Translation

I just picked up a new book - yes, my book budget is enormous ... okay, it's not enormous, but I always go way over - Experiences in Translation by Umberto Eco. I always enjoy Eco's books, both fiction and non-fiction, because of his amazing writing style. I read something in one of his works, and I think: yes, that's it; that's it exactly. He has the gift of putting into words that which, I would have thought, could not be expressed.

The book, which I have perused but not actually read, addresses an amazing range of issues in translation. I remember years ago, in graduate school, I was translating a Latin text in which the author listed various breakfast dishes as an example of taste and variety in individuals. I was having fits - dictionaries of the Latin language seldom include the details of Roman culinary masterpieces. Finally, I realized that direct translation would have no real meaning; the author wanted the reader to get the sense of variety not cooking details. I happily inserted sunny-side-up, over easy, poached, etc. That may have been the moment that I truly became fascinated with the idea of translation. Years later, I was working on some articles for an encyclopedia of the Renaissance, and I was assigned several Italian humanists who were responsible for rethinking - re-visioning - the idea of translation, what it meant, and what were its goals. Again, I became enthralled with the idea of changed language, audience, purpose. Of course, this fascination has forced me to attempt to learn to read a number of Medieval languages, and I am an appallingly bad linguist. Once I learn a language, all is well, but learning it - horrors! When I read Dante, I often use four or five translations simultaneously - the one with beautiful poetry, the very literal one, the one with fabulous notes, the one with facing page Italian ...

Must go read....

Characters are the Thing

I just finished reading Sherwood Smith's King's Shield, the third and pentultimate entry (or so she says; it began life as a trilogy, so who really knows) in her Inda series of fantasy novels. This collection was unexpectedly engrossing. Although the premise seems, upon first glance, to be a typical coming of age plot, the careful crafting of characters puts this series head-and-shoulders above standard writing. The characters are ambiguous. Readers can tell who the heroes and villains are - it's not like George R. R. Martin's fiction in which villain becomes hero and hero villain as reader perspective changes - but her sympathetic rendering of the most negative characters, as well as the ambiguity of her "good" characters gives this novel a depth and edge that we often do not see. Moreover, again unlike Martin, she appears to be writing at a good pace, enough to encourage anticipation without ending up in the throes of abandonment.

Which brings me to Martin's Song of Ice and Fire. I LOVE this series. The intricacy of plot, character, history is unparalleled. However, as a reader, I must say I am becoming cold and disillusioned on this cliff upon which we have been left to pine for the next installment. Inda was an accident; ever since my abandonment by Martin, I have carefully avoided beginning any trilogies, quadrilogies, quintrilogies, or whatever in sheer self-defense. Happily, I didn't realize the danger until I completed the book and discovered it was not, in fact, a one-off.

I have moved back to history after my little mystery and fantasy extravaganza. I am currently reading Norwich's trilogy on the history of Byzantium. It's proving an interesting read with lively narration and plenty of detail. Unfortunately, it does not have a driving point or analysis to make; it is very much a storyteller's version. As a story, it is very competently told, but it suffers from that lack of drive provided by a strong sense of purpose. I've just ordered Judith Herrin's Byzantium: The Surprising Life of a Medieval Empire and The Formation of Christendom. I have high hopes for these two volumes since both are extremely well reviewed as driven, theoretically underpinned works of historical analysis. Here's hoping!

Fan Girl Philosophy

Last night we went to see The Dark Knight on iMAX. It was fabulous! It could have been the trainwreck that Spiderman 3 was, given a long, strung-out plot and two nemeses; however, it skillfully avoided these pitfalls through its unifying use of a single theme - the hero and the villain are two sides of the same coin. The tension between them creates the continuity that holds the disparate events in a single narrative arc. Really, that was the theme of Batman Begins as well. In the end, Batman is a hero only as long as he trusts the basic goodness of the ordinary person. That commitment led him to oppose the Liam Nissam character in the first movie and to trust the ordinary persons on the boats in the most recent version. (Spoiler Alert) In the end, Harvey is broken because he loses that outlook. (You're safe again) It is interesting to note that the moral centre of the story actually rests on a triumverate of characters - Alfred (guardian of the purpose), Gordon (repository of the goal), and Lucius (moral compass) - who believe that Gotham - and the human race - can not only be saved but deserves to be saved.

On a different note, we have also been watching Dr. Horrible by the incomparable Joss Wedon. We mourned Firefly sincerely - and rewatch it frequently - and it was a delight to see a new creation. It is also, perhaps, a prophet of what may come. This web musical, low budget with fabulous writing and acting, showcases the possibilities the internet provides for talented people to make their creations available without the mediating influence of the large corporate entity. Will those products be different? Yes, both in terms of money and glitz that is possible without corporate investment, and in terms of target audience. These endeavours - it seems to me - can look to a smaller, committed audience, rather than attempting to find a balance point where it will mildly interest and not offend the largest numbers.

Finally, Dr. Horrible led me to The Guild, a delightful web-based series written by and starring the female lead from Dr Horrible, Felicia Day. In it, she chronicles the challenges of the web-game obsessed. However, the core of this piece is the way it realizes that we all struggle to relate to others, find ways to give our lives meaning, and struggle to disentangle fun from avoidance of reality. Find it HERE!

Home Again

Actually, to be honest, I have been "home again" for a week. I still feel, though, that I have just arrived - I'm finally getting settled in.

I came back to some lovely eye candy. Below you can see my package from the Woolen Rabbit - Chestnut, Moroccan Spice, and Seascapes Whisper Lace. They have their work cut out for them ... Chestnut is slated to be transformed into Anne Hanson's Casino, while the Seascapes will be my second Seraphim shawl - I fell in love with the Seraphim in this yarn by knittingtheblues - enchanting! The Moroccan Spice is the yarn for Susan Pandorf's Magic Carpet Ride.



I also received the Lanas Puras Melosa lace yarn at left - for Anne Hanson's Star of Evening. I think, given my color selection (felicitously named "sunset"), my creation - such as it is - will be Evening Sunset or Star of Sunset, or something equally lyrical.

Of course, I have, at last count, 29 items in my queue and four on my needles. When will I begin any or all of these delightful pieces? Who knows.

As for the aforementioned items "on the needles" .... I really got much less accomplished in the knitting line than I had hoped. I quickly found that "Retreat" is not the same as "Rest Cure", and I was pretty busy the entire time. I have moved on nicely with the Forest Seraphim; I am working on the second of the four final charts - hopefully pictures soon of the FO! I have begun the malabrigo Swiss Cheese Scarf - the colors work beautifully - pictures of this little one soon as well. Alas, the Bee and the Gale are wholly untouched.

Finally, I might as well confess that I signed up for the Secret of the Stole III. Yes, I am incorrigible - and encouragable. But .... well ... okay, I have no real excuse ....