Best European Literature Books of 2025

Paradise Lost by Hackett Classics is an excellent edition of John Milton's epic poem that brings it to life for modern readers. The text has been carefully edited to modernize spelling and punctuation without losing its original essence. The annotations and glosses provide valuable insights into the poem's syntax, poetics, and allusions, making it easier to understand. David Kastan's Introduction is thought-provoking and engaging, raising important interpretive issues that are still relevant today. This edition also includes a biography of Milton, a chronology of his life, and a selected bibliography. Overall, this book is a must-have for anyone interested in epic poetry or Milton's work.

"Fathers and Sons" by Turgenev is a timeless masterpiece of generational conflict that continues to shock readers today, just as it did when it was first published in 1862. The story follows a young graduate who returns home with a nihilistic friend, causing discomfort for his father and uncle. This new translation, commissioned for the Oxford World's Classics series, draws on Turgenev's working manuscript, which was only discovered in 1988. The volume features expert introductions, notes, bibliographies, and other valuable features. Richard Freeborn, an Emeritus Professor of Russian Literature at the University of London, provides an authoritative introduction to the book. Overall, this classic literature and fiction book is a must-read for those interested in exploring the complexities of generational conflict and nihilistic heroes.

The Iliad, published by Hackett Classics, is a gripping and vivid translation of the great classic by Robert Lombardo. The author manages to retain the original integrity of Homer's dire spirit while providing fresh refashioning of his Greek. Lombardo's translation is accessible and readable, and his use of natural speech cadences instead of hexameters is an excellent choice. Sheila Murnaghan's comprehensive introduction provides a rich but lucid discussion of the classical context of the epic. Overall, this superbly done Iliad is highly recommended for all libraries, and it will be read and enjoyed by everyone.

The Dictionary of Russian Literature (Routledge Library Editions: Russian and Soviet Literature) is a comprehensive reference work that covers the entire field of Russian literature, as well as literary criticism, journalism, philosophy, theatre, and related subjects. Originally published in 1957, the book contains critical analysis in addition to essential information. The Russian literary tradition tends to blur the lines between social and political criticism, literary criticism, and philosophy, making this a unique and valuable resource for scholars and students of Russian literature and culture. Overall, this book is a must-have for anyone interested in 20th-century literary criticism.

Futures explores the intersection between futures studies and literary studies, providing a multidisciplinary analysis of the methodologies and technologies of futures expertise. The book challenges and debates the ways in which futures are conjured and constructed, examining issues such as the utopian imagination, literary and political manifestos, and technological forecasting. Ultimately, the book positions the future as a question of power and representation, highlighting the contested fields of cultural and social life. Overall, this book is a valuable resource for those interested in exploring the relationship between futures studies and literary studies.

The book, Games and Gaming in Medieval Literature, is a unique collection of interdisciplinary essays that explores the role of games in medieval literature and culture. The book covers a wide range of games from the twelfth to the sixteenth centuries in different social settings such as the church, court, and household. The essays in this book provide a new perspective on the history of games by comparing medieval and modern gaming practices. Overall, Games and Gaming in Medieval Literature is a valuable contribution to cultural game theory, and it is highly recommended for scholars and students interested in medieval literature and gaming history.

Discourses on Livy, a book written in 1531 by Niccolo di Bernardo dei Machiavelli, is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand his political philosophy. The book compares the practice of ancient Romans with that of contemporaries, providing the author with a consistent point of view in all his works. Machiavelli's analysis of Livy's history of Rome led him to advance his most original and outspoken view of politics – the belief that a healthy political body was characterized by social friction and conflict rather than by rigid stability. This book is a richly annotated new translation that provides historical, linguistic, and political information to understand and interpret Machiavelli's revolutionary affirmations. Overall, this book is a great read for those who want to understand Machiavelli's political ideology and thought-provoking theories.

The Hammer of Witches: A Complete Translation of the Malleus Maleficarum is a highly acclaimed translation of the standard medieval text on witchcraft. Mackay’s translation is the only complete English version available and the most reliable. It provides a unique insight into the fifteenth-century mind and its sense of sin, punishment, and retribution. The book is a valuable resource for students and scholars of medieval history and literature. The detailed explanatory notes and a guide to further reading make this volume even more useful. Overall, this critical edition of the Malleus Maleficarum is a significant achievement that allows this important work to be accessed by a much broader audience in its proper historical and intellectual context.

Bulgakov's Last Decade: The Writer as Hero is a comprehensive and insightful study of the later writings of the renowned Soviet novelist and playwright Mikhail Bulgakov. This book, published in 1987, offers a detailed analysis of Bulgakov's works from the 1930s, a period in which he wrote his masterpiece, The Master and Margarita. The author utilizes material from Soviet archives and libraries to shed light on Bulgakov's preoccupation with the destiny of literature and the writer, as well as his unique position as a belated romantic on the early Soviet literary scene. Overall, this book is an essential read for anyone interested in Russian literature and literary criticism.

This new translation of Goethe's Faust, Part One, is a masterpiece of poetic and dramatic literature. The legend of Faust, the wandering conjuror who sells his soul to the devil for greater knowledge, has been adopted by Goethe to produce one of the greatest works in European literature. The translation, commissioned for the Oxford World's Classics series, is cast in rhymed verse that preserves the essence of Goethe's meaning without sacrificing to archaism or over-modern idiom. David Luke's translation is a scholar's version that conveys the meaning, intellectual passion, and Byronic raciness of the original. It is a must-read for anyone interested in classic literature and fiction books.