Would it be wrong of me to do a translation of William Hope Hodgson's The Night Land into modern English?
Ok, I am a bit biased because after your review, I would really like to read this, so it is not a surprise that I vote yes.
I don't think this sort of translation takes anything away from his work. Condensing story and modifying language in books takes place quite often in editions of books that are intended for children and while I can see arguments against it, I think it serves as a gateway for someone to appreciate the original.
It's like cutting the whaling chapters of Moby Dick for people who don't appreciate that thing - the bones remain and that's the thing that makes it great.
I'd like to see Hodgson's greatness, but I'm not likely to read the original.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2011-05-12 09:55 pm (UTC)Ok, I am a bit biased because after your review, I would really like to read this, so it is not a surprise that I vote yes.
I don't think this sort of translation takes anything away from his work. Condensing story and modifying language in books takes place quite often in editions of books that are intended for children and while I can see arguments against it, I think it serves as a gateway for someone to appreciate the original.
It's like cutting the whaling chapters of Moby Dick for people who don't appreciate that thing - the bones remain and that's the thing that makes it great.
I'd like to see Hodgson's greatness, but I'm not likely to read the original.