nastya ’s Reviews > Either/Or: A Fragment of Life > Status Update

Welcome to Copenhagen. Are you depressed yet?

Julio wrote: "Welcome to Copenhagen. Are you depressed yet?"

Thankfully, my next read will be The Book of Disquiet from sunny Lisbon. I am certain that one will be a lot of fun!

nastya wrote: "Julio wrote: "Welcome to Copenhagen. Are you depressed yet?"

Thankfully, my next read will be The Book of Disquiet from sunny Lisbon. I am certain that one will be a lot of fun!"

I'm guessing this is a joke because that one is super melancholic and angsty as well! 🤭Very good writing though.

Paromita wrote: "I'm guessing this is a joke because that one is super melancholic and angsty as well! 🤭Very good writing though.
"

You get me, friend. I do often wonder about the good writing in translation though. Like is it translator or is it the original? Are they even the same book?? But alas I might never know.

Like is it translator or is it the original? Are they even the same book?? But alas I might never know

I think about this all the time. We know, supposedly, that we are experiencing an inferior novel to the original when reading a translation but, at the same time, I've had 90% very positive experiences reading translations. I'd say, in the case of a "great" novel, the foundation is already there, not only in the book that they are translating but in the entire oeuvre of that author. A good translator, I would've thought would be deeply familiar with the style of the author in their native language and, hence, strive to emulate that. A "translator" trying to spice things up with their own style is not doing their job properly, I think.

Jonathan wrote: "Like is it translator or is it the original? Are they even the same book?? But alas I might never know

I think about this all the time. We know, supposedly, that we are experiencing an inferior no..."

But can a good translation be seen as the final polishing draft of the work? Especially with poetic writing, word choices are so paramount, so particular. And I think Pessoa is a poet! And Kierkegaard is even worse! These days most writers know English for business reasons, so at least they can participate in and approve their translations into English. English readers are the luckiest for sure!