Buzz
While many book lists across various sites tend to feature the same familiar names, it’s safe to say that anyone eager to dive into the works of Haruki Murakami or Thomas Pynchon has likely already read them. Furthermore, these lists often emphasize American and British literature, neglecting the wealth of global voices out there. And let’s not forget: why settle for realism when you could immerse yourself in novels that offer a strange and surreal experience? That’s why I’ve compiled this list of 10 experimental or offbeat books by non-English authors. Don’t worry if you’re not fluent in multiple languages—each of these titles has been translated into English.
10. Alessandro Baricco Ocean Sea
Alessandro Baricco, an Italian novelist renowned for his novella ‘Silk,’ is often hailed as the literary heir to Italo Calvino. Though that comparison may not capture the full essence of Baricco’s style, it gives some insight into what to expect from his works. I often liken his novels to surreal Disney films, with ‘Ocean Sea’ fitting that description perfectly. In a small coastal village, Professor Bartlebloom embarks on a quest to determine where the ocean ends. Alongside him is a painter obsessed with capturing the sea, using its very waters as his paint. And there’s a young woman suffering from an enigmatic ailment. The characters all converge at the same inn, each staring out at the vast sea, seeking answers.
9. Roland Topor The Tenant
Roland Topor might not be a household name, but the 1970s film ‘The Tenant,’ directed by Roman Polanski, is likely more familiar. The movie is based on Topor’s novel and follows the unsettling journey of a Polish clerk in Paris who rents a room, only to discover that the former tenant attempted suicide. Adding to the eerie atmosphere, his neighbors begin to behave in strange and unsettling ways. Though Topor is primarily known as a French artist, his illustrations are widely appreciated. His short stories are equally captivating, particularly one darkly comedic tale about a school bus accident where children’s limbs are thrown out of the bus.
8. Andrey Kurkov Death and The Penguin
Who doesn’t adore penguins? In ‘Death and the Penguin,’ the protagonist, Victor, certainly does. When the local zoo in his hometown can no longer afford to care for its animals, Victor adopts a morose pet penguin. What starts as a simple tale turns into a dark crime novel. Victor works as an obituary writer for people who are still alive, only to discover that everyone he writes about ends up dying. That’s all I can share for now, but there’s a reason why Andrey Kurkov is currently Ukraine’s most successful author—and it’s not just because of the penguin.
7. Daniil Kharms Selected writings
Being a writer in a communist regime must have felt like being a dwarf in a land of giants. Daniil Kharms, a Russian author, had an even harder time due to his love for absurdism and the avant-garde, which he was forced to hide. In the Soviet Union, only social realism was accepted in literature. Fortunately, Kharms found some freedom by writing children’s literature—even though he despised children. Even more intriguing are the brief stories, or ‘scenes,’ that Kharms secretly wrote. They often lack traditional plots and are filled with absurdities, but his mastery of language makes them fascinating. One of my favorites is ‘Falling Ladies,’ which can be read here.
6. Vladimir Nabokov Invitation to a Beheading
Another Russian author, better known for his American works, Vladimir Nabokov’s ‘Lolita’ may be an unconventional novel due to its controversial subject matter, but ‘Invitation to a Beheading’ is even stranger. The story follows Cincinnatus C., a man awaiting execution in a large, empty prison. He is condemned for a vague, unexplained human trait. What follows is a novel often described as 'Franz Kafka meets the Marx Brothers.' As Cincinnatus receives frequent visits from the prison warden, things get even stranger (and more humorous) when a new inmate moves into the cell next to his. The narrative bears a resemblance to Kafka’s ‘The Trial,’ though Nabokov claimed he hadn’t heard of the Czech writer at the time.
5. Raymond Queneau The Blue Flowers
Raymond Queneau, a French author and member of the Oulipo movement, was part of a group that embraced the concept of constraint literature. Writers in the movement imposed various restrictions on themselves while writing, with the most famous example being ‘A Void’ by Georges Perec, a novel that avoids using the letter 'e'. While 'The Blue Flowers' isn’t written with stylistic constraints, it follows an exceptionally odd storyline. The novel explores the idea that if you dream you're a butterfly, it could equally be that the butterfly dreams it’s you. The story follows The Duke of Auge, who lives in the Middle Ages and dreams of being Cidrolin, a French man living on a 1960s boat. Cidrolin, in turn, dreams of being the Duke of Auge. Despite their different eras, their lives become intricately intertwined.
4. Kobo Abe The Box Man
Existentialism – it’s a fascinating concept. Kobo Abe, a Japanese author often compared to Kafka, takes us deep into an existential exploration in 'The Box Man.' The protagonist wears a large cardboard box over his head as he roams the streets of Tokyo, jotting down his thoughts inside the box. The story delves into his struggle to preserve his identity, or perhaps the inevitable loss of it. Meanwhile, he observes the world outside his box—a man with a rifle bent on shooting him and a doctor eager to transform into a box man himself. As the story unfolds, readers begin to feel a loss of identity as well.
3. Boris Vian Foam of the Daze
When I started putting this list together, I already knew who would claim the top spot. Boris Vian stands as one of my all-time favorite authors, even though he’s equally celebrated for his musical talents—he was a French jazz artist. His novels are steeped in surrealism, with jazz often forming a backdrop. In ‘Foam of The Daze,’ we meet Colin, a wealthy man who creates the pianocktail, a piano that mixes cocktails when you play certain tunes. Colin falls deeply in love with Chloé, and they marry not long after. Sadly, their love story is short-lived, as Chloé is diagnosed with a fatal lung condition, a lily growing in her chest. Meanwhile, Colin’s friend Chick becomes consumed by an obsession with collecting all of Jean-Sol Partre’s works, and the absurd world around them mirrors the growing darkness of their lives. Did I mention that one of the characters is a mouse? Michael Gondry is currently working on a movie adaptation!
2. Slawomir Mrozek The Elephant
Slawomir Mrozek, once again, is a writer who had to navigate life under a communist regime and used absurdism as a tool to criticize the system. In his short story collection ‘The Elephant,’ we find stories like one about people who keep a revolutionary as a pet, and a zookeeper who replaces a dead elephant with an inflatable version. The most amusing story, however, is about a young boy who asks his uncle what a giraffe looks like. Since the uncle only reads Marxist texts, he is unable to provide an answer. The boy, in turn, concludes that giraffes must not exist, as Marx never mentioned them. This type of anti-Soviet humor is quintessential Mrozek.
1. Peter Verhelst Tonguecat
The second Belgian author to appear is from the Flemish-speaking region. Peter Verhelst’s 'Tonguecat' won the most prestigious literary award in Belgium. Known for his enigmatic style, Verhelst's works often blur the lines between mythology and surrealism. In 'Tonguecat,' he reimagines classic myths, featuring creatures like minotaurs who are part human, part motorcycle, and brothel dwellers who trade in stories rather than bodies. The novel’s subtitle, 'a story brothel,' hints at its unconventional narrative, with Verhelst’s distinct language blending poetry and prose into a unique hybrid form.
Amélie Nothomb is another celebrated Belgian author, writing in French and enjoying immense popularity in France. Though her recent works may lack the brilliance of her early books, her debut novella, 'Hygiene & The Assassin,' remains a standout. The novel follows the self-destructive Prétextat Tach, a world-renowned author who pretends to be dying from a fictional illness. Journalists flock to interview him, only to face his brutal mockery. The narrative takes an unexpected turn when a determined female journalist enters the scene, setting the stage for a tense battle of wills between the misanthropic writer and the relentless reporter.
Amélie Nothomb, a prolific Belgian author writing in French, is a household name in France, where she publishes a new book each year. Though her recent novels have been criticized for lacking substance, her early works left an indelible mark on the literary world. 'Hygiene & The Assassin,' her debut novella, centers on the arrogant Prétextat Tach, a celebrated author who claims to be dying of a made-up disease. His cruel treatment of journalists escalates until a strong-willed female journalist enters the fray, leading to a climactic confrontation between the two.
