European Literature

[Ya Sam]

A delightful review of European literature. 
http://www.transcript-review.org/
Most of the novels reviewed still have not been translated into English. One 
begins to wonder, what is more important the original or the translation. 
Suppose a Genius has created a masterpiece in a language that is not so 
widespread as English, French, Spanish etc., if he does not get translated 
it's as if he doesn't exist... My complements to the German translators, 
some of the books by Central European authors have been translated so far 
only into German.
Among the authors reviewed I find really noteworthy the Slovenian Drago 
Jancar, the Hungarian Laszlo Darvasi, and the Portuguese Jose Luis Peixoto. 
A Czech writer Jachym Topol, whose Sestra was, fortunately, translated into 
English ( 'City Sister Silver') has been compared to Vonnegut and Pynchon.

An interesting article about the state of the translated literature in the 
US
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/26/books/26BOOK.html?ex=1125201600&en=ad983a60a447d084&ei=5070&th

Does America really yawn at foreign fiction?

Y.

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