This book delves into the world of literature to identify why some books are labelled “International” or “Global”. He discusses this from the point of view of an American who knows certain authors like from India, Nigeria and Japan but do they really understand the cultures behind the books?
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I don’t think the book was intended to be a dissertation about the dilution of literature to suit a global audience. He just points it out without going in depth.
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He starts with this train of thought but does not go into too much detail, leaving the reader to think independently of how this dilution affects perception of culture.
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Adam discusses 8 novels:
1. Snow, by Orhan Pamuk
2. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
3. 2666 by Roberto Bolaño
4. Americanah by Chimanda Ngozi Adichie
5. The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
6. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
7. The Possibility of an Island by Michel Houellebecq
8. Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan novels.

Favourite Quotes: "Bilinguals [will] start taking their own country's literature less seriously than literature written in English - especially the classics of English literature, which are evolving into the universal cannon."
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But whether their story encompasses the cosmos, a continent, or a city block, these novelists see individual fates in an international perspective.

A rather lightweight and limited approach to what is a fascinating and complex subject. To talk about the “global novel” and then choose just eight authors is bewildering to say the least. As an introduction to the subject it perhaps has its merits (although I’m not quite sure what they might be) but as a serious exploration of what it means to write for a global readership it offers nothing new – especially to readers who are already immersed in world literature. The author seems to be trying to make a thesis out of very little and I couldn’t perceive an overarching argument. There’s nothing original or particularly insightful here and basically the book is just too short to offer a cogent and well-thought out examination of what constitutes the global novel.

I requested this book as soon as I read the title. It sounded interesting, and I'm always keen on seeing what people think about novels. The Global Novel is a discussion on the subject of world literature. It starts pretty abruptly, plunging the reader straight into a discussion on the criticisms against the subject of world literature.
"The question of whether world literature can exist - in particular, whether the novel, the preeminent modern genre of exploration and explanation, can be "global" - is another way of asking whether a meaningfully global consciousness can exist."
In other words, the stakes are high. After the introductory chapter, the author goes on to discuss:

Snow, by Orhan Pamuk
1Q84 by Haruki Murakami and 2666 by Roberto Bolaño
Americanah by Chimanda Ngozi Adichie and The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood and The Possibility of an Island by Michel Houellebecq
Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan novels.

I didn't quite get the sense of an overarching argument, but it was an interesting discussion. I haven't read many of the books (and I don't really feel like reading any of them other than Ferrante and Murakami after reading this), but I was able to follow the discussion along. Perhaps I didn't get as much depth as I would if I had read the books, but it did make me think. In fact, this line by Mizumura made me think:
"Bilinguals [will] start taking their own country's literature less seriously than literature written in English - especially the classics of English literature, which are evolving into the universal cannon."
It did give me pause because I read primarily in English, even though I'm technically trilingual. I don't read in Chinese (not unless it's Chinese comics, and even that is rare and limited to my childhood) and now I'm wondering how much I've missed by neglecting one language.

This is probably aimed mainly at students of literature, but anyone curious about the world of literature might be interested in this.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

This book is an interesting overview of the work of some mayor contemporary writers. It looks at key themes explored throughout their work, and considers the role and purpose of the novel in the 21st century.

An informative read for anyone who keen the explore the academic status of literature in modern society.

Too superficial for the feat intended by the author.

Intellectually authoritative epistle on the significance of the global novel. Covering authors like Attwood, Adichie, Ferrante, and many others, the author presents a stunning dissertation on the preeminence of studying and reading narratives written by non-white authors.

While well-written and engaging, I feel like this book wasn't researched to the full extent. It needed additional narratives to feel complete. I enjoyed what I read, but to have a truly global novel experience, the author may consider adding a few chapters.

An interesting take on the 'global' novel. A little on the short side for such a massive idea. But a good read all the same.