Read with MLC: Book in Translation

Welcome to September, and the ninth month of the 2024 Read With MLC reading challenge! This month's reading prompt is to read a book in translation. Why should we read books originally written in languages other than English? Georgi Gospodinov, winner of 2023's International Booker Prize for his book Time Shelter, says, 

When we have ears and eyes (and a translation) for the story of the Other, when we hear and read it, they become a person like us. Storytelling generates empathy. It saves the world. Especially a world like the one we live in today. We write to postpone the end of the world. And the end of the world is a very personal thing. It happens in different languages. Translation gives us the sense that we are working towards this postponement together.

Still, when some people think of translated fiction, their thoughts may immediately turn to dry, ponderous tomes that have no connection to their lives or interests. Luckily, the staff at the Mississippi Library Commission have shared some of their favorite works in translation below.

A Man Called Ove
Fredrik Backman
MLC
BARD
I read the audiobook version of this, which was phenomenal. Sentimental and true-to-life, it deals with grumpy old man Ove as he grieves the death of his wife and endures the new, friendly family next door. I've recommended this to so many people and everyone except a recent widower has loved it.
Originally written in Swedish
-Charlie Simpkins, Special Collections Coordinator

The Master and Margarita
Mikhail Bulgakov
BARD
Originally written in Russian
This is a revision of the stories of Faust and Pontius Pilate set in 1930s Soviet Russia. I studied Russian language and culture in graduate school, which took me to Moscow as part of a mini study abroad trip where I picked up a Vintage Classics copy of this book. Who isn't interested in a book featuring a black cat with a fondness for chess and vodka?
-Lacy Ellinwood, Lead Library Consultant

The Black Tulip
Alxandre Dumas
BARD
Originally written in French
-Zach Burton, Cataloging Librarian

The Diary of a Young Girl
Anne Frank
MLC
BARD
Originally written in Dutch
-Shellie Zeigler, Library Consultant

Satires
Juvenal
Originally written Latin.
I was introduced to Roman satirists through my historical reenactments. To me, the satirists offer a better insight into ancient life.
-Kristina Kelly, Public Relations Coordinator

Before the Coffee Gets Cold
Toshikazu Kawaguchi
BARD
Originally written in Japanese
-Shellie Zeigler, Library Consultant

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Steig Larsson
BARD
Originally written in Swedish
-Shellie Zeigler, Library Consultant

Convenience Store Woman
Sayaka Murata
BARD
Originally written in Japanese
-Shellie Zeigler, Library Consultant

Cyrano de Bergerac
Edmond Rostand
BARD
Originally written in French
I've only ever enjoyed the printed version, but I love the story regardless. Cyrano's snark speaks to my sarcastic soul.
-Beth Samson, CE Coordinator

Persepolis
Marjane Satrapi
MLC
Originally written in French
This graphic memoir is Satrapi's remembrances of her life growing up during and after the Islamic Revolution. Drawn only in black and white, it shows the tightening of control of the restrictive regime over the ordinary people of Iran.
-Elisabeth Scott, Reference Librarian

Night
Elie Wiesel
MLC
BARD
Originally written in Yiddish
Like many people, Night was my introduction to the Holocaust of the Jews during WWII. Unbearably stark and devastatingly honest, Wiesel tells of the destruction of his home, his people, and his family, and of his time in the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps.
-Elisabeth Scott, Reference Librarian

We
Yevgeny Zamyatin
Originally written in Russian
Written more than twenty years before George Orwell's 1984, this is a cautionary tale of the power of a totalitarian and authoritarian state and the pitfalls that can be found at the edges of communalism. Who better to write on the corruption of the state than a Soviet exile like Zamyatin?
-Zach Burton, Cataloging Librarian

If you would like a suggestion or two for books in translation, give MLC's BookMatch service a try. Fill out our short form letting us know your reading likes and dislikes, and we'll send you a list of recommended reads tailored to your tastes. Until next time, happy reading!

Elisabeth Scott
Reference Librarian