Literature Thread

[Der_Lex]

I tend to favor the "looser" approach. I can understand why it's controversial and that it's more demanding on translators who have to understand not only what the words mean but what the original author also may have implied and alluded to through them. But, when translations are really horrible, it's usually because the translation was too literal.

As a professional translator, I can tell you that the 'looser' translations aren't more or less demanding to work on at all, actually. Trying to stay close to the source language is just as painstakingly difficult at times.

A translator usually doesn't really have much choice in the matter, though. How 'loose' you're allowed to translate is often decided by the publisher, unless you're translating a work for which a translation already exists (which is often done with the old Greek and Roman classics, and which is almost never done on commission... you more or less make the translation as a hobby and hope a publisher will consider it unique/good enough to publish it). Likewise, a lot if not most of the bad translations out there are caused by publishers rushing the translation to get the book out on the shelves. A good translation takes time, and if you don't have that, you have to settle for less.

[clashcityrocker10]

It's actually a bit of a debate amongst Pratchett fans whether this is a good introduction to his books or not. His early books are very much a parody of existing fantasy conventions at the time, and unless you're read up on things like Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, Conan the Barbarian and authors like Moor****, you'll miss a lot of jokes and references.

Pratchett's Discworld books are actually divided into several 'branches' depending on the protagonists. There's a neat little flowchart that explains which books are in what branch. I'd personally suggest starting out with Mort and then picking up the Witches, Guards and Rincewind starter books (probably in that order).

Ah, didn't realize there would be more specific in-jokes in The Color of Magic. I knew the Discworld series is largely non-linear without an over-arching, but it just made sense to me to start with the first one, then pick books up as I go along, likely in a non-linear fashion.

I've never read any of Stephen King's novels, but for people who like him, I'd recommend picking up some H.P. Lovecraft stories if you get the chance. None of them are long (100 pages or so, tops) and I know Lovecraft had a major influence on King's work.

[Der_Lex]

Lovecraft is fantastic.

And actually, that short story collection by King that I mentioned has a pretty good short story called Crouch End that's set in the Cthulhu mythos as well.

But if you're looking for something really interesting, check out the short story A Study In Emerald by Neil Gaiman (it's in his Fragile Things collection), which is a Sherlock Holmes story set in Lovecraft's Cthulhu setting. It's as weird as it sounds, but it works.

[clashcityrocker10]

Lovecraft is fantastic.

And actually, that short story collection by King that I mentioned has a pretty good short story called Crouch End that's set in the Cthulhu mythos as well.

But if you're looking for something really interesting, check out the short story A Study In Emerald by Neil Gaiman (it's in his Fragile Things collection), which is a Sherlock Holmes story set in Lovecraft's Cthulhu setting. It's as weird as it sounds, but it works.

That actually sounds really interesting. A bit of an odd combination, sure, but I can see it working. Do you have any particular Lovecraft tales that stand out for you, Der_Lex?

[JukeBoxHero]

Anybody else got some other Stephen King book recommendations?

I've already read The Stand, It, and am currently reading The Dark Tower books

Big fan of Stephen King from what I read so far, Hearts in Atlantis(I've only read the first two parts from a short story book for him but it's gold IMO) and IT are some of my favorites. In general King's stories range from great to excellent to me. There is a few weaker stories, such as Cell. which didn't satisfied me like most Stephen King stories.

Also, anyone a fan of Peter Straub here. I really like the collaboration that he and King did on the Talisman/Black House, so does anyone have anything to recommend from him?

[Der_Lex]

That actually sounds really interesting. A bit of an odd combination, sure, but I can see it working. Do you have any particular Lovecraft tales that stand out for you, Der_Lex?

It's been a while since I read them, but at the top of my head Nyarlathotep, The Colour Out of Space, The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, At the Mountains of Madness, Call of Cthulhu and the Herbert West Reanimator stories come to mind.

It's all worth picking up, though. Like with Poe, you can't really go wrong with a Lovecraft story.

[clashcityrocker10]

It's been a while since I read them, but at the top of my head Nyarlathotep, The Colour Out of Space, The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, At the Mountains of Madness, Call of Cthulhu and the Herbert West Reanimator stories come to mind.

It's all worth picking up, though. Like with Poe, you can't really go wrong with a Lovecraft story.

I agree, haven't read a bad story yet. My two favorites are probably "Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn and His Family" and "The Rats in the Walls."

[Der_Lex]

I really need to re-read Lovecraft. It's been at least ten years.

[clashcityrocker10]

I've got some re-reading to do myself, mostly history books that were way beyond me as a 13 year-old. I may want to re-read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea as well.

[afterstasis]

anybody wanna talk dostoyevsky? yeah, me neither...