Misinterpretation - Ledia Xhoga
I read this book back in December of 2024 when it won the Center For Fiction First Novel Prize, and for some reason I never wrote about it on the blog. Since it's now been longlisted for the Booker Prize I figured I should write it up, so here are the notes I made in my reading journal.
This [the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize] is another award that I've only just learned about. This book won 2024's prize and I liked it enough taht I'm definitely going to keep an eye on the award this year.
This is an interesting one because it really feels like a thriller for the majority of the book but, as is often the way with literary fiction, it really dwells in ambiguity. In this case it's the ambiguity of translation - both of translating language and culture. It explores the way in which our language shapes the way we see the world, and how it's possible for someone to be an entirely different person when switching from one language/culture to another.
I really liked this and I'll definitely be keeping an eye on Xhogga's work in future.