What Is The Most Under-the-Radar Novel You've Read In 2023 So Far? (7/30/23)

[Marc]

Of the novels you have read in 2023 so far, which would you say is the most under-the-radar (people don't know about it, it doesn't have many ratings, or it's a book that has fallen out of favor/the public eye)?

[David]

For me it's probably The Whore by Márcia Barbieri (tr. Adrian Minckley). The original title was published in 2014 in Brazil. Sublunary Editions released the English translation earlier this year.

[Marc]

David wrote: "For me it's probably The Whore by Márcia Barbieri (tr. Adrian Minckley). The original title was published in 2014 in Brazil. Sublunary Editions released the English translation ear..."

I almost ordered a copy of that when it was released, but had to exhibit some rare discipline as I had gone on a big of a book buying spree just prior to discovering it. How was it?

[David]

It was outstanding. Great translation too. Just be ready for a 150-page single-paragraph monologue, heavy on feminist theory.

[Lark]

for me it's a memoir, sorry about that, it is so beautifully written, so stunning in its associations of image and feeling, and just about no one has read it here on goodreads: A Flat Place by Noreen Masud.

I think the long part of the title after the colon is awful, a real disservice, so I took it out, above. It's a beautiful book.

[Whitney]

Lark wrote: "for me it's a memoir, sorry about that, it is so beautifully written, so stunning in its associations of image and feeling, and just about no one has read it here on goodreads: [book:A Flat Place|1..."

That sounds amazing Lark, excellent review.

[Bill]

A few candidates (see my reviews):
William Jones, I Didn't See It Coming
Thomas Moore, Your Dreams
Ithell Colquhon, I Saw Water: An Occult Novel and Other Selected Writings

[Vesna]

Passages by Ann Quin

[Stacia]

Not a novel but a series of chapbooks from Strangers Press, the Yeoyu/New Voices Korea set (I have read the first seven & have one more in the set to read):
https://www.goodreads.com/series/2652...

[Maggie]

The Wall , a short novel written in 1968 by Marlen Haushofer and translated from the German by Shaun Whiteside. Michal Farber described it as an "existentialist masterpiece that can offer profound consolation as well as the ultimate lesson in loss. Be wary.

[Marc]

I keep seeing Ann Quin's name lately. I can never decide if this is an actual phenomenon or I'm just looking for certain names without quite realizing it (her Berg is on my TBR).

For me, as far as novels, looks like Autobiography of Cassandra, Princess and Prophetess of Troy by Ursule Molinaro is probably the most under-the-radar. I enjoyed it, but didn't love it.

[Alwynne]

For me some of the comments highlight how significant place is, as far as recognition of titles goes. Ann Quin, for example, has had a lot of coverage in the UK in the last few years as her work's slowly been reissued, although think she's mainly read by indie book fans. I agree with Vesna, she's a very interesting writer but I was slightly disturbed by some of the ways in which Jewishness is represented in her work. But she's so elliptical it's not easy to know exactly what she meant by her perspective.

The Haushofer too is comparatively well-known in Europe, it's considered a classic of German lit, and also read on a number of ecofeminist-related courses. It was also made into a fairly successful movie. And one of my personal favourites. Good to see it's getting some attention in the US now too.

Also nice to see Ithell Colquhon mentioned, I came across her on holiday in Cornwall, her book The Living Stones: Cornwall turns up in a number of Cornish bookshops.

[Ruben]

Her First Palestinian by Saeed Teebi - brilliant short stories about Arab immigrant life in Canada