Thanks for posting these excerpts George -- I'm very much looking forward to reading the whole thing when it's ready. Do you know when that will be?
The main reason that I'm looking forward to reading the novel is that that I enjoyed your previous translations of Krasznahorkai's books so much. I came across your work through Tarr's films though, and so I'm also expecting that, as with The Werckmeister Harmonies and M. of R., film and novel will shed light on each other in unexpected ways. I suppose adaptation for the screen is another mode of translation, at least with a serious film maker that considers cinema as a language, so comparing facets of film and book is something akin to being able to read a book and it's translation (something I couldn't do with a Hungarian book). So I'm hoping that I'll be able to understand more clearly some of the enigmas of the story. E.g. the nature of Irimias is not simply demonic, but what is it then? The film is teasing about this, even suggesting he's as much angel as devil -- maybe (and it seems quite likely) the book is just as ambiguous. I'll wait and see.
I don't know why this comment has come in so late, Jim (it came in 5 July, today), but I am still working on Satantango. Krasznahorkai was very keen that I should not consult the film when coming across a translation problem in the book. The film and the book, though they follow each other in many respects, are not so directly related.
There's nothing wrong with your blog George, I only made the comment today! It's interesting that you say the film and book are "not so directly related". I wonder whether you mean by this the usual difference between a screenplay and a book (in dialogue and minor details) or something more fundamental. Again, I'll wait and see. Best regards, Jim.
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Thanks for posting these excerpts George -- I'm very much looking forward to reading the whole thing when it's ready. Do you know when that will be?
The main reason that I'm looking forward to reading the novel is that that I enjoyed your previous translations of Krasznahorkai's books so much. I came across your work through Tarr's films though, and so I'm also expecting that, as with The Werckmeister Harmonies and M. of R., film and novel will shed light on each other in unexpected ways. I suppose adaptation for the screen is another mode of translation, at least with a serious film maker that considers cinema as a language, so comparing facets of film and book is something akin to being able to read a book and it's translation (something I couldn't do with a Hungarian book). So I'm hoping that I'll be able to understand more clearly some of the enigmas of the story. E.g. the nature of Irimias is not simply demonic, but what is it then? The film is teasing about this, even suggesting he's as much angel as devil -- maybe (and it seems quite likely) the book is just as ambiguous. I'll wait and see.
I don't know why this comment has come in so late, Jim (it came in 5 July, today), but I am still working on Satantango. Krasznahorkai was very keen that I should not consult the film when coming across a translation problem in the book. The film and the book, though they follow each other in many respects, are not so directly related.
There's nothing wrong with your blog George, I only made the comment today! It's interesting that you say the film and book are "not so directly related". I wonder whether you mean by this the usual difference between a screenplay and a book (in dialogue and minor details) or something more fundamental. Again, I'll wait and see. Best regards, Jim.
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