Thanks to technology and an interconnected world, we can read books from countries across the globe that have been translated into English. There are so many incredible books we wouldn’t have been able to access before, and they’re now right at our fingertips. We can’t read every book, since some don’t get translations, but there are still plenty for us to choose from — like these seven books.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
This thriller mystery book was published posthumously in 2005, after the author died in 2004. The book’s original Swedish title was Män Som Hatar Kvinnor, which translates to Men Who Hate Women. It wasn’t translated into English until 2008, and it became an international bestseller.
This book is a blend of family saga, murder mystery, love, and more, following the investigation of Harriet Vanger’s disappearance. She’s a child of one of Sweden’s richest families, and her uncle is determined to solve the case of what he thinks is her murder. Mikael Blomkvist, a journalist who is looking at the wrong side of a libel case, is brought in to investigate along with Lisbeth Salander, a genius hacker far wiser than her years, who helps Blomkvist. They discover dark secrets about the Vangers, corruption in the highest parts of Swedish industrialism, and an unexpected thread connecting them.
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Stieg Larsson
This mystery book was published in 2008, and its Polish title was Prowadź Swój Pług Przez Kości Umarłych. It was translated into English in 2018, and it has been shortlisted for awards and won a few.
Janina lives in a small Polish village where she spends dark winter days caring for homes of wealthy Warsaw residents, translating William Blake’s poetry, and studying astrology. She’s known in the village for her cranky and reclusive personality, and she prefers animals over people. One day, Big Foot, a neighbor, is found dead, and other bodies are discovered, each having died under strange circumstances. Suspicions rise, and Janina joins the investigation, sure she can figure it out. If only people would listen…
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
This magical realism book was originally published in 1967, and it’s one of the most well-known and critically acclaimed books of the 20th century. The original Spanish title is Cien Años de Soledad, and it was translated in 1970, where is has been considered one of the world’s best works of fiction.
The story of seven generations of the Buendía Family, who helped establish the town, is told here. It follows the town of Macondo as it rises and falls, as it was born and when it died, through the history of this one family. The unforgettable characters and story full of magical realism combined to create this masterpiece.
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
This adventure novel was serialized in literary journals from 1844–1846, and it’s now considered a literary classic read worldwide. The original French title is Le Comte de Monte-Cristo, and it started being translated into English around 1845, also serialized. The story never won awards, but there have been countless adaptations of it.
Edmond Dates is thrown into prison after being framed for a crime he didn’t commit and is separated from his wife and unborn child. He is confined to the dim fortress called If, where he hears of a grand treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo. He is then determined to not only escape If, but also to grab the treasure and use it to plot his revenge on the men responsible for his arrest.
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
This literary fiction novel was published in 2016, and its original Japanese title is コンビニ人間 (Konbini Ningen). It’s based on the author’s own experience working at a convenience store, and it won the Akutagawa Prize in 2016. It was translated into English in 2018 and has been translated in dozens of others.
Thirty-six-year-old Keiko Furukura works at a convenience store in Tokyo. She has never been able to fit in with anyone, from family to classmates, but she found peace and purpose working at Smile Mart when she was eighteen. She understands social rules here, all outlined in the store’s manual, and she tries to fit in by copying what her coworkers do, even as they come and go over the years. She enjoys her job, but her family and coworkers keep pressuring her to find a husband and get a real career, making her take desperate actions.
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
This children’s fantasy novel was published in 2003, with the German title Tintenherz, and it was translated into English the same year. It’s a widely beloved children’s book, and it has a movie and video game adaptation.
Meggie’s father read a book called Inkheart to her one night, which released an evil ruler from the fictional world and into their living room. Now, Meggie is sucked into an adventure she had only ever read about, and she has to learn how to control magic conjured from this nightmare before it is too late. After all, she’s the only one who can fix the story that’s changed her life.
The Vegetarian by Han Kang
This literary fiction book was published in 2007, and its Korean title is 채식주의자 (Chaesikjuuija). The three-part novel was inspired by Kang’s 1997 short story The Fruit of My Woman. It was translated in English in 2015, and the novel has won two awards.
Yeong-hye and her husband lived an average life before her nightmares started. These dreams, horrific ones of blood and cruelty, haunt her, and she decides to stop eating meat entirely. This small act disturbs her marriage and starts an increasingly distorted change of events. She defends her new choice as her husband, sister, and brother-in-law try to control her, and they soon become desperate. They subject her mind and body to increasingly unreasonable violations, sending Yeong-hye spiraling from others and herself.
It’s wonderful to be able to expand our book lists with so many options! Books are like passports to other worlds, and translated literature is our first-class ticket to stories we might never have encountered otherwise. These books offer us glimpses into different cultures, histories, and perspectives — without ever leaving our cozy reading places. Let’s keep exploring, one translated page at a time, and celebrate the magic of stories that transcend borders.
Click here for an article on 5 other amazing translations.
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