George Saunders climbs into the belly of the beast and emerges with Eddie the Vacant.

As outrageous as ever (if a little repetitious), Palahniuk takes you way down south.

Denis Johnson's novella of the frontier is among the finest work he's ever produced.

Young Werther is minor league when it comes to Teutonic crankiness.

Carmen Laforet's retranslated "Nada" brings a long-lost Spain to vital life.

Another fanciful flight of realm-building from Argentine César Aira.

Clarice Lispector's forgotten classic is a rumination that defies known gravity.

The remarkable Jesse Ball is a poetic alien who reads and writes in English.

Jim Brosnan's baseball reminscence is a rare bird: Words by a player who can write.

Paula Fox's 1970 novel is a beautiful portrait of the bloodshed contained in ennui.