The Egyptian[1].
Ask HN: What are some great books that are relatively unknown in the US?
31–40 of 175 posts
Re: Ask HN: What are some great books that are relatively unknown in the US?
#321984
not really unknown.
The question was "What are some great books that are relatively unknown in the United States?"
Although certain 1984 memes (like "Big Brother") are well-known, the book itself is not. Most Americans, if they've read any Orwell, have only read Animal Farm; and other concepts from 1984 (the memory hole, two minutes hate) are completely unheard of... again, because the book is not actually well-known.
Re: Ask HN: What are some great books that are relatively unknown in the US?
#33The Master and Margarita.
Agreed. A worthy read[1]
[1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Master_and_Margarita
Re: Ask HN: What are some great books that are relatively unknown in the US?
#34Mayyazhippuzhayude Theerangalil by M. Mukundan (Malayalam. English translation: On the Banks of the Mayyazhi)
Re: Ask HN: What are some great books that are relatively unknown in the US?
#35Francis Spufford is a brilliant English author who should be more widely known.
For the HN crowd I would heartily recommend "Red Plenty" (2010). It's a semi-fictional novel about that brief moment in time around 1959 when the Soviets really thought that the dream of Communism was within reach.
The characters (most of them real people) include mathematicians, biologists, party officials, computer designers... There's probably no other novel that could afford to spend so many pages on discussing linear optimization and centralized economic planning without sacrificing the emotional narrative. I can't recommend it enough.
Re: Ask HN: What are some great books that are relatively unknown in the US?
#36Some great comics/graphic novels that are relatively unknown in the US
Asterix comics [1]
Tintin comics [2]
Yes, I know Spielberg's Tintin animated movie is well known but I doubt most people in the US have heard of the entire series of Tintin comics.
I couldn't devour these fast enough when I was growing up.
[1] https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3...
[2] https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3...
Re: Ask HN: What are some great books that are relatively unknown in the US?
#37Earlier quoted context omitted.
not really unknown.
The question was "What are some great books that are relatively unknown in the United States?" Although certain 1984 memes (like "Big Brother") are well-known, the book itself is not. Most Americans, if they've read any Orwell, have only read Animal Farm; and other concepts from 1984 (the memory hole, two minutes hate) are completely unheard of... again, because the book is not actually well-known.
1984 is required reading in many highschools. It's well known.
Re: Ask HN: What are some great books that are relatively unknown in the US?
#38"The Long Ships" by Frans G. Bengtsson. It's a wonderful, humorous adventure tale about the life of a viking.
I'd also just suggest you browse the New York Review Books collection. They put a lot of effort into reviving this kind of literature in translation, as well as digging up forgotten American gems.
Re: Ask HN: What are some great books that are relatively unknown in the US?
#39The gods are athirst from Anatole France: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/24010
Re: Ask HN: What are some great books that are relatively unknown in the US?
#40The "Four Great Classic Novels" from 14th-18th century China: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classic_Chinese_Novels Specifically: Water Margin Romance of the Three Kingdoms Journey to the West Dream of the Red Chamber They are referenced in everything in asian media and there a bajillion tv/movie adaptations of them but they are relatively unknown in the west.
Seconded. They are excellent. I must re-read them.
Water Margin[0] came to UK on TV in the early 80s from Japanese TV. Gained quite a following.
Journey to the West came to the UK as Monkey[1] (again a Japanese adaptation) around the same time. It was the most ridiculous, weird thing on TV. Most people at school were addicted to it. It became a cult classic. Sadly Saiyuki 2 never made it to the UK.
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Water_Margin_(1973_TV_seri... [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monkey_(TV_series)