Happy Wednesday, everyone! Woah! Just like that, we are nearly through the sixth month of the year. I hope the year has been kind and great to everyone. I know life isn’t a walk in the park, but it is my fervent prayer that everyone’s year is going well. Regardless, I hope the rest of the workweek goes smoothly.

That said, the middle of the week also brings a fresh WWW Wednesday update. WWW Wednesday is a bookish meme hosted originally by SAM@TAKING ON A WORLD OF WORDS. 

The mechanics for WWW Wednesday are quite simple: you just have to answer three questions:

  1. What are you currently reading?
  2. What have you finished reading?
  3. What will you read next?
www-wednesdays
What are you currently reading?

It’s already the middle of the week, which means we have only two more days until the weekend. I hope everyone makes it through the workweek. Anyway, my 2026 reading journey is going as planned. After spending the first two months of the year reading works by Latin American and Caribbean writers, I am now in the midst of a European literary adventure. While I had not originally planned to embark on a journey through European literature this early in the year, realizing that I had listed several works by European writers in my reading challenges prompted me to pivot toward them in March. Because of the number of European works included in these challenges, I am extending the journey slightly into this month. I just need to finish the books in my reading challenges, which is ironic. The reason I started a European Literature Month was to read the books in these challenges, and yet I have barely finished them.

I am concluding my journey into European literature with the last two works by British writers on those challenge lists. The first of these is Mary Margaret “Mollie” Kaye’s The Far Pavilions, a book I acquired nearly a decade ago. Unfortunately, it suffered the same fate as many of my other books: gathering dust on my bookshelf. It is for this reason that I included the book in my 2026 Beat the Backlist Challenge. Originally published in 1978, The Far Pavilions is set in 19th-century India, where we are introduced to Ashton Pelham-Martyn. The son of Hilary, a British botanist traveling through India, Ashton was born in 1852 in the foothills of the Himalayas. Soon afterward, he was orphaned. His mother, Isabel, died of childbed fever shortly after his birth, while his father died of cholera a few years later. He was then entrusted to a Hindu ayah, Sita, and was supposed to be brought to his maternal English relatives in the city of Mardan. However, during the Sepoy Uprising of 1857, British feringhis (people of European descent) were being targeted and killed. This prompted Sita to adopt Ashton and take him with her in search of safety.

Sita and Ash, now renamed Ashok, eventually found refuge in the kingdom of Gulkote. Sita, as Ashok’s surrogate mother, raised him in the traditions of India. Ash forgot his British lineage. While growing up, Ashok worked as a servant to Lalji, the young yuveraj (crown prince) of Gulkote. There, he befriended Anjuli, a beautiful but neglected half-caste princess and the raja’s spirited daughter. He also befriended Koda Dad, the master of the stables, and Zarin, Koda Dad’s son. When he was eleven, Ash uncovered a conspiracy against his master. With his own life threatened, Ash and Sita escaped the palace with the help of their friends. This came after he had promised Anjuli that he would return for her one day. During their escape, however, Sita passed away. Before her death, Sita revealed Ash’s true parentage. She also entrusted him with the letters and money his father had given her before his death. Ash then made his way to a British military post, as Sita had instructed. He was taken in by Major Sir Louis Cavagnari.

Ash subsequently resumed his British identity and was sent to England for a formal education and military training. However, he struggled to fit in with his English classmates. He also never forgot his Indian roots, longing to return to the country he considered his true home. Eventually, at the age of nineteen, Ash returned to the land he considered home as an officer in the Corps of Guides, an elite military unit stationed on the Northern Frontier, where he was reunited with Zarin. His bravery and military prowess earned him the respect and admiration of his colleagues. What ensued was an eventful story that takes readers across the landscape of late 19th-century British India. Elements of romance, adventure, and coming-of-age fiction add different dimensions to the story. I am already two-thirds of the way through the book, and there still seem to be many events yet to unfold. I am looking forward to seeing how Ash’s story concludes.

What have you finished reading?

The past week was a rather slow reading week. Because of the length of The Far Pavilions—at nearly a thousand pages, “thick” would be an understatement—I was able to complete just one book. On top of this, things have been getting hectic at work. Nevertheless, I am still thankful that I was able to finish one book. Thankfully, it is a book listed on one of my reading challenges. I guess I am saving the best books for last. Like most of the writers I have recently been exploring, it was must-read lists that introduced me to Vassilis Vassilikos. The Greek writer’s novel, Z, is ubiquitous, a familiar presence on these must-read lists. It was also included among the 1,001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. By reading the book, I am essentially hitting two birds with one stone, as it is my goal to read at least twenty books from that list. In fact, it is the eighth book from the list that I have read this year and the sixteenth book from my 2026 Top 26 Reading List.

Originally published in Greece in 1966, Z catapulted Vassilikos to global acclaim. Set in the 1960s in Vassilikos’s native Greece, the novel’s central figure is the titular Z. Z is a charismatic and progressive parliamentary deputy. Referred to simply as “The Deputy,” he is presented as someone with a superb physique, notable athletic achievements, and the qualities of being convincing, brave, powerful, intelligent, and capable of leading crowds. Z’s arrival in the city stirred its extreme right wing. Paramilitary forces and local politicians supportive of the ruling elite arranged a counterdemonstration led by right-wing thugs and stood by as violence took hold. Chaos naturally ensued. In the confusion, Z was struck by a demonstrator wielding an iron bar and was subsequently killed. However, it was no mere accident. It was an assassination plot meant to silence one of the most vocal and charismatic critics of the right wing. Despite the assassination, the public’s overwhelming response culminated in a massive funeral procession that became a powerful political demonstration. This outpouring of public support transformed a mere crime into a profound political statement. Because of the public outcry, an investigation was immediately launched. As the investigation progressed, it became increasingly evident that uncovering the truth would be an uphill battle. The investigating judge began to suspect that the assassination was not merely the work of a lone fanatic. He surmised that it was a carefully planned operation intended to make an example of Z and his followers. A detailed examination of the evidence revealed a complex plot involving the collusion of various influential figures, including police officers, military officials, and members of the judiciary—powerful men with their own interests to protect. The judicial inquiry exposed the complicity of police and political elites, underscoring the systemic nature of repression. This was further highlighted by numerous attempts to obstruct justice, tamper with witnesses, and intimidate those who wished to speak the truth. Still, the judge persisted, and most of the witnesses remained undeterred by these efforts. With such powerful forces at play, would justice remain elusive?

Interestingly, the novel was inspired by the 1963 assassination of Gregoris Lambrakis, a leftist parliamentarian, in Thessaloniki. The novel explores the corruption permeating Greek society that enabled both the planning and execution of the assassination. It also vividly captures the cover-ups and propaganda used in its aftermath. Yet despite depicting such a bleak period, the novel brims with hope, represented by the young and courageous investigator. He is undaunted by the uphill battle before him. He is also ably assisted by journalists who are relentless in their pursuit of the truth. Still, the assassination serves as an ominous portrait of an era in which scores are settled, and gangs of marginalized people are exploited to carry out the dirty work of their superiors. Z vividly captures the atmosphere of fear, suspicion, and outrage permeating Greek society. In the process, it exposes the deep divisions and authoritarian tendencies within the state apparatus.

What will you read next?