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jess_mango's review against another edition
4.0
I've read a lot (but not all) of Murakami books. I hope to get to at least a couple of the ones that I haven't read yet by the end of the year. He is definitely one of my favorite authors...quirky, clever, moody.
So, when I saw this non-fiction work pop up on a list of upcoming releases I jumped all over it. In this short book, author David Karashima discusses how Murakami came to be translated into English and gain popularity. He introduces us to the various translators, editors and publishers who through the past 30 or so years, brought Murakami's books to an English-speaking audience. Murakami's works were written in Japanese and gained some popularity in Japan. we also here of Murakami's time in America when he was on staff at Princeton University and Tufts University.
This book actually not only let me learn more about Murakami but also more about the process of translating a book. It was fascinating to me. I read a good number of books in translation and have always wondered a bit about how they are translated. I recommend this book to any Murakami fan!
thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
So, when I saw this non-fiction work pop up on a list of upcoming releases I jumped all over it. In this short book, author David Karashima discusses how Murakami came to be translated into English and gain popularity. He introduces us to the various translators, editors and publishers who through the past 30 or so years, brought Murakami's books to an English-speaking audience. Murakami's works were written in Japanese and gained some popularity in Japan. we also here of Murakami's time in America when he was on staff at Princeton University and Tufts University.
This book actually not only let me learn more about Murakami but also more about the process of translating a book. It was fascinating to me. I read a good number of books in translation and have always wondered a bit about how they are translated. I recommend this book to any Murakami fan!
thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
jtisgreen's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
3.5
Must-read for Murakami fans, and a good read for people interested in translation, even though it only goes up to 1998, and has opportunities for improving the text.
nuhafariha's review against another edition
3.0
Thanks to Soft Skull Press and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!
Now available!
Clearheaded and precise, David Karashima's Who We're Reading When We're Reading Murakami presents an often underdiscussed topic in translated international fiction. Hardly anyone who reads literary fiction can claim to not know the name Murakami or be immediately absorbed into his world of Japanese magical realism. However, Murakami, or rather the English translation of Murakami, is not who we think he is. By delving into the world of translators, publishers and editors, Karashima takes the reader into a behind the scenes journey of literary fiction, one that we as readers rarely have the chance to enter. It is fascinating to consider, for example, how the order of the novels published makes an impact on an author's ability to break into the American market, how certain words and characters might be dramatically changed by the slight of the translator's hand and the unknowing, long lasting impact it can have. Karashima makes the journey both accessible and entertaining, at times even drawing on a little bit of Murakami's magic himself.
Now available!
Clearheaded and precise, David Karashima's Who We're Reading When We're Reading Murakami presents an often underdiscussed topic in translated international fiction. Hardly anyone who reads literary fiction can claim to not know the name Murakami or be immediately absorbed into his world of Japanese magical realism. However, Murakami, or rather the English translation of Murakami, is not who we think he is. By delving into the world of translators, publishers and editors, Karashima takes the reader into a behind the scenes journey of literary fiction, one that we as readers rarely have the chance to enter. It is fascinating to consider, for example, how the order of the novels published makes an impact on an author's ability to break into the American market, how certain words and characters might be dramatically changed by the slight of the translator's hand and the unknowing, long lasting impact it can have. Karashima makes the journey both accessible and entertaining, at times even drawing on a little bit of Murakami's magic himself.
benrogerswpg's review against another edition
3.0
This was a pretty good read on Murakami books.
Particularly interesting was Murakami's writing process and how his translations were done to get the books worldwide - specifically English.
I also found the book gave some great insight into the receptions on Murakami's books and some prominent thoughts, themes, and changes made to the books over the years. Also, there were some interesting discussions about the plots and how the publishers fought with Murakami to get him to do anything press-related.
Would recommend if you are a Murakami fan.
3.5/5
Particularly interesting was Murakami's writing process and how his translations were done to get the books worldwide - specifically English.
I also found the book gave some great insight into the receptions on Murakami's books and some prominent thoughts, themes, and changes made to the books over the years. Also, there were some interesting discussions about the plots and how the publishers fought with Murakami to get him to do anything press-related.
Would recommend if you are a Murakami fan.
3.5/5
jakobitz's review against another edition
3.0
An insightful look behind the curtain of the publishing and translation work involved in bringing printed text to a global market; more specifically, a look at the translators and publishers that helped Murakami gain a foothold in the New York publishing sphere, spanning the eighties to the late nineties. At times engaging, and other times less so, this work is truly insightful as one ponders the complexities of memory as it relates to how we perceive history - memories are fraught with fallibility. Nonetheless, the author does due diligence in providing ample sources and references to try and provide a chronological journey through Murakami's early English publications. Having read this, I will no longer be able to read a translated work without thinking about the interpretive and editorial processes involved in it's creation. 3.5 stars
wrengaia's review against another edition
3.0
Karashima is a background presence in the tale he has told of Murakami’s rise to international success. The text is a collage of various interviews and letters; Karashima’s role as a ‘writer’ seems to have been not to offer analysis on the unfolding events of publication and translation but rather to be the arch-voice sewing disparate snippets and quotations together. So, while this is an enormously interesting book, its telling leaves rather a lot to be desired.
The complexity of publication, particularly in translation, is a hidden labour that cannot be surmised or understood from the finished product. Murakami’s reputation - that he is a solitary, long-distance running and somewhat stoic writer - does not at all take into account the complex teamwork behind his translated works. The extent to which the translators have overtly edited and changed his work for an English-speaking readership is quite remarkable, and a reminder of the importance of considering the role of the translator and the consequences of translation as a practice, whenever reading a translated work. I suppose, cynically, this book is perhaps meant to highlight the more ‘scheming’ parts of Murakami’s success - dropping his initial translator for Jay Rubin, or tactically switching publishers - but I think what came across instead was just an image of the publishing world as a world of ‘business’ like any other. Had Karashima offered any analysis, though, the impression may have been markedly different.
To summarise, this is an interesting book solely because its subject matter is so interesting. It is honestly quite badly written; I reached the end mourning for what could have been, had the same wealth of archival material been in the hands of a more competent or analytically minded writer. Nonetheless, a very interesting story for any fan of Murakami’s work.
The complexity of publication, particularly in translation, is a hidden labour that cannot be surmised or understood from the finished product. Murakami’s reputation - that he is a solitary, long-distance running and somewhat stoic writer - does not at all take into account the complex teamwork behind his translated works. The extent to which the translators have overtly edited and changed his work for an English-speaking readership is quite remarkable, and a reminder of the importance of considering the role of the translator and the consequences of translation as a practice, whenever reading a translated work. I suppose, cynically, this book is perhaps meant to highlight the more ‘scheming’ parts of Murakami’s success - dropping his initial translator for Jay Rubin, or tactically switching publishers - but I think what came across instead was just an image of the publishing world as a world of ‘business’ like any other. Had Karashima offered any analysis, though, the impression may have been markedly different.
To summarise, this is an interesting book solely because its subject matter is so interesting. It is honestly quite badly written; I reached the end mourning for what could have been, had the same wealth of archival material been in the hands of a more competent or analytically minded writer. Nonetheless, a very interesting story for any fan of Murakami’s work.