European Book Club

Why a European book club at the Alliance Française?

Roughly 3% of all books published in the United States are works in translation and remain largely overlooked by the American public. As a result, this book club aims to promote contemporary European literature in translation. By doing so, we are increasing awareness of and appreciation for other cultures, as well as the exchange of ideas in this era of globalization.

When where who and how?

Meetings are held every last Tuesday of the month, from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Alliance Française main location (571 Galapago St.)

• Admission is free for students and members of the Alliance Française, and $5 for the general public.
• Because we are limiting the club to 15 participants each meeting, you must R.S.V.P. in advance by calling the AF at 303-831-0304, or emailing afd@afdenver.org.
• David Freeman selects books and organizes each discussion.

What Will We Be Reading?

All selections will be contemporary (published after 1980) European fiction. One book will be discussed at each meeting. .

Visitation by Jenny Erpenbeck

Translated from the German by Susan Bernofsky. New Directions. ISBN 978-0811218351

A bestseller in Germany, Visitation has established Jenny Erpenbeck as one of Europe’s most significant contemporary authors.
A house on the forested bank of a Brandenburg lake outside Berlin (once belonging to Erpenbeck’s grandparents) is the focus of this compact, beautiful novel. Encompassing over one hundred years of German history, from the nineteenth century to the Weimar Republic, from World War II to the Socialist German Democratic Republic, and finally reunification and its aftermath, Visitation offers the life stories of twelve individuals who seek to make their home in this one magical little house. The novel breaks into the everyday life of the house and shimmers through it, while relating the passions and fates of its inhabitants. Elegant and poetic, Visitation forms a literary mosaic of the last century, tearing open wounds and offering moments of reconciliation, with its drama and its exquisite evocation of a landscape no political upheaval can truly change.

When: Tuesday, May 29th, from 6:30-8 p.m
Where: Alliance Française main location (571 Galapago St.)
Cost: free for members, $5 non-members

Leaving Tangier by Tahar Ben Jelloun

Translated from the French by Linda Coverdale.
Penguin. ISBN 978-0143114659

Award-winning Jelloun offers a forthright novel illuminating the dreams and harsh realities of emigration. Brother and sister Azel and Kenza are living in Tangier, Morocco. Azel has two degrees but is unable to find work, and spends his evenings at a café from which he can see the lights of Spain. He longs obsessively to emigrate to Europe, convinced that only there will he be successful. When Azel is brutally beaten, Miguel, a wealthy Spaniard, comes to his aid and helps Azel get a visa to Spain on the provision that Azel will become his lover. Azel leaves his family and girlfriend to accompany Miguel to Spain but becomes increasingly disillusioned when he realizes that his new country is not the easy answer to his visions of a better life. Kenza soon joins Azel to pursue her own desires and meets a Turkish man with a dark secret. Jelloun’s compelling characters often fall prey to the shadow side in their quest for a bright future in this frank and authentic tale of hope, risk, and regret. --Leah Strauss

When: Tuesday, June 26th, from 6:30-8 p.m
Where: Alliance Française main location (571 Galapago St.)
Cost: free for members, $5 non-members

What books have we read so far ?

• February 2011: A Novel Bookstore by Laurence Cossé (transl. from the French)
• March 2011: A Heart so White by Javier Marias (transl. from the Spanish)
• April 2011: The Reader by Bernhard Schlink (transl. from the German)
• May 2011: Small Lives by Pierre Michon (transl. from the French)
• June 2011: Act of the Damned by Antonio Lobo Antunes (transl. from the Portuguese)
• July 2011: When I Forgot by Elina Hirvonen (translated from the Finnish)
• August 2011: The Explosion of the Radiator Hose by Jean Rolin (translated from the French)
• September 2011: Indian Nocturne by Antonio Tabucchi (translated from the Italian)
• October 2011: Dancing Lessons for the Advanced Age by Bohumil Hrabal (translated from the Czech)
• November 2011: Lightning by Jean Echenoz (translated from the French)
• January 2012: The Summer Book by Tove Jansson (translated from the Swedish)
• February 2012: Best European Fiction 2012 edited by Aleksander Hemon
• March 2012: I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem by Maryse Condé (translated from the French)
• April 2012: Never Any End to Paris by Enrique Vila-Matas (translated from the Spanish)

Where Can I Learn More About Literature in Translation?

There are numerous organizations that have a similar goal in promoting foreign literature in translation. The websites below provide a wealth of information, and include many lists of recently translated texts, as well as articles, reviews, blogs, and links to other sources of information on foreign literature.

• Three Percent
• Words Without Borders
• World Literature Today
• Alliance Française New York Haskell Library
• Alliance Française Washington DC Library

Andre Dubus III (author of the novel House of Sand and Fog) spoke well to this goal in an introduction to a recent foreign literature anthology:

"... Whether we know it or not, these are the notes in the world symphony in which we all play a part. The writers and translators have done their work here. It is up to us now to listen to the expression of our fellow human beings with whom we share this planet. This is our duty, yes, but it is also a deeply moving pleasure, one that will also allow us, ultimately, to become more gracefully and truly ourselves."

The Scene3 - your ticket to Denver's intimate art, science and cultural events. More