On Reading in Translation 6

And now, our final entry in our Reading in Translation Giveaway. You can see all the other entries here.

Why I read books in translation:

Books in translation by their nature open up different worlds and cultures to us – from fascinating landscapes and dogged, emotionally damaged detectives solving crimes in Scandinavian countries in “Nordic Noir”, to novelists like Yasmina Khadra and Mohsin Hamid who present to us what is frighteningly foreign: fundamentalism and terrorism. The common bonds of humanity still link us, but great writing  helps us to travel to the other side.

When a novel comes to be translated, it is also often a reflection of its high quality.  By perusing recent releases in translation, we are lucky enough to pinpoint new and significant literature - in other words the wheat has already been separated from the chaff.  As avid readers, we would otherwise be overwhelmed by the possibilities.  Although some of us may choose to learn a foreign language or two in our lives, we simply cannot read as many great writers as we would wish in their original language.

The work of a great translator cannot be underestimated either – and their special bond with the author’s works which they translate.  For me, one of the greatest examples of this is the Polish writer Stanislaw Lem’s translator: Michael Kandel.  Lem’s science-fiction, so fantastically clever and futuristic, not to mention the amazing humour and word play, is rendered so perfectly in English.

Sincerely,

Jennifer