Authors: Rushdie, Salman
Translated by: Žalytė, Danguolė
Translated from: English
Published on: 2008

According to author “The Enchantress of Florence “is his most researched book which required “years and years of reading“. This is a story about three best friends who lived in Florence in the age of Lorenzo de’ Medici and a story of Akbar, greatest of the Mughal emperors. Both of these stories are connected by a mysterious young men, who has several names, knows many languages and all his life has been traveling around the world. This young man came to Mughal Empire to reveal the most import secret of his life. He introduced himself as Mogor dell’Amore and claim that he is a long lost relative of Akbar and his mother is Princess Qara Koz. More

Authors: Tendo, Shoko
Translated by: Jėrinaitė, Jurgita
Translated from: English
Published on: 2008

Intriguing and engaging from the first pages, an autobiographical book is telling a story about Yakuza boss daughter’s life. It is the author’s debut work, which is quite straightforward story about the plight and unimaginative life of a teenage girl. Tattooed from head to toe, just twenty years old girl speaks about her life that was like a personal hell. At the age of twelve, book author Shoko got acquainted with poverty, sexual violence and drug slavery. She suffered horrendous psychological challenges, tried to commit suicide and survived the loss of people that were close to her. More

Authors: Endo, Shusaku
Translated by: Neverauskytė-Brundzienė, Rima
Translated from: English
Published on: 2008

The book brought us into the seventeenth century Japan, in which Christianity is prohibited, and small Christian communities persecution peaked its apogee. In this country secretly arrives two Portuguese priests, including the main novel protagonist – Sebastian Rodriguez. Their mission is to identify and teach Christians in hiding, and most important thing to find out the truth about one of the missing missionary, their mentor, who according to rumors committed apostasy. Also on this journey Rodriguez will have to answer  the question which haunts him: “Why is God silent?”

This novel presents Japanese government and society that was at the time, as well as their views on Buddhism and Christianity, and the two religions in conflict. The book vividly describes the Christian spiritual and physical suffering and torture. However, nothing came close to the suffering experienced by the main character of the novel. This spiritual suffering experienced by Rodriguez, as well as God’s silence and passivity, leads him to a crisis of faith, which repeatedly makes one think of the apostasy. More

Authors: Min, Anchee
Translated by: Antanina Banelytė
Translated from: English
Published on: 2008

“The Last Empress” – is a sequel  of real historical facts based novel „Empress Orchid“, which tells a story about very controversial person in Chinese history, strong and ambitious emperor who ruled China in the last decades of Qing Dynasty. Empress Tzu Hsi – already grown up woman and ruler, referred as  a „mistress of evil and intrigue“, but at the same time a gifted diplomat , trying her best to save Chinese empire, sensitive mother, wise and loving woman.

Empress Orchid, who survived Opium Wars and lost her husband, the Emperor, starts ruling China together with other regent Empress Nuharu.  Her long and troubled ruling lasted until the end of the next century. Throughout her all life makes effort to preserve the empire, as well as she aims to raise her own son, who was entrusted with the Empress Nuharu. More

Authors: Adiga, Arivand
Translated by: Ardickas, Zigmantas
Translated from: English
Published on: 2008

At 2008 Arivand Adiga novel The White Tiger won Booker Literature Award. This novel let us to meet with competelly different India. The tittle of book can a little bit misguide us because tiger is the rarest animal in jungle but book is telling about the boy whose name is Balram Halvaj. Inspector calls the boy white tiger because of his exclusivity in the school. He was crafty and the only person in the class, who can read and write. So, inspector compared Balram with the white tier and named him exactly like this. The boy grew up in poor family, so he wanted to do anything for better future, that it would be better than childhood. His family was poor  and they had to work very hard because of wealth. However, Balram has surpassed everyone and he started to work by driver. Later, he had a suggestion from the boss, so he was a driver of the boss sons. More

Authors: Published Translation of Min Jin Lee NovelSwarup, Vikas
Translated from: anglų k.
Published on: 2008

“Q & A” is a novel, which unravels an unbelievable story about a life that has changed completely just in one night. The writer tells a story about a person who has always been in the bottom of hierarchal system and his life struggles.

The main character Ram Mohammad Thomas runs into life difficulties since he was little. A child who has been abandoned by his parents cannot find his place in the world. He tries to adapt in various institutions, work places, but various struggles do not allow him to settle. A constant lack of income, social separation and other obstacles disturb an everyday life of the young man. However, the strong personality of Ram does not allow him to be self-pity. He tries to fight for a better tomorrow not only for himself but for people around him as well. Ram in his life gets familiar not only More

Authors: Murakami, Haruki
Translated by: Susnytė, Ieva

Growing up in the suburbs of post-war Japan, it seemed to Hajime that everyone but him had brothers and sisters. His sole companion was Shimamoto, also an only child. Together they spent long afternoons listening to her father’s record collection. But when his family moved away, the two lost touch. Now Hajime is in his thirties. After a decade of drifting he has found happiness with his loving wife and two daughters, and success running a jazz bar. Then Shimamoto reappears. She is beautiful, intense, enveloped in mystery. Hajime is catapulted into the past, putting at risk all he has in the present.

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Authors: Murakami, Haruki
Translated by: Stasiūnaitė, Ieva
Translated from: English
Published on: 2007

“Kafka on the Shore” – it’s one more long, but interesting Haruki Murakami novel, which let us enjoy writer’s unique style and mysterious reality world. This novel is full of detailed descriptions about characters, their actions, and sometimes it’s hard to understand what they mean in this whole story. Novel starts when fifteen years old boy Kafka Tamura runs away from home, and he starts to search for his sister, mother and himself, too. Because from four years old he lived with his father, and father predicted to Tamura, that he will kill his father and violate his sister and mother. This prediction in whole novel is chasing the character until it gets true. More

Translated by: Seo, Jinseok
Translated from: Korean
Published on: 2007

Myths described in the book “Korean myths” talks about Korean kingdoms’ establishments, gods’ origins and their life stories. Majority of myths narrating about establishment of kingdoms were written in a chronicle, which was published in 1285. Meanwhile shaman myths were started to gather only in the 20th century. This book also briefly introduces Korea’s history, religion as well as shamanism and geography. And before every myth there is a short introduction of the myth and where it is spread, so that a reader would understand everything easier.

In this book all myths are categorized into myths about kingdoms’ establishments, Korea’s mainland shaman myths and myths from Jeju Island. Last two categories were started to gather and write down only a hundred years ago by Korean and foreign (usually Japanese) researchers. Therefore they have many versions and the book also has two very different versions of Seongju’s myth. More

Authors: Rushdie, Salman
Translated by: Žalytė, Danguolė
Translated from: English
Published on: 2007

„Shalimar the Clown“ – is psychological, historical novel, published in 2007. Mesmerizing story shifts to Kashmir territory, but at the same time covers worldwide space, creates a vivid historical context. A number of different, but fascinating characters embody different principles, beliefs and traditions. The main character is India – extramarital daughter of influential ambassador Maximilian Ophuls. After her father assassination, she hopes to find her mother and determines to take revenge on the murderer. Upon discovering the circumstances of the novel reveals two major tragedies. More