Lyndon Orr
Famous Affinities: what to read next?
Books close in genre, era, author or reading level, to read in bilingual editions.
George OrwellHomage to CataloniaIn December 1936, Orwell arrives in Barcelona intending to write newspaper articles, but almost at once he joins a P.O.U.M. militia and leaves for the Aragon front. He describes the cold, the lice, the boredom of the trenches and the strange equality of a revolutionary army.…Same genreSame era
José RizalRizal's Own Story of His LifeA collection published in Manila in 1918 by Austin Craig for the schoolchildren of the Philippines. In simplified language, it brings together texts in which José Rizal tells the story of his own life. He describes his childhood in Kalamba, on the shore of a large lake, his…Same genreSame era
Florence Fenwick MillerHarriet Martineau BiographyA biography published in 1884 in a series on famous women. Florence Fenwick Miller tells the life of the Englishwoman Harriet Martineau, born in 1802 in Norwich into a family descended from French Protestant refugees. Deaf from her teenage years and without a sense of smell,…Same genreSame era
Stefan ZweigThe World of Yesterday (Volume 2)The second volume opens in the first hours of August 1914, with cheering crowds and the loneliness of those who refuse. Zweig describes his work in the war archives, his stay in Switzerland near Romain Rolland, then the collapse of Austria and the inflation that emptied…Same genreSame era
Stefan ZweigThe World of Yesterday (Volume 1)Stefan Zweig begins with the Vienna of his youth, what he calls the world of security: a city that believed in progress and cared more for the theatre than for politics. He recalls an Austrian schooling, the discovery of literature, then travels to Paris, Berlin, London and…Same genreSame era
Harriet JacobsIncidents in the Life of a Slave GirlHarriet, born into slavery, recounts a childhood marked by fear, violence, and the absence of freedom. Determined to escape her condition, she plans a risky flight to protect her dignity and that of her children. Her path is filled with ordeals, but also acts of courage and…Same countrySame genre
Frederick DouglassNarrative of Frederick DouglassFrederick Douglass, born into slavery, recounts his journey toward freedom through a constant struggle against oppression. Deprived of education and rights, he gradually discovers the power of knowledge and of the spoken word. His testimony exposes the brutal reality of slavery…Same countrySame genre
Charles DickensA Tale of Two CitiesCharles Darnay, a French aristocrat, renounces his origins to live a fairer life in England, while Sydney Carton, a disillusioned lawyer, struggles with his own inner emptiness. Their destinies intersect against the backdrop of the French Revolution, where social tensions erupt…Same genre
Mark TwainLife on the MississippiMark Twain, a keen observer, recounts his experience as a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi, blending personal memories with descriptions of the river. He traces the evolution of this vital route for commerce and American life. Through anecdotes and portraits, he brings a…Same countrySame genre
G. A. HentyThe Dash for KhartoumAn English adventure novel from 1892. In India, two babies are mixed up: the son of a captain and the son of a sergeant. Unable to tell which one is his own, Captain Clinton raises both boys as twins, Rupert and Edgar. At sixteen, Edgar is told by a stranger that she is his…Same genreSame era
Friedrich HuchPitt and FoxA German novel from 1909, subtitled “the love paths of the Sintrup brothers”. Philipp, nicknamed Pitt, is secretive and ironic, and nothing truly captures his interest; his younger brother Fox, a plump, vain boy, boasts constantly and believes a great future awaits him. Sons of…Same genreSame era
William WareAurelianA historical novel in letters by the American writer William Ware, published in 1838 as a sequel to “Zenobia”. In Rome, after the fall of Palmyra, the nobleman Lucius Manlius Piso writes to his friend Fausta, who has stayed in the East. He tells her about Queen Zenobia,…Same countrySame genre