10 Translated Novels To Read Now
My second newsletter is about novels that have been translated into English.
I enjoy consuming stories from different cultures, Thank God for translation, we get to read stories from different parts of the world. I think that the success of a translation depends a lot on the translator though I haven’t been able to read the original version of any of these books, but I do hope to someday! Here are a few recommendations:
1) Hotel Iris by Yoko Ogawa (Translated by Stephen Snyder)
This book is translated from the Japanese. Ogawa is known for The Memory Police which was the finalist for the International Booker Prize and the National Book Award. I had seen the cover of Hotel Iris pop-up on my Insta feed sometime in 2020. I decided to read it because I wanted to know what exactly happened in 'Hotel Iris'. I have never read Ogawa before. The title did remind me of the 'Dolphin Hotel' from Murakami's Dance Dance Dance. Hotel Iris isn't meant for everyone. I wasn't prepared for the kind of relationship the narrator develops with an older man as the narrative progressed. For me, this book had all the elements of a page turner. Some reviews call it a literary version of 50 shades of grey. While there are many graphic scenes in the book, I think there's much more for readers to take away from the book. The language is something to return for. The voice of the narrator will stay with me for long. I enjoy stories narrated by female voices. The narrator is 'observant' and the writer wants us to experience the story as if it were a film. So you can feel the wind, see the waves, smell the water etc. It's a good exercise for writers who want to learn how to evoke all the senses in their reader. The dominating 'mother' in this book did remind me of 'Norman Bates' from Psycho. If you're looking for an interesting exploration of mother-child relationship, this is one such psychological study. The story made me think about the close relationship between the body and mind. Ogawa has a way of repeatedly showing the reader how memory affects a person's actions. The book also pushed me to think about the limits of the body, pain and pleasure. Some scenes in the book were really scary, of nightmarish quality. It reads like a literary thriller. Again, not for everyone, but I highly recommend this for those readers who want to explore translated fiction.
2) Such Small Hands by Andrés Barba (Translated by Lisa Dillman)
It is a translation from Spanish. The setting of the book reminded me of the Spanish horror film ‘The Orphanage’ (2007). I vividly remember the translator’s note from the book, in which she confessed her love for the book despite having no contract to back up her translation. It had received no prior interest from publishers, it was just her need to translate it that made it happen. And such a decision is discouraged by others as it is very risky but luckily this one worked out for her. The book is based on an incident that took place in Brazil during the 1960s, in which girls at an orphanage killed another child and played with her body parts for a week. This is one of the creepiest books I've read and I had found this recommendation in a horror book compilation on Youtube. It puts you in a trance like state till the last page. It also delves into child psychology, their need for attention and love. Must read if you are into horror and psychological thrillers.
3) Lullaby by Leila Slimani (Translated by Sam Taylor)
Slimani is talented. Her stories hit you hard in the gut. This was originally written in French. The book is inspired by a real life incident in NY. I found this video online of the nanny’s sentencing. I wanted to read this book because I’m interested in tales of domestic helps, what could have caused her to kill the kids? And stories of families. How did they treat the nanny? What happened in their house? The story begins with the death of the kids and makes you turn the page to know how it all happened? It’s an interesting story of power dynamics and the private inner lives we lead. Watch Slimani’s interview with Shakespeare & Company Bookshop here.
4) The Days Of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante
Ferrante is known for her Neopolitan novels. No one knows who she is, there have been speculations about her identity but she prefers to stay away and let her writing do the talking. She writes in Italian. Her prose is simple and the plot of The Days Of Abandonment isn’t anything extraordinary, to sum it up, it’s a husband abandoning his wife. So what exactly about the book is extraordinary? Ferrante knows just how much info to reveal to the reader in each chapter, any other writer would have focused on the narrator’s troubled mind, flashbacks and inner monologues but Ferrante does no such thing. The story moves forward with just the right amount of scenes, keeping the reader hooked to the story. One by one, characters in the book abandon the narrator, and you wait to see how Ferrante takes the story forward. Read more about her in this article.
5) Ghachar Ghochar by Vivek Shanbhag (Translated by Srinath Perur)
This is translated from Kannada. There are so many books being written in India, in regional languages, and only a handful of them make it to translation. I’m glad this book did. It is a story about a family and what happens to them when their family experiences financial success overnight. The most intriguing character in this book is Anita, the newly wed wife, who enters the household. She is not one of them, will she fit in? Will she stir up established routines and habits? The narrative is gripping and you can finish the book in one sitting.
6) The Peculiar Life Of A Lonely Postman by Denis Thériault (Translated by Liedewy Hawke)
‘The Peculiar Life Of A Lonely Postman’ took me by surprise with its heavily Japanese influenced plot. I came across this book recommendation on the Senior Reading Raccoons group on Facebook. The title intrigued me because of the nostalgia that the word ‘postman’ evoked in me. It has been ages since I have received or sent a letter. The author, Denis Thériault is from Canada, Quebec, to be specific. This book is a translation from French. (Until a few years ago, I had not known that French people lived in Canada. I learnt about this from the book Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda.) ‘The Peculiar Life Of A Lonely Postman’ wasn’t just a reminder of times that have gone (the era of letter writing) but it was incredibly thought-provoking. The prose is filled with poetry, Haiku and Tanka. The haikus and tankas are like tweets. I write poetry and I’ve always wanted to attempt Haikus. There are ruminations on Japanese culture sprinkled throughout the text. You get insights into a delusional mind, a creative person’s struggle to come up with something worthy of attention, fear of relationships and so on…And moreover it’s a short book. You could finish it in one-sitting.
The story is narrated in third person and follows the point of view of the postman ‘Bilodo’. He is 27. His existential crisis comes across from the very first page, he has to climb stairs in order to deliver letters to the houses and he considers himself an expert in stair climbing and fantasizes stair climbing to be included in the Olympics. He is clearly sick of the thankless job but we discover that his job is not so boring after all. He abuses his power. He reads the letters that he is supposed to deliver. It makes you ponder about ethics. It makes you question yourself. Have you ever read something that wasn’t addressed to you? Have you seen something that wasn’t meant for your eyes? Have you peeked into a stranger’s phone and read their personal chats just because the screen was visible to you? Are humans in general, curious to the point of being creepy? If you’re reading this book in 2021, the protagonist might remind you of the creepy nature of AI and the role it plays on our lives. It is not news that nothing is private anymore. AI has access to all our chats. You only have to say something and there it is, it pops up on your search results. It’s only time AI will have access to our thoughts. Is AI, the postman who abuses his power?
7) Cobalt Blue by Sachin Kundalkar (Translated by Jerry Pinto)
This book was written in Marathi. It has an unusual plot. Tanay and Anuja, who are siblings, fall in love with the same man who comes to live with them as a paying guest. He vanishes from the scene and we see both the siblings struggle to deal with the heartache in their own ways. It’s one of the most well-written and poignant books I have come across.
Lines from the book-
It’s recently come to my attention that when I’m listening to someone, I cock my head. On the phone I hold the receiver between my head and my shoulder as Anuja does, playing a rhythm on the table in front of me. When I watch a film, I run my fist over my face, as Shrikrishna used to. When I shave, I bring my face close to the mirror, as Baba does. When the milk boils over, I walk to the gas range calmly, turn it off and wipe the counter down, without a word— as Aai does. How did I acquire those habits? Perhaps that’s what happens during the forging of a relationship: if nothing else, you adopt some of the other person’s habits. It makes you feel those small adaptations, those adoptions, make him one of you. Have you picked up some habits from me? Do you draw circles with a finger on your thali when you’ve finished eating? Do you, every once in a while, squeeze shaving cream on to your toothbrush? Do you sleep with a knee drawn up to you, the bedclothes kicked away? Do you fold the newspaper neatly and put it where you found it, when you’re done? Yesterday, when a cobalt blue smudge of the wall ended up on my hand, I wiped it on my trousers without thinking.
8) Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata (Translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori)
A translation from Japanese, this is the story of 36 year old Keiko Furukura, who works in a convenience store. Her friends and family obsess over her single status and lack of ambition. They don’t understand why she lives the life she has been living. She is content with her life and that baffles people around her. The reader wonders about Keiko’s sanity because of the hints left by the author. We wonder if there’s an underlying, unsettling reason to her personality and behavior. The most intriguing character in the story is Shiraha, who is lazy and incompetent. His character is amusing and adds an interesting dynamic to the plot. The story is thought provoking and makes you think about societal pressure and conventions.
9) One Part Woman by Perumal Murugan (Translated by Aniruddhan Vasudevan)
This is another Indian book, originally written in Tamil. Murugan’s book is a touching story about a couple who is unable to conceive. It makes you take a closer look at the way a couple’s private life is affected by society and their expectations. This book became controversial for the depiction of the chariot festival of the half-female god Ardhanareeswara.
10) The Reader by Bernhard Schlink (Translated by Carol Brown Janeway)
This is translated from German. If you like stories about the Holocaust, then you should read this. It discusses how past trauma can haunt you for life, how horrors can silently sit on collective conscience for years. Any book lover will enjoy the plot as it’s about ‘ stories. It has been adapted into a famous film starring Kate Winslet.
These are all my recommendations for now! Do let me know what translations you have been reading!
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Things I enjoyed:
-Short Film
The Letter Room (Directed by Elvira Lind)
A very intriguing short film about a corrections officer who ends up being transferred to the letter room. He has access to all the correspondence of the inmates who are sentenced for life. The story reminded me of the book The Peculiar Life Of A Lonely Postman, which I’ve mentioned above. Do let me know what you think of it if you watch it.
My next newsletter will focus on the use of Second Person Narration In Fiction :) Stay Tuned.