From wartime wanderers to time-looping protagonists, this curated selection of five recently translated works offers a whirlwind tour of human experience across continents and centuries. These novels—drawn from France, Bulgaria, Réunion Island, Spain, and Denmark—showcase the power of translation to illuminate hidden histories, intimate struggles, and inventive storytelling. Below, we delve into each book, provide fresh context, and answer your most common questions.
1. The Deserters by Mathias Énard
Translator: Charlotte Mandell | Publisher: Fitzcarraldo Editions | Pages: 220
Énard’s latest novel weaves two strands: an unnamed Mediterranean soldier on the run, and a commemorative colloquium for an East German mathematician. Building on the acclaim of Compass (International Booker Prize shortlist, 2016), Énard mines his expertise in Arabic studies to traverse North African desert tracks and Cold War lecture halls. Mandell—renowned for her crystalline English versions of Énard (Zone)—captures his erudite yet lyrical prose. In our expanded view, note how Énard’s interlacing of 9/11 and the Ukraine invasion creates a tapestry of 20th- and 21st-century disillusionment, challenging readers to find continuity in chaos.
2. Death and the Gardener by Georgi Gospodinov
Translator: Angela Rodel | Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson | Pages: 212
Bulgarian star Georgi Gospodinov, International Booker winner for Time Shelter (2023), shifts focus to personal grief in this memoir-novel hybrid. As the author recounts his father’s cancer journey, he juxtaposes Latin medical jargon with tender filial anecdotes—transforming clinical detachment into poetic elegy. Rodel’s elegant translation (also lauded for her work on Ivo Andrić) ensures both precision and warmth. Beyond the Irish Times review, readers should appreciate the book’s exploration of memory’s architecture: how the living archive of stories sustains us even after loss.
3. The Rarest Fruit by Gaëlle Bélem
Translators: Karen Fleetwood & Laëtitia Saint Loubert | Publisher: Bullaun Press | Pages: 224
Set in Réunion, Bélem’s The Rarest Fruit resurrects Edmond Albius, the enslaved teenager who revolutionized vanilla cultivation in 19th-century France. Drawing on archival records and oral histories, Bélem blends historical novel with botanical romance. Fleetwood and Saint Loubert—both specialists in French-to-English literary translation—balance period detail with modern clarity. Expanding on the review, it’s worth exploring how this work reframes colonial botany not as mere commodity history but as a narrative of creativity suppressed by social hierarchy.
4. That’s All I Know by Elisa Levi
Translator: Christina MacSweeney | Publisher: Daunt Book Originals | Pages: 210
Levi’s Spanish-language debut is a masterclass in single-voice storytelling. Nineteen-year-old Lea, confined to a bench in the Catalan highlands, unspools her life in breathless monologue. Influenced by Beckett and Carson McCullers, Levi captures the razor’s-edge between adolescent detachment and profound insight. MacSweeney—celebrated for her translations of Enrique Vila-Matas—preserves the character’s hallucinatory rhythm and sharp wit. Readers should also note the social subtext: rural isolation, family duty, and the unspoken psychic weight of caregiving.
5. On the Calculation of Volume, Volume II by Solvej Balle
Translator: Barbara J. Haveland | Publisher: Faber & Faber | Pages: 204
Danish author Solvej Balle’s septology continues with Volume II of Tara Selter’s time-loop odyssey. After its International Booker shortlisting, the series has readers hooked on its blend of metaphysical musing and road-trip adventure. Haveland—known for her deft renditions of Jon Fosse—captures Balle’s spare, rhythmic prose as Tara quests through Brussels, Odense, Stockholm, and beyond. Beyond the plot, this volume deepens thematic explorations of memory containers and emotional stasis, rewarding readers intrigued by experimental narrative structures.
Conclusion
These five novels showcase translation’s ability to transport us across histories, geographies, and inner landscapes. Whether you’re drawn to sweeping historical canvases or intimate character studies, each book invites reflection on how stories—and the act of translating them—bridge cultures and eras.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: How do I choose which translation to read first?
Consider your interests: The Deserters for historical breadth, Death and the Gardener for personal memoir, or The Rarest Fruit for untold colonial stories. Sample a few pages online to see which voice resonates.
Q2: Are these books suitable for translation-study novices?
Absolutely. Each translation balances fidelity with readability, making them excellent introductions to the art of literary translation.
Q3: Where can I find these titles?
Major bookstores and online retailers stock them. University and public libraries often carry these award-winning works.
Q4: What extra content is available?
Many publishers offer translator’s notes, interviews, or reading-group guides on their websites—valuable for deeper context.
Q5: How does translation affect the author’s original tone?
Skilled translators preserve tone, rhythm, and intent. Comparing passages with source-language excerpts (if possible) highlights their artistry.
Q6: Why is fiction in translation important?
It broadens our worldview, introduces diverse voices, and enriches literary culture by transcending linguistic borders.
Sources The Irish Times
