*Without further ado, my favorite books of 2012 in alphabetical order by author [Sin más ni más, mis libros preferidos de 2012 en orden alfabético por autor]*
1) Roberto Bolaño's Los detectives salvajes (Spain, 1998)
related posts [entradas afines]
2) Miguel Delibes' Las ratas (Spain, 1962)
3) Charles Dickens' Bleak House (England, 1852-53)
4) Marguerite Duras' Moderato cantabile (France, 1958)
5) Fogwill's Los pichiciegos (Argentina, 1983)
6) Juan Marsé's Si te dicen que caí (Spain, 1973)
7) Robert Musil's The Man Without Qualities (Austria, 1931 & 1933)
8) Gérard de Nerval's Aurélia (France, 1855)
9) Juan Carlos Onetti's La vida breve (Uruguay, 1950)
10) Antonio Tabucchi's Pereira Declares (Italy, 1994)
11) Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace (Russia, 1869)
12) Marguerite Yourcenar's Mémoires d'Hadrien (France, 1951)
Honorable Mention [Finalistas]
César Aira's La Vida Nueva (Argentina, 2007); Camilo José Cela's La colmena (Spain, 1951); John Demos' The Unredeemed Captive: A Family Story from Early America (USA, 1994); Theodor Fontane's Effi Briest (Germany, 1895); Javier Marías' Bad Nature, or With Elvis in Mexico (Spain, 1998); Sergio Pitol's El arte de la fuga (Mexico, 1996); Manuel Puig's Boquitas pintadas (Argentina, 1969); Domingo Faustino Sarmiento's Facundo. Civilización y barbarie (Argentina, 1845).
Entradas
it looks like a solid year for South American and European fiction. your #1 would have made my list, Richard, but I didn't count rereads, and I already singled it out 3 yrs. ago (I think).
ResponderBorrarRise, I suspect the Europeans and South Americans will dominate the 2013 best-of list as well since that's where most of my reading comes from year after year. Such two rich continents for literature (and football/soccer)! I do hope to read more African and Asian literature this year, though, along with more history in general. P.S. I don't usually worry too much about whether rereads should count or not, but both the Bolaño and the last reread to make my year end list (Lautréamont's Maldoror) would have been granted exemptions anyway because they were both titanic reads that I first read pre-blogging.
BorrarAh, I'm very envious about The Man Without Qualities and Aurelia, I'm quite curious about those books. But I think another year will pass and I won't read them :(
ResponderBorrarThere are just so many books to choose from each year, aren't there, Miguel? That being said, I'd still give one of my highest recommendations possible to Musil's The Man Without Qualities (probably my favorite or second favorite read all year) and another giddy one for all the delirious, poetic weirdness contained in Nerval's one of a kind Aurélia. Two great works to look forward to whether you get to them this year or not!
BorrarThe Memoirs of Hadrian has been sitting in my TBR pile for some time now. Maybe this year, will be the year.
ResponderBorrarI'd put off the Yourcenar novel for 2-3 years myself, James. It was well worth the wait, though, and content-wise it may appeal more to an older rather than a younger reader anyway so need to rush. :D
Borrargreat year richard and some wonderfully chunky reads the Duras and some of the argentina books you've mention here and during the year happy new year and all the best stu
ResponderBorrarThanks, Stu, and Happy New Year to you as well! Very much looking forward to teaming up with you for Spanish Lit Month II at some point as well as seeing what translated diamonds in the rough make it onto your blog this year. Cheers!
Borrar