The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

30.2 - Booklover's Task: Contrasts

Please choose one option and read two books that fulfil the requirements. REQUIRED: Indicate in your post the option you chose.

1 - Now and Then
Read two books published one hundred years apart. Only the publication year need be considered, not the precise date or month of publication.

Example: The Hand of Ethelberta (1876) and Interview with the Vampire (1976)

2 - Here and There
Read two books originally written in languages from two different language families, or which are language isolates. The Ethnologue list of language families here should be used to identify which family a language belongs to.

If you click on the link for each language family, you will find out more information about it, including languages within each family. For instance, in the Indo-European language family, you'll find Spanish, Hindustani, English, French, Portugese…………….

Examples: Forest of a Thousand Daemons: A Hunter's Saga (written in Yoruba from the Niger-Congo family) and The Vegetarian (written in Korean, a language isolate); The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (written in Japanese, from the Japonic family) and Love and Ruin (written in English, from the Indo-European family).

REQUIRED: Specify the language family of each of your books. If the original language of the book is not clear from the Goodreads main page of the book, please provide a reference to establish the language in which the book was originally written.

Reserved

Reserved

This thread is now open!

Question. Sin Australia has Australian English listed would a book written in us English and a book written in Australia even though it’s still a type of English, work? Hope that made sense.

JennRenee wrote: "Question. Sin Australia has Australian English listed would a book written in us English and a book written in Australia even though it’s still a type of English, work? Hope that made sense."

No, sorry. English is part of the Indo-European family, regardless of whether it’s British, American, Australian English etc. You could read one book in English but the other will need to be from a different language family.

So a book originally written in English could be paired with a book originally written in Japanese,? Am I understanding this correctly? And I can read the Japanese book in translation?
Thanks,
Andy

Andy wrote: "So a book originally written in English could be paired with a book originally written in Japanese,? Am I understanding this correctly? And I can read the Japanese book in translation?
Thanks,
Andy"

Yes that works as English and Japanese are from different language families. Reading in translation is fine (and probably necessary for most of us!). Only the original language the book was written in needs to meet the task requirements.

Book wrote: "Andy wrote: "So a book originally written in English could be paired with a book originally written in Japanese,? Am I understanding this correctly? And I can read the Japanese book in translation?..."

Thanks, I was pretty sure I was ok but I have been surprised before so better safe than sorry
Andy

Would this book be allowed for Option 1

A Doll's House

For option 1, does it have to be exactly 100 years apart or is it at least 100 years apart so we can consider books published 110 years apart?

frugalitymom wrote: "Would this book be allowed for Option 1

A Doll's House"

Yes that works if paired with a book first published in either 1779 or 1979.

Tien wrote: "For option 1, does it have to be exactly 100 years apart or is it at least 100 years apart so we can consider books published 110 years apart?"

It needs to be exactly 100 years apart so 110 years won’t work sorry.

no worries, I just wanted to make sure :)

Book wrote: "frugalitymom wrote: "Would this book be allowed for Option 1

A Doll's House"

Yes that works if paired with a book first published in either 1779 or 1979."

Thank you, I found a second book published in 1979, was hoping plays were allowed I’ve been wanting to read it.

I am also wanting to read a Japanese book but I’ve been doing sone research and can’t seem to figure out what language group it is from (so I can make sure I use a different language for book 2). Google suggests that it is part of the Japonic language family but the wiki page that is in task description doesn’t have this option.

Bianca wrote: "I am also wanting to read a Japanese book but I’ve been doing sone research and can’t seem to figure out what language group it is from (so I can make sure I use a different language for book 2). G..."

Scroll down to the third section listing groups. The Japonic group is there. The lst two lists are families with the most languages within them - the Japonic group only has 12, so it doesn't make it into the first two groups.

Thanks Sandy. Found it now.

Ghachar Ghochar is translated from the Kannada language. Does Kannada fit "two different language families"? And which language group is it in? THanks in advance for clarifying.

Deedee wrote: "Ghachar Ghochar is translated from the Kannada language. Does Kannada fit "two different language families"? And which language group is it in? THanks in advance for clarifying."

I'm not the task creator or a moderator. However, Wikipedia has Kannada as a Dravidian language, so as long as you choose a second book from another language family you should be fine.

I just want to clarify since I’ve suffered through a pretty boring book- for now and then it’s by first published year- correct? :)