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I have 27 books left to write up from 2008 - I would give my total for the year, but my numbering system appears a little eccentric (skimming reveals two 44s, two 74s and two 75s, for a start), so it will have to wait until I'm more organised. More than 75, anyway. And almost all of them are in boxes in another city, so I shall launch myself precipitously into the new year and back-track later.
( Arturo Perez-Reverte, The queen of the south. )
( Alexandre Dumas, The count of Monte Cristo. )
Arturo Perez-Reverte has already written a book about Dumas (The Dumas Club, and yes, the film is hopeless and has changed everything), and Queen of the South explicitly references Count of Monte Cristo. Both are about people who suffer, and are changed by it, and who go on to take control, or revenge; I wish I had the texts here, because I think there are some interesting issues here about justice and criminality, and the sorts of compromises people will - and won't - make in pursuit of these. The gender-swap is also interesting, although both Dantes and Teresa seem quite capable of inspiring dedication in their followers of an adoringly platonic nature. Maybe on a re-read. During which I could also say something incisive about translation, because I think both these books are examples of good translation (and yet, without reading the originals, how can I really know?) - I particularly like the way the Perez-Reverte leaves things untranslated at times, balancing the feel of the world with the need of the reader.
( Arturo Perez-Reverte, The queen of the south. )
( Alexandre Dumas, The count of Monte Cristo. )
Arturo Perez-Reverte has already written a book about Dumas (The Dumas Club, and yes, the film is hopeless and has changed everything), and Queen of the South explicitly references Count of Monte Cristo. Both are about people who suffer, and are changed by it, and who go on to take control, or revenge; I wish I had the texts here, because I think there are some interesting issues here about justice and criminality, and the sorts of compromises people will - and won't - make in pursuit of these. The gender-swap is also interesting, although both Dantes and Teresa seem quite capable of inspiring dedication in their followers of an adoringly platonic nature. Maybe on a re-read. During which I could also say something incisive about translation, because I think both these books are examples of good translation (and yet, without reading the originals, how can I really know?) - I particularly like the way the Perez-Reverte leaves things untranslated at times, balancing the feel of the world with the need of the reader.
