tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253763663297047958.post1611096001928009178..comments2023-05-24T07:45:52.782-07:00Comments on The Solipsist: Well Begun and All Done: War and PeaceThe Solipsisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00137253589593528957noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253763663297047958.post-68086312910135944462010-12-28T16:12:42.286-08:002010-12-28T16:12:42.286-08:00We somewhat agree with Anonymous' diatribe abo...We somewhat agree with Anonymous' diatribe about the impossibility of judging a writer's style through the medium of a translator--indeed, you're judging the translator's style. Not that that's always a bad thing: Gregory Rabassa, for example, is an absolute master. You will note, though, that we largely avoided commentary on the style of WP and discussed themes and content. Frankly, we must say that the prose left something to be desired, which we will lay at the pen of the translator.The Solipsisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00137253589593528957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253763663297047958.post-41818734786224933912010-12-28T04:16:03.455-08:002010-12-28T04:16:03.455-08:00O.K. NOBODY (least of all, me) would deny that W/P...O.K. NOBODY (least of all, me) would deny that W/P is a great novel (to do that, I'd actually have to read the damn thing!) BUT, and here's a pet peeve of mine, to quote from a translation and say that Tolstoy "says/writes/whatever" is simply wrong! We know from the translation WHAT the book is about, but the SPECIFIC felicitous/infelicitous turn of phrase/quote/whatever we cannot attribute to the author, the translator, or the editor, say, without reading the original IN the original. Pedantic? Maybe. BUT let's consider: Victor Hugo NEVER wrote "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". He wrote "Notre Dame de Paris", which places THE CHURCH as the main character, NOT the Hunchback! Marcel Proust NEVER wrote "A Remberance of Things Past". The closest accurate translation is "In Search of Lost Time". This changes the focus from the accuracy of the memory to the quest fo trying to FIND accuracy in memory! I could go on all night, but Professor Higgins is calling.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253763663297047958.post-3636905823012828432010-12-28T00:02:12.060-08:002010-12-28T00:02:12.060-08:00I like your conclusion and wonder if Tolstoy's...I like your conclusion and wonder if Tolstoy's message is applicable today too: Wars are easy to start but messy (and may not turn out the way you predicted); Peace requires hard work.Natureladyhttp://borealkraut.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6253763663297047958.post-85131366569913930082010-12-27T19:24:12.785-08:002010-12-27T19:24:12.785-08:00I'm glad you read it so I don't have to. A...I'm glad you read it so I don't have to. And if Stacy suggests it for our next classic for the book club, I'm quitting. Hear that Stac?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com