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To read literature correctly, you cannot rely on translations. Therefore, I call shenanigans on all recommendations in this thread for literature not originally written in the English language. Unless, of course, you are recommending things written in non-English languages to people who already speak (or can at least read) them. If we are going to do pretentious academic douchebaggary we have to do it right. Edit P.S. "Genre" fiction is literature and indistinguishable from the category "real loving works of art." This is the case no matter how many self-deprecating quotes from authors you dig up. ZombieLenin fucked around with this message at 19:51 on Jun 19, 2014 |
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Jun 19, 2014 19:30
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I still call shinagins on all recommendations for books not originally written in English. There are two exceptions to this: 1. if your recommendation is aimed at people who speak, or at least read, the original language the book was published in; OR 2. the original author of the work did his or her own translation into English. This is so we can get our academic douchebaggary correct, because as you should know reading a novel in a language other than the one that it was originally written in is not acceptable. I mean, good luck getting your PhD in French literature if you refuse to learn how to speak and read French. PS. the answer to "why" this is the case is because other languages do not work the same way as English. It is not like you can replace every word with it's "corresponding " (if there is such a thing at all) English word and be able to read the book. Essentially, when a book is translated, the translator has to interpret the "meaning" of what's being said, and then to the best of his or her ability, figure out a way to say the same thing in English--as close to the original text as possible. So, in a sense, every translation is someone's interpretation of a novel, that imprecisely communicates the translator's version of what the author originally intended. It's like a game of telephone, and you are reading Translator X's version of Voltaire, not Voltaire. This is pretty standard practice in the academy for any sort of literary analysis (or philosophical analysis). In a pinch, translations are okay for undergrad classes, or for graduate classes where the students are not specializing in a particular field; however, at the graduate level this is always communicated to you as the "best translation currently available," according of course to the professor (we've just added another layer of "interpretation") It's also important to note that works of genre fiction, even terrible genre fiction, are "legitimate works of art." They are even be taught and critically analyzed at universities. And yes, all of my posts on this form are about fantasy novels. I will out myself now and say I've got my PhD (Political Theory) and have written many things that involve critical analysis of literature; however, when I go home at night I read and talk about what I actually enjoy reading--fantasy and science fiction. Some of which is pulpy and terrible, and some of which is extremely loving smart and important--just like any "category" of literature. This includes the bullshit everyone is talking about here, which is only bullshit in as much as its making some people have a hardon over the fact they read "real" literature. News flash: in the end you're bragging about how your consumer choices make you "superior" to those "retards" who make other consumer choices. Both sides lose on that regard. ZombieLenin fucked around with this message at 16:54 on Oct 4, 2016 |
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Oct 4, 2016 16:50
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