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i_am39_jack t1_j25ibo6 wrote

Not sure how good is the English translation , I’ve read it in Russian and still have memories of what i felt whilst reading

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shoegazeweedbed OP t1_j25vtmy wrote

I actually wondered how much would be lost in translation and looked it up. Apparently the "best" English translation available does change characterization around a bit. I also found some of the shoved-in references to Western media materials such as Playboy somewhat jarring when they're also sitting around eating borscht.

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ivbox t1_j28ndsc wrote

In the original, the borscht is the name of a restaurant. And because the zone in a Commonwealth country, Western references make sense.

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Stupid-Sexy-Alt t1_j26u8lc wrote

I read it in English and found the ideas super compelling but the narrative quite flat.

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LackadaisicalWolf t1_j26rw0x wrote

I've read Roadside Picnic in English and Finnish. The English translation lacked something for me, but the Finnish one felt really Russian. I mean, it just had that certain feeling to it.

Reading the same book in two different languages was like reading two different books. Really weird experience.

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i_am39_jack t1_j26zncf wrote

Totally agree. I read Steinbeck in Russian and later English, similar but different vibes for sure

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