Asia · FIRST READING PATHS

Kyrgyzstan

Chingiz Aitmatov brought Kyrgyz storytelling into fiction also written in Russian. This novel juxtaposes tradition, Soviet daily life and the loss of memory. Jamilia adds a shorter story about love, village work and a woman's choice in wartime. These two titles form an initial route through Aïtmatov's work.

WHERE TO START

The Day Lasts More than a Hundred YearsChingiz Aitmatov
JamiliaChingiz Aïtmatov

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Books to begin with

An editorial selection · not ranked

Chingiz Aitmatov

The Day Lasts More than a Hundred Years

About the book

A funeral journey across the steppe connects a railway worker’s memories, Central Asian legend and a space-age storyline.

Original title: И дольше века длится день

EnglishTranslation

The Day Lasts More than a Hundred Years

Indiana University Press

Edition source ↗

Chingiz Aïtmatov

Jamilia

About the book

Young Seit observes the love between Jamilia and returning soldier Daniyar while working in a Kyrgyz village.

EnglishTranslation

Jamilia

Edition source ↗

Chingiz Aitmatov

The White Ship

About the book

A lonely boy retreats into tales and dreams as the adult world destroys his certainties.

EnglishTranslation

The White Ship

Crown Publishers

Edition source ↗

Chingiz Aitmatov

Farewell Gulsary!

About the book

The lives of a man and his horse intertwine with changes in rural Kyrgyz life.

EnglishTranslation

Farewell Gulsary!

Hodder & Stoughton

Edition source ↗

Context and sources

Sources on authors and their connections to this country. Specific edition details appear beside each book. Polish and English originals are not labelled as translations.