I almost always enjoy books
that have been translated from another language. The translator has already recommended the
book. Why go to the trouble of
translating and presenting to a new audience if it's a poor story? I've rarely been disappointed with any of
them. What I enjoy most is the freshness
of style and fluency which is often influenced by history and culture. The best ones are like savouring an unknown
banquet of foods or uncorking a corker of a bottle of wine that you want to
tell everybody about. They have taste
and impact.
Like many of our meals,
authors rush their stories, to meet the clamour of consumer demand and the
lists of best-sellers. Both Sweet Bean Paste and New Finnish Grammar rise above genre and
have left a lasting impression that I'd like to share.
If you like culinary TV programmes then Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa should whet your appetite. It describes in detail about dorayaki which is a type of Japanese pancake filled with the title of the book. If cooking isn't your bag of rice, then stay just a little longer with the book and my metaphors as the meatier themes of loneliness, belonging and one very special hidden ingredient is added to the pan, awaiting your discovery. The translator is Alison Watts, a freelance translator who lives in Ibaraki, Japan
New
Finnish Grammar by
Diego Marani, translated by Judith Landry, is a complex read and study of self
and identity through the learning of language and an interwoven assessment of
what memory is. It's set in war-torn
Europe and the main character has a head injury and has lost not only his
memory but also his language and culture.
There were times when I felt I'd lost mine, especially in the Finnish
myths, but the hardships of war, the descriptions of port cities, the learning
about language and a better understanding of memory and the story of the
central character, kept me reading and intrigued. It's certainly one I'll re-read.
Please let me know of any translations that have impressed you!
NE
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