risorse
pè li ladri delle borse
fà la ninna fà la nanna
fà la ninna che domani
rivedremo ancora li sovrani
che se scambiano la stima
boni amichi come prima
sò cugini e fra parenti
nun se fanno i complimenti
torneranno proprio tutti uguali
li rapporti personali
e senza l'ombra d'un rimorso
sai che ber discorso
ce faranno tutti insieme
su la pace e sul lavoro
pè quer popolo cojone
risparmiato dar cannone
____________________________________________________________________________________
Lullaby, don't you hear
people sighing and crying,
poor people slaughtering themselves,
slaughtering and killing themselves
just for racial reasons,
people slaughtering themselves
because of a madman ruling,
or just because of a faith
towards a God no one can see,
but who serves as a shelter
for the slaughtering King,
who knows all too well that war is
something that makes lots of money go around,
that prepares resources
for thieves of purses.
Lullaby, lullaby.
Lullaby, lullaby.
Lullaby, lullaby.
Lullaby, lullaby. Sleep, get to sleep,
get to sleep, because tomorrow
we will still see kings,
exchanging estimates towards each other,
good friends just like before.
They are cousins, and amongst relatives
there's no need for compliments,
we will still see a return to the same old things
even in personal relationships.
And without any shadow of any remorse,
we'll just hear what a wonderful speech
they'll deliver all together about peace and working,
for all of that bullshitty people
spared by cannons!
Lullaby, lullaby.
Lullaby, lullaby.
Lullaby, lullaby.
Lullaby, lullaby.
Cozy Chilling Bedtime Stories.U can find buch of stories which will grab u right into the story, and u won't be able to stop reading nor to move out of the bed.
Thanks for this topic! I think it'd be great to learn new authors from all around the world!
I can recommend you Yasar Kemal from Turkey. He explains causes of happiness and sadness in villages really well. How do village people think? What do they suffer from? How do they differ from city people in terms of thinking? How do they handle with the silence of village? He has perfectly realistic view in his novels.
If you want to hear from modern city life in Turkey, you can prefer Alper Caniguz or Oguz Atay...
Alper Caniguz's style is more energytic, u can read his books in a few hours if you have time. And they are really funny, u can find yourself smiling while reading:)
Oguz Atay is also very fluent but he writes more deeply. I mean he explains all the good and bad or grey parts of human soul by the characters in his novels. So, seeing yourself naked in a book, sometimes, maybe a little bit tiring. Usually it takes a long time to finish is books but of course it depends on the reader, the psychology of him/her.. I feel that I always need to read his books again and again.
I am not sure about Alper Caniguz but the books that written by Yasar Kemal and Oguz Atay both are translated in English, I suppose.
Help: Is there anyone who can recommend me any Dutch author?
