7 Books To Help You Understand Lithuania

Lithuania has a rich and fascinating history, and there is much to understand about the aspects of Lithuanian culture, traditions, and lifestyle. Lithuanian books are the best way to start. Here is a list of some of the most interesting Lithuanian books, which will help you experience what this small Baltic State has undergone throughout history.

Dievų Miškas (Forest of the Gods)

Balys Sruoga, the author of Dievų Miškas (Forest of the Gods) spent over two years in Stutthof Nazi concentration camp. This experience inspired him to write this memorable book, which perfectly translates the horrific times of Lithuania during World War 2. Dievų Miškas is a masterpiece of Lithuanian literature and a mandatory book to read for students in schools. In 2005, Lithuanian director Algimantas Puipa made a movie based on the book with the same name.

https://www.instagram.com/p/9VhByHEX7-/?tagged=dievumiskas

Altorių šešėly (In the Shadow of the Altars)

Silva Rerum

Kristina Sabaliauskaitė is one of the most successful female Lithuanian authors ever. Her historic novel Silva Rerum became a revelation in 2008 and was named the best book of the year in 2009. The story is centred around the noble Norvaisu family and their everyday problems in a historically difficult 17th century. If you want to learn what it was like to be a part of the aristocracy in Lithuania at that time, read Silva Rerum for a great history lesson.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYFwXZDhTNU/?tagged=silvarerum

Gyvenimas po klevu

Romualdas Granauskas’ book Gyvenimas po klevu touches one of the biggest problems of Lithuanian culture a couple of centuries ago, when people moved from villages to the big cities and abandoned nature and working on the land. Older people, who lived in the villages for their whole lives, could not adapt to the changes and were very disappointed to see their grandchildren losing the touch with the Lithuanian land.

Vilko Valanda (Hour of the Wolf)

Andrius Tapinas, one of the most influential Lithuanian journalists and writers, published his novel Vilko Valanda (Hour of the Wolf) in 2013. This book tells an alternative story of Vilnius in the 20th century. Even though the story is fictional, the description of Vilnius is stunning and all the characters are really believable and fit into that period of history in Lithuania.

https://www.instagram.com/p/3hR8s6BPbh/?tagged=vilkovalanda

Marti

Žemaitė was born in 1845 and died in 1921, leaving a lot of work behind. Žemaitė’s novelette Marti focuses on the brutal life of poor Lithuanian village women in the late 19th and early 20th century. Read Marti if you want to understand the mentality of the Lithuanian villagers and what they had to go through to survive tough village life.

Vilniaus Pokeris (Vilnius Poker)

Ričardas Gavelis was the brightest author of post-modernism in Lithuania. His epic novel Vilniaus Pokeris (Vilnius Poker) was an eye-opener for many Lithuanians in the late 20th century, when the country was fighting for its freedom. Ričardas Gavelis was brave enough to criticize the Soviet Union and its rotten-from-inside culture. In 2009, Vilniaus Pokeris was translated into English and became one of the top 25 translated books in the USA.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTo8EblAbr8/?tagged=vilniauspokeris

Pietinia kronikas

Rimantas Kmita, the Lithuanian author from Šiauliai, published his revolutionary book Pietnia Kronikas in 2016 and it received a lot of positive attention in Lithuania. The novel tells the story of a schoolboy in Šiauliai in the late 20th century, written in authentic Šiauliai dialect, creating a perfectly believable world. If you want to understand Lithuanian street life, with all its cruelty and rules, after it regained independence in 1990, this is the book for you.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.