Reflections 3/28

    David Karashima's piece about Murakami was very accessible for someone who has never read Murakami before. I thought the talk of who asked who to "tone down" the sex scenes was amusing, and goes to show how things literally get lost in translation (ha ha). I was shocked that they suggested changing the reference to Allen Ginsberg into a reference to Shakespeare. These two writers do not share anywhere near the same societal implication, and the fact that Murakami accepted the change in reference surprised me. Though I really appreciated Murakami's attitude, because he seems very down-to-Earth. He accepted the changes to get his writing out there (I mean, it is the New Yorker, after all) but rejects the idea on principle. I think there are ethical issues with changing writing for a publication to appease that publication's audience (expanding one's horizons/introducing them to new things is also important, you know?), but in the end, I know it just comes down to money. 

    In Karashima's Paris Review piece, what I found most interesting was that a scathing review of Murakami's book from Kometani was otherwise kind to the translator, and Kometani is a translator herself. The other reviews looked kindly upon Alfred (the translator), as well. Is it only a sign of a successful translation when everyone likes it? I wonder how Alfred Birnbaum's acclaim translating Murakami may translate into nervousness surrounding future translations, or translating anyone else. He would be interesting to hear speak!

    I think it's funny that Elmer Wood insisted Norwegian Wood wouldn't sell in America because Western readers are "more jaded, more ‘experienced’ at an earlier age", and then it ended up doing fantastic. It makes me wonder how A Wild Sheep Chase would have done in the New Yorker in its original form, rather than the toned down version that the editors assumed its readers would prefer. In the case of Norwegian Wood, there's proof that peoples' assumptions about the public's taste can definitely be wrong.

Sarah