
In Translation: April Fiction and Poetry
April may be the cruelest month, but when you have great fiction and poetry in translation available to you, things seem brighter. After all, this month we have a collection of stories and a novel that walk the line between “realism” and “magical realism,” another novel from one of Japan’s greatest writers, and a new translation of Hesiod’s poetry. I’d say we’re in for a pretty great month.
The Teeth of the Comb & Other Stories by Osama Alomar, translated by C. J. Collins (New Directions, 96 pages, April 25)
Considered the first poet in Western literature to have written about himself, Hesiod ranged far and wide in his Theogony and Works and Days, discussing both the realm of the Greek gods and practical matters like how to run a farm and humanity’s place in the universe. This new bilingual edition features elegant translations that allow Hesiod’s unique voice to come through.
My Cat Yugoslavia by Pajtim Statovci, translated by David Hackston (Pantheon, 272 pages, April 18)
Devils in Daylight by Junichiro Tanizaki, translated by J. Keith Vincent (New Directions, 96 pages, April 25)