Good Latvian novels

[Levo]

Sveicināti!

I like to do such business by my own the best, but still, I thought I give a chance to an open topic as well.
I would like to read some good novel written by a Latvian. Since I am living in Estonia now, there are some writers whose books are available - in Estonian, but still, at least I would learn about Latvians at last while learning Estonian. Entertaining with useful - as we say.
As for my interest: I would like the novel to be written before the Second World War, I don't want to explain this now, just let it be the latest from the 1930's. Otherwise, the older, the better (except the language, then it will be harder to translate). Not if I wouldn't like that genre, but I am not really in a mood nowadays to read awfully realistic pieces. Rural romantica is a good point at me for example But it can be of any kind.
Any novels you would recommend me?

[mak]

"Nāves ēnā" (1899) by Rūdolfs Blaumanis.

It is fiction but 'awfully realistic'. It's about a bunch of fishermen who're stuck on drift ice with nowhere to go.

[Sol Invictus]

So you want to know Latvian authors translated into Estonian ? Maybe tell us what you have available, otherwise there is no use suggesting something you can't get You can get some Latvian novels in Latvian on http://www.ailab.lv/Teksti/def1.htm

P.S. Why of all things something so serious, Mak ?

[Levo]

I checked "Nāves ēnā" (1899) by Rūdolfs Blaumanis on google, it seems sympathical, found out what the Estonian name must be, checked it in the library, they got it, but it cannot be borrowed... I already spend lots of afternoons there, since I study Estonian from a Swedish grammarbook which is also unborrowable, so both of them would be too much.
And yeah, at the same time I checked also what they have, Lācis, Regina Ezera, Blems, sorry, I forgot the spelling, some others still with B, also the Kaudzite brothers (Mernieku Laiks or how it is in Latvian, now I already saw it in Hungarian at home, Estonian here, and Latvian on the page Sol offered to me. I enjoyed that part I read of it at home in Hungarian, maybe it is good, just it is like 400 pages, and for a start of Estonian language...)
And there were quite a lot of other Latvians as well, like two entire shelves, I don't remember all the names. But these are all at the borrowable department.
Lūdzu, vēl!

[Sol Invictus]

Nāves ēnā is short, you probably can read it in library. I don't know who Blems is (maybe you've mixed something up), Ezera is more modern (Soviet era, as far as I know she was writing about everyday people and events), Lācis can be several guys, but I haven't read any of them. There's a list of important Latvian authors on Wikipedia, you might want to check it out: http://lv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nozīmīgi_autori_latviešu_literatūrā_(saraksts) (many of those have articles in other Wikipedias)

[Levo]

Ok. Still, if jús has any ideas, tell me.
Btw, yesterday I was in Latvia and I must say that Latvians are really friendly, especially if you can say some words in their language. My travelling-partner said: "In Estonia, we still have to wait some time for this kind of kindness." And the language is really so nice in live as I imagined. It was so good to experience this all.
We were in Valka, and we got to know some more facts about the town, than what is written on online sources, its history and demographics, and both of us really feel sorry for Latvians losing this town.

[Levo]

Okay, guys,
it's cancelled. I have to read an Estonian novel, homework given by the Estonian teacher, I'm glad though, because I'm interested.
Still, if you have anything good you would recommend from Latvian literature, let me know about it!

[hekate]

If you are interested in a nice, long novel situated in the 30`s, i recommend you Anšlavs Eglītis "Līgavu mednieki", as well as the short stories of Ēriks Ādamsons (1920`s and 30´s).

[Levo]

If you are interested in a nice, long novel situated in the 30`s, i recommend you Anšlavs Eglītis "Līgavu mednieki", as well as the short stories of Ēriks Ādamsons (1920`s and 30´s).

Thank you very much! I remember they have Eglītis for sure at the library. This weekend I'm going to Rīga btw.