Wheel of Time Messageboard: I did say I was made aware of this because of a link to my comments ;) by Larry

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I did say I was made aware of this because of a link to my comments

Larry Send a noteboard - 14/05/2010 09:09:34 PM

I'd say there's a good bit of coincidence in the matter, to be honest. Even in a language area like the Dutch one, where fantasy is rather popular and the bestsellers like Jordan, Martin and Goodkind sell tons of books as well, some authors are unheard of, for whatever reasons, while other authors who are nowhere near as famous in the Anglo-Saxon world do manage to get translated, or at least get sold in the original English. Why? Who knows. Better contacts with the right person, somebody in the big local publishing house picking up and liking some particular book, having the right timing, it can be so many things. Movie or television connections definitely help, too.

Oh, I agree to an extent, but I think some of it has to be due to regional/national tastes differing from linguistic area to linguistic area.

With regards to France and French, I'm not surprised by Dom's comments, France is still egocentric enough to mostly care about its own authors, and Quebec for obvious reasons is less so. Portugal is kind of interesting because Portugal itself is a small European country with a largely multilingual population, so you'd expect them to be very much in touch with the Anglo-Saxon world the way the Dutch-language world is. But then on the other hand you have Brazil, putting Portuguese in the top ten of the world's biggest languages, which puts the language in a position more like that of French.

I don't think the actual length of the books has much to do with it. I agree with Dom about the whole splitting up phenomenon having to do with book prices, and perhaps with not having to wait so long for a translation to be released. I do think fantasy has been bigger historically in the US than elsewhere (including the UK, I think). Even now, and now is already quite an evolution from twenty years ago I dare say, no fantasy book will ever make it into the top ten of any bestselling list here in Flanders, at least. They can sell well, but not *that* well. Mind, we do get lots of spec-fic-ish stuff on our bestselling lists - Shadow of the Wind was a ridiculous bestseller, Dan Brown obviously, and others. But real fantasy, no.

Of course, the issue of "real fantasy" is going to be a highly debatable choice. Something I might address in an essay later this year, but to read that one, it'll probably cost you the price of importing a book

Illusions fall like the husk of a fruit, one after another, and the fruit is experience. - Narrator, Sylvie

Je suis méchant.

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Interesting discussion on the series, for the few here who can understand it Larry - 13/05/2010 11:15:27 PM 1509 Views

Speaking for my own culture... DomA - 14/05/2010 01:04:54 AM 927 Views

Nice counterpoints Larry - 14/05/2010 01:54:07 AM 859 Views

Re: Nice counterpoints DomA - 14/05/2010 05:59:35 AM 913 Views

Interesting Larry - 14/05/2010 04:37:13 PM 861 Views

Re: Interesting DomA - 16/05/2010 04:59:57 AM 749 Views

Erikson is available in French... the first two books. Legolas - 14/05/2010 10:01:17 PM 911 Views

Re: Nice counterpoints Fanatic-Templar - 14/05/2010 10:53:33 PM 720 Views

But some translations are actually quite good Larry - 14/05/2010 11:38:19 PM 692 Views

Re: But some translations are actually quite good DomA - 15/05/2010 02:15:11 AM 831 Views

Have they finally released Monaldi & Sorti in the original Italian now?

Legolas - 15/05/2010 09:51:36 AM 873 Views

Re: Have they finally released Monaldi & Sorti in the original Italian now?

DomA - 15/05/2010 05:27:58 PM 818 Views

Re: But some translations are actually quite good Fanatic-Templar - 15/05/2010 03:58:07 AM 782 Views

Re: But some translations are actually quite good DomA - 15/05/2010 06:20:07 PM 801 Views

Re: Speaking for my own culture... Voscaia Sedai - 15/05/2010 09:52:42 AM 598 Views

Russia loves that sort of crap. Tom - 14/05/2010 03:59:52 PM 666 Views

After reading Alexey Pehov's first translated work, I can believe that

*NM* Larry - 14/05/2010 04:12:07 PM 309 Views

You're just linking that because of the compliments they're making about you, admit it.

Legolas - 14/05/2010 09:00:35 PM 889 Views

I did say I was made aware of this because of a link to my comments

Larry - 14/05/2010 09:09:34 PM 743 Views

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<quote id="108031">
<quote id="108030">I'd say there's a good bit of coincidence in the matter, to be honest. Even in a language area like the Dutch one, where fantasy is rather popular and the bestsellers like Jordan, Martin and Goodkind sell tons of books as well, some authors are unheard of, for whatever reasons, while other authors who are nowhere near as famous in the Anglo-Saxon world do manage to get translated, or at least get sold in the original English. Why? Who knows. Better contacts with the right person, somebody in the big local publishing house picking up and liking some particular book, having the right timing, it can be so many things. Movie or television connections definitely help, too. </quote>

Oh, I agree to an extent, but I think some of it has to be due to regional/national tastes differing from linguistic area to linguistic area.

<quote id="108030">With regards to France and French, I'm not surprised by Dom's comments, France is still egocentric enough to mostly care about its own authors, and Quebec for obvious reasons is less so. Portugal is kind of interesting because Portugal itself is a small European country with a largely multilingual population, so you'd expect them to be very much in touch with the Anglo-Saxon world the way the Dutch-language world is. But then on the other hand you have Brazil, putting Portuguese in the top ten of the world's biggest languages, which puts the language in a position more like that of French. </quote>

I should introduce you to a few Brazilian authors/critics I've met in recent years.  Their takes on the Brazilian market is surprising.  It's a very nascent market from what I've seen.  But I didn't say in any of the comments above that I do have more ties with both the Portuguese and Brazilian markets than what one might expect.  Some of my columns and reviews have been/will be translated in a small, just-started Portuguese SF magazine called <i>Dagon</i>, and there's been quite a bit of discussion on Brazilian forums about my December 2009 review of the Brazilian <i>Steampunk</i> anthology.  From what I've learned, it's much more akin to a workshopping/cutthroat environment than what is perceived to be the case in the larger Anglo-American markets.
 
<quote id="108030">I don't think the actual length of the books has much to do with it. I agree with Dom about the whole splitting up phenomenon having to do with book prices, and perhaps with not having to wait so long for a translation to be released. I do think fantasy has been bigger historically in the US than elsewhere (including the UK, I think). Even now, and now is already quite an evolution from twenty years ago I dare say, no fantasy book will ever make it into the top ten of any bestselling list here in Flanders, at least. They can sell well, but not *that* well. Mind, we do get lots of spec-fic-ish stuff on our bestselling lists - Shadow of the Wind was a ridiculous bestseller, Dan Brown obviously, and others. But real fantasy, no. </quote>

Of course, the issue of "real fantasy" is going to be a highly debatable choice.  Something I might address in an essay later this year, but to read that one, it'll probably cost you the price of importing a book ;)
</quote>

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