Quote:
Originally Posted by Sirtel
Yes. One of my all-time favorite books, The City and the Stars, is also one of the best epitomes of that sense of wonder I've ever read. Granted, I've only read the Estonian translation of it, but I still remember the awe I felt when I first read it in my early teens. (The Soviet-era translations (of mostly any book) were excellent, as a rule. I've never felt the need to read the original with most of them. Not so with later translations, where I prefer the originals if they're in English).
|
Yes, I know it's a drag reading in another language. At least on an e-reader we have the dictionary. Have you tried some of the short stories in the original English? I read Strugatsky in English, and find them fine to read. I actually prefer the older translations. They are less polished, but perhaps they convey the original Russian better.
I will add that Clarke writes particularly beautiful prose. Against the fall of night is shorter, and just as good as the city and the stars. It's worth reading just for the opening scene. Apparently the opening scene was what spawned both books. It appeared in his mind all by itself with great power, and he wrote it down immediately.