I have read Metamorphosis, The Plague (during the pandemic too) and the stranger. All were great reads, and I'm thinking of rereading The Plague, too. I also got a few Murakami books too. (I would recommend the Strange Library by him for newer readers who want to read his stories or try and get into his works). I do have the translated work of 100 years of solitude trans by Gregory Rabassa and also East Of Eden by John Steinbeck, but I haven't read those yet. I'm currently reading Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (such a great read), and I have been thinking of reading his other works. Thanks for the recommendations of these books since I haven't heard of these ones before.
Thanks to the Internet, I was delighted and amazed when I first came across Nabokov's notes he made to the original English translation of Kafka's "The Metamorphosis"; I marveled at his better word choices--Samsa's "corrugated" thorax being just one of them. His understanding of English, his playfulness, is like watching a magician perform real magic. Don't be so hard on your education; America's school system, despite all its technological advancement, has only worsened. I understand your pain when it comes to translations. Imagine trying to do one. At the moment I'm finishing up a translation of a novel (from Spanish to English), and though I love translating fiction, it always ends up becoming this intense high-wire act. I'm convinced that there is no such thing as a "perfect" translation. However, you can get pretty close. My favorite translations of all time have to be Ezra Pound's translations of Li Po. They are magical. Cheers.
@@unstopitable Nabokov famously translated the Russian classic Eugene Onegin by Pushkin. Critics were so impressed. I have the LOA edition of Pound . I’ll have to check to see if it has the translations.
I’m enjoying your 12 series so much, Greg. They’re excellent! I’ve grown to love Russian literature over the past few years and Crime and Punishment is definitely a favorite of mine, too. By the way, I stumbled on a YT playlist on the channel ‘Leaf by Leaf’ on William T. Vollmann that I think you might appreciate. If you’re interested.
Yes, I do. I have the hardcover Collected Fictions edition translated by Andrew Hurley. The audiobook version was recently released. I have that too. I'll be dipping into a story here and there.
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That’s a fabulous list. I really enjoy Haruki Murakami, despite the criticisms of him and I loved Shadows of the Wind too 😊
I still have my Steppenwolf with that cover - it is on my list of rereads I want to undertake
What a great list! I'd also like to reread Madame Bovary and One Hundred Years of Solitude before watching the new film.
I have read Metamorphosis, The Plague (during the pandemic too) and the stranger. All were great reads, and I'm thinking of rereading The Plague, too. I also got a few Murakami books too. (I would recommend the Strange Library by him for newer readers who want to read his stories or try and get into his works).
I do have the translated work of 100 years of solitude trans by Gregory Rabassa and also East Of Eden by John Steinbeck, but I haven't read those yet.
I'm currently reading Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (such a great read), and I have been thinking of reading his other works.
Thanks for the recommendations of these books since I haven't heard of these ones before.
A great line up Greg. laughing at the Steppenwolf cover
I really enjoyed The Shadow of the Wind. I thought it was very atmospheric!
Thanks to the Internet, I was delighted and amazed when I first came across Nabokov's notes he made to the original English translation of Kafka's "The Metamorphosis"; I marveled at his better word choices--Samsa's "corrugated" thorax being just one of them. His understanding of English, his playfulness, is like watching a magician perform real magic. Don't be so hard on your education; America's school system, despite all its technological advancement, has only worsened. I understand your pain when it comes to translations. Imagine trying to do one. At the moment I'm finishing up a translation of a novel (from Spanish to English), and though I love translating fiction, it always ends up becoming this intense high-wire act. I'm convinced that there is no such thing as a "perfect" translation. However, you can get pretty close. My favorite translations of all time have to be Ezra Pound's translations of Li Po. They are magical. Cheers.
@@unstopitable Nabokov famously translated the Russian classic Eugene Onegin by Pushkin. Critics were so impressed. I have the LOA edition of Pound . I’ll have to check to see if it has the translations.
I have Strange Library on my Kindle but I haven’t read it. I read Les Misérables earlier this year. What an astounding novel!
I’m enjoying your 12 series so much, Greg. They’re excellent! I’ve grown to love Russian literature over the past few years and Crime and Punishment is definitely a favorite of mine, too.
By the way, I stumbled on a YT playlist on the channel ‘Leaf by Leaf’ on William T. Vollmann that I think you might appreciate. If you’re interested.
I do like Leaf by Leaf and I do like William T Vollmann. I’ll have to look for that playlist.
I have that same eeition of Pascal Duarte. A wild and bleak book.
Greg, do you ever get the itch to reread _Ficciones_ by Jorge Luis Borges? That is my most reread translated book.
Yes, I do. I have the hardcover Collected Fictions edition translated by Andrew Hurley. The audiobook version was recently released. I have that too. I'll be dipping into a story here and there.
I didn’t like Nausea either when I read it 20 years ago. You don’t have to reread it, the whole book can be written with a single emoji: 🤢.
😂
I will still give it a second chance.