If you’re a bookworm, or just a reading enthusiast, you’ve probably read a lot- and I bet that, even with no intention, most of the books were written by American authors or tell stories from a western point of view, right? But have you ever questioned how many of them were published by writers from around the world? And what about Asian ones? I think I know your answer: probably never! But it’s okay, because in this article, I will present to you eight books written exclusively by Asian authors. With amazing narratives, different from what we´re used to consuming in our free time, these are great examples that offer space to understand an eastern narrative based on their literature!
Choosing books for every type of reader, including the ones who love tragedy, culinary, and drama, I hope you reach your expectations and find one perfect to read. Take a look!
1. The god of small things, by Arundhati Roy
Published in 1997, this romance dives into the stories of Indian twin brothers separated by a tragedy that happens in 1963. With an amazing line between imagination, reality and laws about “who should be loved, how and how much”, the writer expresses daily feelings and stories from the ones who lived in a trouble spot from an eternal essence country. It is great for non conventional readers who love emotional reading!
Random House / Amazon
2. The good son, by You-jeong Jeong
This book tells a dark and psychological story about a promising swimmer who sees his career interrupted by discovering he’s diagnosed with epilepsy. While struggling to buy expensive medication, the protagonist is also affected by one occurrence that changes his life: finding his dead mother’s body with blood all over the floor. Such events force him to investigate the murder.
This book is written by one of the biggest Korean authors at the moment, nicknamed “The Korean Stephen King ”. Mixing drama and personal accomplishment, it will for sure entertain you!
Penguin Books / Amazon
3. Kitchen, by Banana Yoshimoto
The contemporary Japanese writer Banana Yoshimoto leads us in a gastronomic experience through Japan’s streets in this book, including a curious and loving culinary experience after the protagonist’s grandmother’s death. It’s about the brevity of life, love, tragedy and the art of cooking. If you enjoy those subjects, this is for you!
Grove Press / Amazon
4. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
This romance, written by the Afghan Khaled Hosseini explores the friendship between two boys living in Afghanistan in 1970 with different socioeconomic status, but one thing in common: stories about cowboys, big soldiers and kites. During a kite competition, there’s an intrigue between them that separates the duo. So, twenty years later, in different life stages, they meet again to reconcile and settle a score. This story teaches us about forgiveness, redemption and more.
Riverhead Book / Amazon
5. “1Q84”, by Haruki Murakami
This story was written by the Japanese author Haruki Murakami, now possibly the biggest Asian name in literature, who was also recently listed multiple times for the Nobel Prizes in Literature. The author made this trilogy, which leads the reader into a romance between two people from parallel worlds – and a murder committed by one character that unwinds during the book. Fun fact: The number nine has the same pronunciation as the letter “Q” in Japanese. Does it remind you of something? It is pronounced the same way as the book “1984” from George Orwell, and it has references throughout the three books. Not confirmed by the author, but still very smart, right? This book sold four million copies in Japan, so it’s a hit. Definitely, you should give it a try!
6. The Dream of the Red Chamber, by Cao Xueqin
This book, considered a Chinese literature masterpiece, was written in the XVIII century by Cao Xueqin. The story is about a Qing dynasty member who shows us, through a classic inside view and an author’s perspective, narratives about women in the Chinese command during that era, including the ascension and ensuing decline of her own dynasty. It is a masterpiece for classic literature lovers!
Anchor Books / Amazon
7. Everything is the whole day, by Preeta Samarasan
Describes the powerful story about the writer’s own country, Malaysia, across a powerful family in 1970, going through lies and secrets of an Indian immigrant family. Is also focuses in the vulnerability they have to face. Mixing betrayal, disappointments in a true Malaysian society, the author expresses nothing more than the reality millions go through every single day. A strong but important reading.
Mariner Books / Amazon
8. The sympathizer, by Viet Thanh Nguyen
This book represents a typical story about love and betrayal from a communist double agent infiltrated on the South Vietnamese army, who refugee in the United States after the loss from vietcongs. Then, he observes the refugees’ hard work to survive in Los Angeles, while secretly reporting information to your communist superiors in Vietnam. Leading the reader to a reflection about political extremism and tactics, this book will awake you for sure!
Grove Press / Amazon
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The article above was edited by Alice Nakao.
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