8 Best and Most Popular Translated Novel Recommendations, Phenomenal Works from Various Countries

Alchemist or in Indonesian version translated as The Alchemist is a best-selling novel by Brazilian author Paulo Celho. This novel is one of his most phenomenal works. The Alchemist tells the story of a search for self-identity. It is narrated by a shepherd named Santiago who embarks on a journey to find his true self. Interestingly, Santiago begins to explore the world by following his heart and the clues that appear in his dreams.

The next recommended translated novel comes from South Korea. A novel titled Kim Ji-yeong (Born in 1982). This novel portrays the weight of a woman's life in South Korea, where patriarchal principles are still strongly held. It is narrated that Kim Ji-yeong is a hardworking woman. However, Kim Ji-yeong never received the deserved appreciation from her family. Until finally, after getting married and becoming a mother, what Kim Ji-yeong has been suppressing all this time becomes a time bomb ready to explode.

1984 by George Orwell has also been translated into various languages, including Indonesian. George Orwell's novel titled 1984 is one of the must-reads for you. This novel tells the story of a restrained and unfree society, as it is under the control of the ruling party.

If you are looking for a recommendation for a romantic translated novel, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green could be the answer. This novel has a romantic and heart-touching story. The Fault in Our Stars tells the story of Hazel, a woman who suffers from severe cancer. Her condition prevents Hazel from living her life freely. Hazel's life depends heavily on an oxygen tank. Fortunately, when her life feels so bleak, Hazel then meets August, an activist who cares about cancer, and he brings more enthusiasm and color to her life.

Little Prince is a world best-selling novel by the famous French writer, Antoine de Saint-Exupery. This novel, which has been translated into Indonesian, is suitable for readers of all ages, including children. The story of Little Prince is about a prince from a kingdom outside of space who gets lost on Earth. Through the character of the prince, the author conveys a meaningful story about loneliness, loss, and love.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is also one of the popular translated novels that is highly recommended for you to read. This novel by Stephen Chbosky presents a complex teenage love story, namely the love story of an introverted boy named Charlie. Like other introverted men, Charlie struggles to express his feelings. As a result, Charlie's love story doesn't go so smoothly. Charlie has to experience various painful things, related to a trauma that he has.

The Old Man and the Sea is one of the phenomenal works by the famous writer Ernest Hemingway. This novel has a simple but very exciting story, which is about an old sailor man's struggle to conquer a big fish that he caught in the open sea. This novel is written concisely, far from being wordy. The number of pages is also not too many, making it suitable for you to read in your short spare time.

Life of Pi, written by Indian author Yann Martel, has become one of the best-selling and most popular novels. Its popularity increased even more after it was adapted into a film. Life of Pi tells the story of a character named Pi. A major incident that happened to his family forced him to sail with several wild animals that used to live in his family's private zoo. However, a shipwreck occurred, and he had to survive in the middle of the ocean with the wild animals that sailed with him.