–Maria.

It’s a reprint done here in America by Random House Vintage Español. It appears they are going to produce more Spanish editions in the near future.

My own approach is to read the English translation first, and then read the same material in Spanish while I am listening to the English audiobook version. Definitely a fun way to learn Spanish. Total immersion!

And I was also pleased (and somewhat relieved) by the gentle and warm tone with which the novel starts. I was braced for something far darker, given what we know about the subject matter to be confronted later. Bolano has a wry touch, and thus far it’s been a very pleasurable read.

I’m still bracing myself, however.

Also, I’d love to hear from those who are reading both regarding the character and quality of the translation–what do you think?

Another point I’d meant to make is that the book Morini is reading is itself recursive, the notes and commentary of an Italian scholar on the notes and commentary of a Mexican polymath on the notes and commentary required to make those very rich convent desserts. And mole. (The names of the recipes were enchanting; they reminded me a lot of my old Brazilian cookbook that has a lot of convent recipes.) I thought, somewhere down there under all those centuries and all those sheets of paper is a very buttery sweetie, and maybe a cup of chocolate.

–Maria.

I ought to write down some of my thoughts on this – as I’m not super proficient in Spanish, and yet I’m reading it in the original. This raises the questions: why? What’s different about reading a translation? Would it perhaps be more accurate to say that I’m reading my own translation that I construct in my head, sentence by sentence? And in a certain sense, wouldn’t that be the case even if Spanish were my native language? Is it too glib to say that all writing is translation from thought to word, and all reading is translation from word to thought? What would Bolaño say?

I’ll let you know once I’ve got my ideas more in order ..