Tag: translated • BookLikes

url 2015-08-05 15:34

Translated and Foreign Editions of Books, Languages, and YA

Do you ever search for translated or foreign editions of books? When I was in high school, I specifically looked for the French edition of the fourth Harry Potter book. Some other book I'd read suggested that one of the characters was trying to teach his or herself how to read in another language by comparing a book in the language in you already knew to the translated version. And I remember getting so excited because I thought, okay, so you actually like the Harry Potter books. This will help with your French classes and you might actually get to a speaking level of French that's not embarrassing.

Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire

It seemed like a decent plan, up until the point when I didn't end up reading the French version or really rereading HP from back to front (I'm a selective rereader; I go to specific scenes I like and that's usually my rereading. Most of the times, these are also the romantic scenes). But I never quite forgot the idea of it, and I find myself wondering whether I ought to try and look for some of my favorite YA books again, find their foreign language counterparts. Is that actually an effective way of learning a language or teaching yourself more of its vocabulary? I haven't spoken French since my sophomore year of college (omg how was that five years ago), but it embarrasses me when I think of this, my inability to speak in other languages. When I went to Japan with my friends last March, I was essentially relying on them to get us to wherever we needed to go. Hello, stereotypical American traveler. Blergh.

But when I'm not thinking about buying the foreign language editions of books, I'm wondering about the sheer lack of translated books in YA. There are very few I can think of. Kiersten Gier's books and Kai Meyer's books, maybe. But what else (if you have any recs, please send them my way! I liked Arcadia Awakens but based off reviews, don't think I'd like the Ruby Red series... so could use some others to read :D)? Why do they get so little attention? Do you know of any translated books? I was also thinking that if they're translated books, they might be more likely to have settings not in the U.S. (e.g. Sicily forArcadia Awakens). Maybe that's not teaching you the language of that country in the way of the foreign editions, but that would expose you to different customs. It seems like a win-win situation, with a fanbase elsewhere as "evidence" that the book should do well here too. But instead it just feels like another American made bubble.

Why is there such a bubble around the YA market for books? Do you have any recommendations of other translated books? Have you ever purposefully bought a foreign edition of a book? Do you have any tips for finding out more or at least being more aware of when translated books are being published in this market?

Reading young adult discussion YA lit YA Books translated books foreign editions

url 2015-04-20 04:00

Best Translated Book Award 2015 Longlist

moving under skies

One thing that soothes the end of the Tournament of Books is the announcement of the Best Translated Book Award longlist. I've not yet managed to read all of any given year's longlist, but I enjoy picking (often at random) titles from it: they are always good, challenging books that expand my mind. This year might be the one where I break my habit and read them all since I am interested in quite a few!

Only rarely have I read any of the titles on the list before it drops, despite my efforts to mix healthy amounts of translated fiction in to my reading docket. This year, I've read one--Sergei Dovlatov's Pushkin Hills--with another--the Ferrante--waiting on my bookshelf. This year is unusual since so many of the books were already on my mental to-read list:

Edouard Levé's Works: I read Suicide a couple of years ago & while "enjoy" is not the correct word it has haunted me ever since.

The Woman Who Borrowed Memories, Tove Jansson -- I don't prefer short stories, but I do like Jansson's writing, and since I own all of the other NYRB issues of her work I've been planing on picking up this one when I run across it.

Scholastique Mukasonga's Our Lady of the Nile -- I'm eager to read fiction by a Rwandan author + Archipelago Books has yet to disappoint.

The Cortázar -- I've been slowly making my way through Hopscotch and it's a marvel; all and any Cortázar immediately go on my long-term to-read list.

Faces in the Crowd, Valeria Luiselli -- I think I heard about this one from Largehearted Boy and liked the cover enough to jot down the title? I will definitely read it now.

I will be seeking out a few more immediately: the two Bohumil Hrabal books (Czech literature is generally great, and Closely Watched Trains is the rare story that is great as a movie and as a book; Jean Echenoz's 1914 because one of the only things I like more than books about WWI are very short books about WWI; Things Look Different in the LIght by Medardo Fraile because the cover is lovely and Pushkin Press puts out gorgeous books; and Adam Buenosayres by Leopoldo Marachal because Cortázar praised it upon its initial publication, the cover is gorgeous, and city novels are the best novels!

best translated book award