Comments on: Review: An Accident in August, Laurence Cossé

By: Jodie

Jodie — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 10:16:47 +0000

In reply to Care.

Link to it: http://www.peirenepress.com/books/the_man/peirene_no_5 They’re a growing press with some lovely books.

By: Care

Care — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 13:33:29 +0000

LOVE the Mumsy-sponsor notice. 🙂
Can’t think of any guilt books off the top of my head.
Want to now find Tomorrow Pamplona re: Jodie’s comment.
and,
I would not have know Days of Abandonment was translated when I read it. Another Europa book, by Elena Ferrante.
But I seem to like most of the translations I’ve read.
huh

By: Care

Care — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 13:31:09 +0000

In reply to Jodie. AWESOME post. I'm going to go find this book now.

By: Care

Care — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 13:29:06 +0000

In reply to Care. *meant* not met...

By: Care

Care — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 13:28:43 +0000

In reply to Jeanne. Huh, I got what you originally met when you first said it and now I'm all a-thinking about wedding influences.

By: Jeanne

Jeanne — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 01:34:18 +0000

In reply to Jenny. Glad she got what she deserved, then.

By: Christy

Christy — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 21:43:20 +0000

Agree with your comment on other Jenny’s comment, that it’s often the dialogue where the translation is truly tested. That’s been my problem with the very few translated books I’ve read.

Not sure I’m interested in this particular book, as I’m not sure that I like books where a guilty person stews around for the entire story.

By: Shanra

Shanra — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 15:03:07 +0000

I wish I knew good suggestions for books to make you like translations. I grew up reading them, what with native Dutch people not writing a whole lot of fantasy and all, but I’ve more or less grown out of it now. Most translations I’ve read in recent years make me twitchy because you can tell it’s a translation. (One day, I want to try this and see whether people really can tell something is a translation based on random excerpts. Because it’d be fun to know.)

But, yes, point is: if it’s possible for me to be turned off translations it should be possible for you to start liking them. Right?

By: Jenny

Jenny — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 00:54:09 +0000

In reply to Jenny.

Anna Karenina is a guilt book like a guilty pleasure, or a guilt book like you read it out of guilt?

My problem is that the translations sound weird. Dialogue comes out completely stilted, and I just have a hard time getting through it. Most often the characters don’t feel like people. I’m sure it’s just that different countries have different conventions, and I’m accustomed to the US character conventions.

By: Jenny

Jenny — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 00:49:05 +0000

In reply to bookssnob. Oh Rachel! I will so much miss you too!