A Few Morose Pieces of World Literature...I really enjoyed

La familia de Pascual Duarte - The Family of Pascual Duarte
by Camilo Jose Cela (Spain)

I don't know if its been translated to English, but I hope so because I think everyone should read it. For those who like reading banned books, this is a must-read. It reflects rural life in Spain right before the beginning of the Franco regime. Its protagonist is a very religious, young man, who can only express himself through extreme violence...I want to say more, but it's a short book. Sad and disturbing. 

The Good Earth 
by Pearl S. Buck (USA/China)

Yes, I know. Pearl S. Buck is an American writer, but she spent most of her time in China and wrote this amazing book (which won her the Pulitzer and the Nobel Prize in Lit.). It's a beautifully written piece centering around peasant life in China, with a deep and simple story about tradition, change, love and hardship, and the flawed humans that endure through it all. Absolutely love this book. 

Santa maria de las flores negras - Santa Maria of the Black Flowers
by Hernan Rivera Letelier (Chile)

Once again, I'm not sure if this has been translated from Spanish to English...However, its a realistic fictionalization of a horrific happening--the Santa Maria school massacre. It's about nitrate miners going on  strike and coming together to change their poor working conditions. Very sad and true work of historical fiction.