thjazi: Sketch of goofy smiling Enjolras (Default)
thjazi ([personal profile] thjazi) wrote in [community profile] les_miserables 2014-04-04 06:29 am (UTC)

I adore Wraxall, I read through to the convent with it in the early days of the Brick club-- but it is Super Not the most accurate translation. But it's...it's, like, Wrong With Feeling. Like a fan who was sort of teaching themselves French through translation made a REAL SINCERE effort.

It gets a lot wrong. Like, just straight up incorrect. But it's weirdly enjoyable to read--really, WEIRDLY, the language is archaic in a very strange way. And it adds in weird helpful bits like explaining the pun with Bossuet's nickname, and there are just a lot of little touches I like, but I would not be the one to try and defend it on Actual Quality.

The illustrations, though. Those are WONDERFUL.


(Also am I the only person who doesn't have copies of this book materializing at me, what the HECK.:P Did you get the 1 or 2 volume set?)

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