Kepler's 2020 Project in the News:
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That Mad Ache is Douglas Hofstadter’s new translation of the 1965 novel, La Chamade, by Françoise Sagan. It is accompanied by a long essay on the infuriating delights of translation written by Hofstadter and neatly presented so that when you finish the novel, you can flip the book upside down and begin Translator, Trader, right-side up from the back cover. This is a slim novel that clings to you while you read so that you almost inhale the story of Lucile, young, beautiful, and absurdly frivolous, as if you were trapped inside her skin. At high speed, she glides through the indolence of Parisian high society. She acquires the love of two men, one older and wealthy, the other young, passionate, and poor; and, eventually, she must decide between them. It is not a particularly unusual story, but it is told with such vividness and intimacy that it feels absolutely unique. Hofstadter’s essay opens a window onto the process of translation. He describes the compromise and art that goes into transforming a story from one language to another, and it is fascinating to see the consideration that goes into the smallest details. Megan K. |
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