I remember trying to read ‘The Idiot’ by Dostojewski and the realisation it could have been written by little green men from another planet: you couldn’t have so many emotions in such a short space of time, and how many times could a person faint from excessive emotions? I read ones that the Russians have great writer’s but not so many great philosophers because how could they ever rationalize all these contrary emotions? So as far as I’m concerned: the answer is yes, translations influence my usage of Dutch. Speaking for myself reading books in translation made me aware of the fact that language is a thing of identity. I was just wondering about Simon’s confession he never/ hardly ever read books in translation and our necessity to read in translation: does our reading books from so many countries influence our usage of Dutch. Being Dutch there only are so many books I can read in my own language. Painting the house is much more fun when you both are in the room talking about all things important.īooks in translation, I’m happy they are there. I’ve muddied the waters nicely, haven’t I?! The history as well as the culture of the US south is so distinct, so nuanced, it may as well be written in a completely foreign language.īut then there’s Joyce and Woolf and the terrain of stream of consciousness that’s lumped with Faulkner and the whole thing just implodes in on itself! Same, I imagine, for someone in the UK reading Faulkner, as an extreme example. Oftentimes I read books set in the UK and know jokes and political references, for example, are going right over my head. We read each orher’s literature, obviously, but the cultural gap is often quite wide. Plus, the gap between English-speaking countries. I feel there’s a gap there, in the same language, and I’m not sure we’re reading them with total understanding. Still listening, and.enjoying!, but wanted to insert a thought I’ve often had re: translations, in this case meaning in English but written in different centuries.Ĭan we ever understand what life was like ‘exactly’ for, say, the Victorians? We may know much of the history but what of the little nuances? More so with even earlier writing. Rachel’s having difficulty uploading to her blog, which might be the difference between and … any tips?.reuploaded from the first try! A bit better now. I’m aware that the sound quality definitely isn’t the best, so forgive us for that (I’ve already bought a new microphone) – hopefully our charm will carry us through episode 1… (helpful editing tips welcomed) N.B.( ADDITION: David says “Those unable to wait for the podcast to be available via ITunes should be able to subscribe via any podcast player or feed reader using this link: category/podcast/feed“) I’ll work on it! And will update when it is. this will be available via iTunes soon, I hope, but the instructions how to get it there have rather confused me.We’d welcome suggestions for future topics! books in English set in other countries, and Emily vs. In episode 1, we’re discussing books in translation vs. I’ve been following her blog ever since it began, back in its Blogger incarnation, and we’ve met quite a few times in person – I thought she’d be perfect, given her taste in books and her hilarious humour, so I was absolutely thrilled when she agreed to co-host. The first person I thought of, when wondering whom to co-podcast with, was Rachel. The idea of pitting books, authors, and reading habits against each other seemed like a productive vein, and we’ve already had great fun debating. The title came to me because the idea of choosing between tea and books was such a difficult prospect (and luckily a decision I don’t need to make). Tea or Books? is the name of the podcast – in which we debate the difficult decisions of literature and reading. ![]() ![]() An exciting announcement, everybody! I have entered the world of podcasting – with no less than the wonderful Rachel from Book Snob.
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