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Newo
~ Abstract Brain ~
Spain
2674 Posts |
 Posted - 03/28/2004 : 05:39:57
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I know there's a novels topic down below but I thought this warranted a solo one. Just started reading Celine's Journey To The End of Night, mostly cause Bukowski didn't seem to keep quiet about him, and it is so far quite brilliant.
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"You one of those right-wing nut outfits?" inquired the diplomatic Metzger.
Fallopian twinkled. "They accuse us of being paranoids."
"They?" inquired Metzger, twinkling also.
"Us?" asked Oedipa.
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bumblebeeboy2
> Teenager of the Year <
United Kingdom
2638 Posts |
Posted - 03/28/2004 : 06:00:30
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darn, here was me expecting a celine dion thread. 
The Shrine of the Sea Monkey!
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Edited by - bumblebeeboy2 on 03/28/2004 06:00:50 |
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Adnan_le_Terrible
* Dog in the Sand *
France
1973 Posts |
Posted - 03/28/2004 : 06:49:05
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Hell, Céline is probably my favorite French author. His "Journey to the end of the night", especially the first half, is one of the strongest litterary shocks I have received, the others being Kafka, Burroughs and Nabokov.
However, you should be aware that Céline also wrote two racist and violently anti-semitic essays (during the 30s), "L'école des cadavres" and "Bagatelles pour un massacre". That's why they don't teach his novels at school around here. I think one can appreciate his novels without agreeing with the man.
I guess you loose pretty much in translation, though. He uses a special kind of French slang, which makes his language very particular. I would compare him to Burroughs, to some extent.
Adrian :In meaven, everything is fine |
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offerw
* Dog in the Sand *
South Africa
1264 Posts |
Posted - 03/28/2004 : 07:35:02
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Haven't heard of Celine before but if it is like Burroughs I'd check it out. Will it be worth it though if the translation spoils it?
Have you guys read Genet? I've bought a few of his novels but now I've been told it is not worth reading as it also does not translate well.
wilhelm |
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Newo
~ Abstract Brain ~
Spain
2674 Posts |
Posted - 03/28/2004 : 08:08:25
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I read Naked Lunch and Junky in school about ten years ago and since I don't really remember anything except for liking them I don't feel qualified to comment on whether Burroughs is similar to Celine. He does remind me a little of Henry Miller, though where Miller put on the antisemetic schtick to rile his Jewish wife, Celine's the real deal - my copy of Journey has an apology on the back that went something like 'he saw the rising tide of fascism as the antidote to corrupt democracy'. While I was looking for more on Celine I found an interview with Alain Robbe-Grillet: 'He wrote two great books, but after that his stupidity got the best of him.'
As for the translation, I've only read him in English, and there are a few footnotes (mostly to suggest reasons for names of characters e.g. Major Pincon = gai comme un pincon/merry as a louse) but I can imagine the argot loses something in translation. I recently got my hands on a copy of Ulysses in Spanish, and while the translation is quite celebrated here, it's not really the same book. I will say it's a mercy Beckett did most of the translations into English himself. That said, sometimes I like to read English books in Spanish, and I find when I'm learning a language I'm less precious about what the translator has done to the book. I've never read Genet though.
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"You one of those right-wing nut outfits?" inquired the diplomatic Metzger.
Fallopian twinkled. "They accuse us of being paranoids."
"They?" inquired Metzger, twinkling also.
"Us?" asked Oedipa.
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Celine
