I have never heard of the Fleur Jaeggy book but I am super excited to read it - especially because I am a lifelong devotee of Marguerite Duras. I find your statement "Another question I’m still mulling is how I enjoy this kind of mode of writing from Europeans (intense, serious, understated yet somehow also dramatic, like Marguerite Duras, or Natalia Ginzburg, or even Elena Ferrante), but can’t tolerate it in white American writers, it seems like a put-on with them (I’m thinking of Kate Zambreno, for example)" to be super interesting, because I have experienced this first-hand while writing myself. I wrote a collection of short stories in French that had Duras as an immediate stylistic influence and it felt powerful, crisp, and true to me as a voice. When I tried to apply that same style and voice to my own writing in English (either translating my own stories, or writing new ones), it felt...affected. I've always felt that my different languages correspond to different selves, in a sense, and that this dichotomy is also split in writing styles - but I wonder how much of it is me, and how much of it is literary tradition and possibility in each language.
I'm also super excited to read The Betweens, as a fellow TCK/betweener, but also Talk. Really all of these books sound interesting! Usually I feel like we have a bit of overlap in what we've read recently but all of your recaps here are new to me and I, at least, am excited to receive your newsletter :)
I just finished reading a translation-focused book you might find interesting, if you haven't read it already: it's called Catching Fire: A Translation Diary bu Daniel Hahn.
Thanks so much, Sarah-Louise! So fascinating that you've translated your own work, and to have it feel so different in each language. I can sort of understand. I used to translate poetry from Spanish into English just to see what would emerge on the other side; it's definitely always a different creature.
Also, this is such an amazing coincidence: I was working on a book review yesterday of a novel translated from Brazilian Portuguese (Role Play by Clara Drummond, coming out in June). I was doing some research on the translator and saw that he had recently published a book that sounded interesting and wondered if I should request it from the library, it was Catching Fire by Daniel Hahn! (Unfortunately I don't think his translation of the book I'm reading is very good. It's a very voice-based novel, and the voice is muddled. I suspect it's clear and solid in Portuguese based on how specific the rest of the book is, but I suppose it's hard to tell without reading the original, and my Portuguese is only basic. I'm wondering to what degree I need to discuss all this in the review...)
What is your favorite Duras? I've read The Lover at least 5 or 6 times in both English and French, and I really enjoyed a collection of her non-fiction that came out last year (In translation). I have Lol Stein in French on my "to read" pile... Are you a fan of her films as well? I haven't seen any.
Interesting! I'll admit I haven't read any of Hahn's translations, aside from what he excerpts in the book. That translation was also very voice-based and included a lot of very thorny choices. It's interesting because of course translations often get blamed for inconsistencies in voice or unresolved and perhaps unintentional seeming ambiguities, but as you say, it's very difficult to say if those exist in the original or not. The age-old argument about translation and betrayal, etc.
As for Duras...I am more or less a completist. It would be shorter to list the handful of works I have NOT read (you can see a complete bibliography as contained in the Pléiade editions here (https://www.bnf.fr/fr/marguerite-duras-1914-1996-bibliographie). The ones I would recommend are yes. Le Ravissement de Lol V. Stein, but also Moderato Cantabile, L'amante anglaise, Dix heures et demie du soir en été and Détruire, dit-elle. In terms of her films, I'm not nearly as much of a fan - the intense art-house quality can be a bit oppressive to sit through, even if I respect many of the conceptual choices. I've watched India Song and L'homme atlantique for sure...not remembering how many others I may have seen when I was studying Duras back in college. I'm excited for you to go down the Duras path :) Sometimes I wish I could rediscover her all over again.
Is there a "sorry I'm late to commenting" genre, too? Anyway, want to say that I especially love this roundup and the writing here. I'd never put my finger on it, but yes to this: "the neon PSYCHIC signs and The Brady Bunch have to creep in somehow, whether you like it or not." I'm dying to read Talk after reading your response, and have you followed the "Would you rather encounter a bear or a man in the woods?" thread? Couldn't help but think of it reading your description of the harrowing sounding bear attack book...
I am one of those people, the ones who look forward to reading your posts.
As always, love your writing and thoughtful evaluations!
I have never heard of the Fleur Jaeggy book but I am super excited to read it - especially because I am a lifelong devotee of Marguerite Duras. I find your statement "Another question I’m still mulling is how I enjoy this kind of mode of writing from Europeans (intense, serious, understated yet somehow also dramatic, like Marguerite Duras, or Natalia Ginzburg, or even Elena Ferrante), but can’t tolerate it in white American writers, it seems like a put-on with them (I’m thinking of Kate Zambreno, for example)" to be super interesting, because I have experienced this first-hand while writing myself. I wrote a collection of short stories in French that had Duras as an immediate stylistic influence and it felt powerful, crisp, and true to me as a voice. When I tried to apply that same style and voice to my own writing in English (either translating my own stories, or writing new ones), it felt...affected. I've always felt that my different languages correspond to different selves, in a sense, and that this dichotomy is also split in writing styles - but I wonder how much of it is me, and how much of it is literary tradition and possibility in each language.
I'm also super excited to read The Betweens, as a fellow TCK/betweener, but also Talk. Really all of these books sound interesting! Usually I feel like we have a bit of overlap in what we've read recently but all of your recaps here are new to me and I, at least, am excited to receive your newsletter :)
I just finished reading a translation-focused book you might find interesting, if you haven't read it already: it's called Catching Fire: A Translation Diary bu Daniel Hahn.
Thanks so much, Sarah-Louise! So fascinating that you've translated your own work, and to have it feel so different in each language. I can sort of understand. I used to translate poetry from Spanish into English just to see what would emerge on the other side; it's definitely always a different creature.
Also, this is such an amazing coincidence: I was working on a book review yesterday of a novel translated from Brazilian Portuguese (Role Play by Clara Drummond, coming out in June). I was doing some research on the translator and saw that he had recently published a book that sounded interesting and wondered if I should request it from the library, it was Catching Fire by Daniel Hahn! (Unfortunately I don't think his translation of the book I'm reading is very good. It's a very voice-based novel, and the voice is muddled. I suspect it's clear and solid in Portuguese based on how specific the rest of the book is, but I suppose it's hard to tell without reading the original, and my Portuguese is only basic. I'm wondering to what degree I need to discuss all this in the review...)
What is your favorite Duras? I've read The Lover at least 5 or 6 times in both English and French, and I really enjoyed a collection of her non-fiction that came out last year (In translation). I have Lol Stein in French on my "to read" pile... Are you a fan of her films as well? I haven't seen any.
Interesting! I'll admit I haven't read any of Hahn's translations, aside from what he excerpts in the book. That translation was also very voice-based and included a lot of very thorny choices. It's interesting because of course translations often get blamed for inconsistencies in voice or unresolved and perhaps unintentional seeming ambiguities, but as you say, it's very difficult to say if those exist in the original or not. The age-old argument about translation and betrayal, etc.
As for Duras...I am more or less a completist. It would be shorter to list the handful of works I have NOT read (you can see a complete bibliography as contained in the Pléiade editions here (https://www.bnf.fr/fr/marguerite-duras-1914-1996-bibliographie). The ones I would recommend are yes. Le Ravissement de Lol V. Stein, but also Moderato Cantabile, L'amante anglaise, Dix heures et demie du soir en été and Détruire, dit-elle. In terms of her films, I'm not nearly as much of a fan - the intense art-house quality can be a bit oppressive to sit through, even if I respect many of the conceptual choices. I've watched India Song and L'homme atlantique for sure...not remembering how many others I may have seen when I was studying Duras back in college. I'm excited for you to go down the Duras path :) Sometimes I wish I could rediscover her all over again.
Is there a "sorry I'm late to commenting" genre, too? Anyway, want to say that I especially love this roundup and the writing here. I'd never put my finger on it, but yes to this: "the neon PSYCHIC signs and The Brady Bunch have to creep in somehow, whether you like it or not." I'm dying to read Talk after reading your response, and have you followed the "Would you rather encounter a bear or a man in the woods?" thread? Couldn't help but think of it reading your description of the harrowing sounding bear attack book...