Ten Translated Books You Can Read in a Day

We all love getting lost in a big book, but recently I’ve come to appreciate the power of a shorter read. I think it takes a lot of skill to tell a good story in so few pages. So I’m always happy when an author manages to leave an impression on me with books you can read in a day. Whether you’ve got a slow Saturday morning planned or need something to keep your mind off the Sunday night blues, these books are perfect. They’re also ideal if you fancy dipping your toe into some translated works without committing to something like The Eighth Life or One Hundred Years of Solitude!

I’d say all of these are books you can read in a day, and many would actually benefit from a one-sitting read as you will receive a stronger impression. Of course, it’s not possible for all of us to read at the same pace, so don’t worry if you feel like you can’t read these in one day! They’re still just excellent books that I recommend picking up anyway.

So let’s dive in to these ten translated books you can read in a day!

Some titles were previously sent to me for free from the publisher in exchange for a review. These have been noted with an asterisk* and, as always, my opinion is unbiased. I’m also an affiliate for Blackwell’s, so if you think any of my recommendations are for you, I would be so grateful if you would shop using my affiliate link. Simply click through using the link beneath the book and search the website from there. Thank you!

1. Elly* by Maike Wetzel, tr. German by Lyn Marven

A little powerhouse of a thriller, Elly explores what happens when a child disappears from a family – but then comes back. Not only is this one of those books you can read in a day, it’s one of those books you SHOULD read in a day. It’s only 137 pages (based on my advanced copy) and it’s fast paced. I raced through it in an hour and a half, as Wetzel builds the tension so well that you can’t help but flip the pages feverishly. Wetzel’s sparse style also translates well into English, which is always a bonus.

Buy Elly at Blackwell’s

2. Paradise Rot by Jenny Hval, tr. Norwegian by Marjam Idriss

If you fancy whiling away an afternoon while feeling slightly nauseated, this book is for you. Fans of weird fiction will revel in Jenny Hval’s vivid descriptions. Some words I’d use to describe this book include sticky, slimy, moist, putrid and leaky, so that should give you some idea of what to expect! Overall it’s an exploration of queer desire and sexual awakening, overflowing with sensory writing. Hval also has a new book coming out later this year, Girls Against God, so look out for that too.

Buy Paradise Rot at Blackwell’s

3. Convenience Store Woman* by Sayaka Murata, tr. Japanese by Ginny Tapley Takemori

This is a translated book you’ve probably already seen recommended all over bookstagram, and with reason! So if you haven’t picked it up yet – why not? Murata delves into all the good stuff surrounding societal expectations and the pressure to conform. I think a lot of introverts will relate to the main character Keiko in some way, even if not completely. I also found it oddly soothing – I’m a sucker for routines, so Keiko’s like-clockwork life definitely holds some strange appeal for me. Don’t forget to check out my review of Murata’s forthcoming book Earthlings, which isn’t quite a one-sitting read but still great! This one is currently just £6.42 at Blackwell’s.

Buy Convenience Store Woman at Blackwell’s

4. Untold Night and Day* by Bae Suah, tr. Korean by Deborah Smith

The most common synonym I’ve seen people use when reading this book is that it’s ‘like a fever dream’, and I 100% agree. The author blurs the lines between the real and the imagined, past and present, and the result is a distorted trip of a book. Again, this is another one of those books I actively recommend sitting down with and reading in one sitting, as I think you will catch more of what Bae Suah is putting out there. There are also a whopping four pages at the end dedicated to Deborah Smith’s illuminating translator’s note which I just LOVED. Petition for all publishers to allow their translators to give us readers more insight into the process.

Buy Untold Night and Day at Blackwell’s

5. The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly by Sun-mi Hwang, tr. Korean by Chi-Young Kim

This book is so sweet and so sad. We follow a plucky chicken named Sprout who has reached the end of her egg-laying days. This would usually mean the end of her life. But Sprout isn’t about to leave this world without achieving her dream of hatching her own egg. In fact, her imminent end makes her all the more determined. This book reads like a fable for adults. It reminds us to have courage in the face of adversity, and to not give in to what other people think of you.

Buy The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly at Blackwell’s

6. Lie With Me* by Philippe Besson, tr. French by Molly Ringwald

Initially the translator of this book concerned me. What was Molly Ringwald doing translating novels? But despite my reservations about a book with a celebrity translator slapped on the front cover, I ended up really enjoying this heartbreaking little read. It is a short but intense book about a love affair between two teenage boys. It then follows the events of their respective lives. Tender and passionate, this book paints a devastating portrait of a man unable to accept his true self. Now if we could please put the names of ALL translators on the front cover, regardless of whether they were in The Breakfast Club.

Buy Lie With Me at Blackwell’s

7. Ways of Going Home by Alejandro Zambra, tr. Spanish by Megan McDowell

Megan McDowell, along with Ann Goldstein, is one of my favourite translators! As usual, her translation here is smooth and deliciously readable. Ways of Going Home doesn’t have much in way of plot, but it does explore what childhood was like under Pinochet’s regime in Chile. It also gets VERY meta with it. A story within a story, this book sees children trying to process very adult events. It’s fascinating to see Pinochet’s regime through the innocent eyes of a child.

Buy Ways of Going Home at Blackwell’s

8. The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante, tr. Italian by Ann Goldstein

Of course my other favourite translator was going to make this list. Ferrante is more well known for her incredible and expansive Neapolitan Novels. However, those aren’t exactly books you can read in a day. I read this strange little novel for a course during university. While it didn’t make a huge impression at the time, it’s a book that’s stuck with me and I want to reread it. It is a meditative yet explosive exploration of motherhood which hinges around one small, unassuming event. I remember finding Leda distasteful yet being unable to put the book down.

Buy The Lost Daughter at Blackwell’s

9. The Vegetarian by Han Kang, tr. Korean by Deborah Smith

This is likely another book you’ve seen recommended everywhere. But it’s also another one that I will say you should read if you haven’t already. If you read this in one sitting you will pass an unsettling and strange couple of hours . The less you know going into this book the better, I think. But prepare to be absorbed by the sparse, stark writing style and some of the most haunting imagery I can remember reading.

Buy The Vegetarian at Blackwell’s

10. Happening by Annie Ernaux, tr. French by Tanya Leslie

I saved the shortest and my favourite until last. I’m a self-confessed Annie Ernaux fangirl, but this book truly is one of the most powerful little books I’ve ever read. I read part of it on the train during my commute and I vividly remember the visceral emotions it evoked in me and trying to control my facial expressions in public.

It is the bleak account of an illegal abortion Ernaux was forced to obtain in Paris in the 1960s, a time when it was illegal. Even through the translation, a testament to Tanya Leslie’s skill, you can feel the pain and emotion of Ernaux. She does not dance around difficult subjects. Instead, she forces herself to lay down every single thing she can remember of the event and unpacks it all moment by moment. At fewer than 100 pages, this is an uncomfortable and incredible work that I think everyone should read.

Buy Happening at Blackwell’s

So there you have it! Ten little powerhouse books you can read in a day – or less! Eight of these are also perfect choices for Women in Translation Month which is coming up in August too. Look out for my own personal TBR for WIT Month, as well as some other recommendations!