Lost in translation? Maybe? Reading translated novels #MondayBlogs #AmReading #BookAddict

I’m currently reading The Dinner by Herman Koch for my book club. I’ve wanted to read this book for a long time as Koch is one of the most popular Dutch authors, The Dinner was even made into a movie! I’ve been quite neglectful in reading novels of my adopted country. Upon my request, my mother-in-law bought me the book for my birthday. Unfortunately, she bought the English version. I prefer not to read translations if necessary. But, oh well, I thought, I’ve got the book so…

The problem with translations is that they not only translate the words from (in this case) Dutch to English, they also adopt the cultural and other transactions to make the story comprehensible for foreigners. As someone who has traveled extensively and loves to study foreign cultures and societies, this doesn’t always gel with me. Part of the story is lost when the story is not only translated but altered for foreign readers.

I’ll give you a few examples from The Dinner. Serge Lohman, brother of the narrator, is constantly referred to as a candidate for prime-minister. This gives the illusion that the prime minister of the Netherlands is an elected position. It’s not. The Netherlands has a parliamentarian system in which people vote for parties. The party itself choses who is the so-called lijsttrekker – the top person of the party. I don’t think it would have been difficult for the translator to illustrate Serge’s influence without making it sound like the Dutch directly elect their prime minister.

Another example is the class Michel, the narrator’s son, attends. According to the novel, he’s a sophomore. The Dutch don’t use terms like freshman, sophomore, junior, etc. I’m left wondering what class Michel is in.

The narrator is also often disparaging about Dutch habits. For example, he spends an entire chapter discussing Serge’s family house in France. He has absolutely nothing – NOTHING – good to say about Dutch people owning houses in France. I have to wonder is this snideness in the Dutch version?

As you can see, the translation has pulled me away from the story Koch is trying to tell. It makes me wonder about other books I’ve read in translation. Have I missed the point of those novels? Have I missed the nuances the writer was portraying? I can’t help but think the answer is yes.