Tips on Reading Books in a Foreign Language

[@TheBookchemist]

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[@ksotikoulamarie5452]

I' m a greek native speaker. The first classic novel I read in English was Frankenstein. I didn't make much use of a dictionary, unless it was absolutely necessary. I just read each paragraph three times in order to be sure I understood the gist of it. When I read it later translated, I realised hadn't missed a thing from its meaning or tone. My favorite author is Charlotte Bronte and I can't bear the Greek translations anymore because her language is so poetical and suggestive, and in the end I think that every reader participates in the reading of a book with his own interpretation of subtle meanings.

[@zachmosher3879]

From my language learning journey, I think a person's native language has a strong impact on what strategies they use to understand their target language. As a native English speaker, it was easier for me to dive into more complicated French texts like Les Miserables or Le Petit Prince because there is an enormous shared vocabulary between the two languages. With German, however, even though there is a shared vocabulary, the sentence structure and verb system, especially separable verbs, compounded with the vocabulary that can be a mouthful at times, made diving into fiction I had not previously read in translation to be far too difficult and tedious. I have previously read a comment somewhere that if you stick with a text and are able to survive the initial grind of the first fifty or seventy pages, then the author's style, repetition of sentence structure and vocabulary begin to be internalized, so even if you do not grasp the precise meaning and nuances, you are generally understanding what is written. These types of small victories go a long way in boosting morale and the willingness to stick with a text. On the topic of boosting morale, short stories or novellas may be better texts to springboard someone into a novel they want to read since they are easier to finish, giving that important sense of accomplishment.

[@callumsutherland2954]

That second paragraph is really interesting; I've read a couple of Patrick Modiano books now, and I do feel this kind of falling into place -- I can anticipate what a word I don't know will mean, because it seems like something Modiano would write. Very interesting, and very handy, too.

[@nellsea8086]

Zach Mosher totally agree with the German part

[@paxe.j.1723]

That's what went down for me when I read Neuromancer in English. First it felt like I had developed dyslexia with how confused I was trying to understand anything. Then about a quarter in, when I stopped trying to understand every single sentence, things just started to make sense.

[@TheBookchemist]

A very interesting perspective! Thank you for the comment :)

[@erraticonteuse]

I'm a native English speaker who tries to keep up with my French skills, and I've honestly had the most success with reading comics/BD.

[@JuanReads]

Great tips! I second all of them. My first language is Spanish, but I started reading in English when I was 18, and since then I've never read anything in translation that was originally written in English. I know read in several other languages apart from English and Spanish. Also, slow reading is something that I've been thinking a lot lately.

[@Paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaulo]

Something that worked for me was reading first a translated chapter, then the same chapter in the original language. This means I don't lose the narrative when I encounter several words/expressions I don't know in a row, since I already know where the actions is going, and makes me less anxious about taking too much time in each chapter. Also might help notice things you miss the first time reading.

[@herrklamm1454]

Tip 1 - Learn the language.

[@CyriacusSorokin]

Really interesting video! I'm a Greek native speaker and I started reading in English during my university years 12 years ago, when I was studying English Literature, and for at least 6 years I was reading exclusively in English. Then I decided to return to Greek. Nowadays I balance my reading between English and Greek but since Greek editions are more expensive I read more in English (original and translations.) If the book is written in English or Greek I will read it in the original, with very few exceptions (Greek edition of Bleeding Edge is gorgeous compared to the dull one in English). If it's in a third language I will decide which language to read it then. Important factors for the decision are (edition, availability, price, translation) Earlier today I finished reading Homer's Iliad and tonight I'll continue with the Odyssey. Of course I am not reading them in the original Homeric Greek but in Modern Greek. It's an intralanguage translation actually something that corresponds to the translation of Beowulf from Old to Modern English. Even though I don't read them in the original (ancient) language I read them in the modern form of the same language. I can't imagine myself reading Homer or other Greek classic works in English. They will sound foreign to me. The same with reading Stephen King in Greek, all his idiomatic language is kinda lost in Greek I feel. After Odyssey I'd like to read Aeneid and since I don't know Latin I might think whether to read it in English or Greek. Of course Macmillan'S Collector's Editions have gorgeous editions of Homer's Odyssey and Iliad so I might buy those later for the sake of it. I'm also planning to read Homer's epics in my own mother-tongue Cypriot Greek. And bring Homer even nearer to me. (Cypriot Greek has some archaisms that can be found in Homer too.) Sorry for the long comment, have a nice weekend!

[@herrklamm1454]

Risky Oak how are you enjoying the Greek epics? I’m about to finish Camus’ The Plague this weekend then I’ll be moving on to The Iliad. I can only understand English, unfortunately, so I’ll be reading the penguin prose versions as opposed to verse. I’m a little bit in two minds about reading them, but I feel like they are almost must-reads if you love literature, and I want to go on to read Ulysses in the next month. Would you definitely recommend them?

[@themetalhead92g]

Σε γενικες γραμμες θα προτεινα ελληνικα κι ας ειναι λατινικο το αρχικο κειμενο. Ο Ομηρος ομως παρουσιαζει μια πολυ ενδιαφερουσα προκληση, καθως η καταλληλη μεταφορα του σε συγχρονη γλωσσα ειναι μαλλον ενα πονημα χωρις ξεκαθαρη "λυση".

[@CyriacusSorokin]

@@herrklamm1454 I am, yes. I checked some editions of the Iliad and I felt that the penguin prose one is really good. It doesn't halt the story. Even though it's an epic it is a narrative one and not symbolic. I'm enjoying the Odyssey more though. It has more variety of places and people. The Iliad was about the Trojan War and it was all about War and fights and skirmishes between gods and heroes alike. With laments and tragic scenes. The only thing that tired me was the repetitions of fights. I grew tired of the so many scenes of fights and blood and gore, but it was good nevertheless. Another thing that I have to mention is the endless catalogue of names. So many names that in the end I stopped referring to the notes. I wasn't going to remember all 1000+ heroes and their ancestors. By Ulysses you mean Joyce's novel or the Odyssey. I'm gonna reread Joyce work with a friend, as a way to support her and help her finish this book. It's 10+ years unread on her shelves.

[@CyriacusSorokin]

@@themetalhead92g Ευχαριστώ για την πρόταση. Θα το σκεφτώ σοβαρά. Όντως ποτέ δε θα βρεθεί η πιο ακριβής και ταυτόχρονα πιο ποιητική και όμορφη μεταφορά. Η μεταφορά που διάβαζα ήταν του Αλέξανδρου Πάλλη (1905). Αυτή είχα σπίτι πρόχειρη και ξεκίνησα, καθώς δεν ήθελα να μπω σε έξτρα αγορά λόγω καραντίνας. Με ξένισε κάπως η χρήση λέξεων τουρκικής προέλευσης και ένιωθα σε φάσεις πως διάβαζα για το έπος του '21. Λέξεις όπως καΐκι, ασκέρι, άτι, γιατάκι, ραγιάς και λοιπά..

[@themetalhead92g]

@@CyriacusSorokin Ναιπ ειναι ενα θέμα... Και όλες έχουν πολύ ιδιαίτερα θέματα... Κακριδής Καζαντζάκης πχ ενίοτε περίεργη επιλογή λέξεων... Άλλοι στεγνός λόγος... Φευ.. Του παλλη πάσχει όντως στην επιλογή λέξεων γτ ανεφ μιας αρχαικοτητας κλαφτα... Πάντα θα με δυσκολεύει η επιλογή...

[@kristina_lynn]

My goal is to try to get good enough at spanish to read Garcia Marquez books in their native language!! There's something to be said about reading a classic in its written language

[@watarun64]

It’s so true that once you persevere and finish a book, the subsequent books are a little easier to get through. Great video !

[@criss8836]

I am Italian like you but I also read in English and French (I live in a French speaking country since 2011). My recommendation would be to read literary magazines as well. I am thinking about The London Review of Books, Granta, The Paris Review or The New Yorker Why? They publish a good variety of short stories and not only literary fiction which may be less scary to "beginners". Some of the top stories of 2019 in The New Yorker were non literary fiction. I am thinking about Emilia Clarke's (Game of Thrones star) health scare or a brief article about Keanu Reeves and selflessness & kindness in Hollywood. This type of articles are indeed very well written and could help to broad the vocabulary and to learn syntax sentence structure. Here my two cents :) Have a good day!

[@autumnaxiom]

I'm a native Russian speaker fluent in English, but I still prefer to read the classics in translation. One reason is that it's hard for me to read and concentrate in general, I didn't even read at all for the longest time, and books in English are still more challenging for me (probably because much of my exposure to English was through videos and conversations, which is different from reading). Another reason is that I prefer to read physical copies, but the books in English tend to cost noticeably more where I live. And, most importantly, the translations of the classics are (from what I can tell) amazing and full of soul, and their language evokes a feeling of nostalgia in me because I read the foreign classics a lot when I was a teenager. That said, I will do my best to eventually read Pynchon in English despite the warnings you gave in this video 😅, because I researched the translation and can tell that it is not good at all, yet this author really intrigues me. This also appiles to Lord of the Rings, for the same reason (no translation feels satisfactory). Maybe I will choose the original more often in the future, but for now I want to build a habit of reading, which is easier to do with books in my language!

[@annakarlien1952]

I was in a kind of weird place where I fell completely out of the habit of reading when I was about 13 or so, and then got back into it through the English language because I liked the language itself, so that I haven't voluntarily read a book in my first language in 10 years maybe? In high school we sometimes had to read books for English class but it was always 'just pick something' and I was completely unfamiliar with everything, so that I read (and hated, but it's due for a reread) the Pearl when I was 13, then later tried a YA novel and couldn't get through that, only to kind of rekindle my love through some bad mass market thriller. But then I started picking up everything that really appealed to me and I just couldn't figure out why 1984 took me so long, while John Green's books went by much quicker. I was still really struggling with the language when I went on a trip to an English bookshop and picked up both Trainspotting and a Clockwork Orange, which left me very shocked when I opened the pages cause I had no idea about their linguistic peculiarities. Anyway, I just powered through some books and slowly but surely I started feeling like the big sections where I had no idea what was going on were actually decreasing, to the point where I now actually feel able to sometimes look up a word I don't understand (as opposed to not understanding so much that that just wouldn't work), and understanding most of the words in general. I'd definitely recommend just picking up what stands out to you - maybe not Pynchon indeed cause that's sO confusing - but honestly, if you really want to read something, I'd say: just pick it up. I feel that reading books way above my level mixed with some easier ones have really helped me over the years! Edit: I do have to say that I definitely put down Naked Lunch because everything on the first two pages just did not make sense to me. :'D

[@aleksandram1891]

When I was 19 I was really desperate to read "Orlando" by Virginia Woolf, but I couldn't find the translation in my native language. I presumed that there is none, so I ordered the book in English and resolved that I would translate it on my own. I had read books in English before, but mostly non-fiction or young adult stuff. I was also familiar with Woolf's style so I knew it would't be easy, but I was really eager to do it, even if this would take me years. All my excitement and enthusiasm vanished when I had read the first paragraph. I put it off, frustrated that I was too dumb to understand any of it. A couple months later it turned out that "Orlando" is in fact translated to Polish, but it had not been published in years. I found a copy of it in my library and read it with great gratitude and even more appreciation for the translator. Now, almost year later, the thought of rereading it in English kind of haunts me, but I still fear not understanding enough. After watching Your video I certainly feel more motivated so I might pick it up :))

[@asuka376]

The fist book that I will read in a foreign language is Finnegans Wake. ( being a native romanian, I'm familiar to the latin languages. I'm in a Eengleash intensive highskol Klass, so that's that and I also learn Deutsch in skol. Wish me viel Glück !

[@jakobjohnson984]

This was super helpful, thank you! I'm in my last year as a double major in English and Spanish, and Spanish literature classes are always particularly difficult for me as a Native English speaker, especially when the topic is something like Don Quijote.

[@dariostevens250]

great video, Now I expect a video on rereading...

[@sunbather3310]

The Bookchemist talking about Sodom and Anthrax!

[@milfredcummings717]

Megadeth!

[@charmander9211]

Uff this video help me a lot. I was thinking in start read in English some books that for whatever reason I feel like they are calling me. (Crash, Bleeding Edge, Inherent Vice, White Teeth, The Catcher In The Rye, Book of Numbers...) Spanish is my mother language and I don't feel very confident about it but I suppose is like you say: In some point you have to start.

[@LorenzoMarsicano]

10 years from now I'll be on a boat hunting whales: "Fuck, I should have saved Moby Dick for this very moment."

[@joaovieira7541]

Learn English isn't that hard. I mean there's English in everywhere, movies, series, tv shows, books, music and video games. As a Brazilian my mother language is Portuguese, not much different from Spanish, but for me be in contact with all those things was pretty helpful. However, my tip is: expose yourself to other languages, don't be afraid, we have internet for searching and learning everything, if I can do such a thing you can do too.

[@ollydollae928]

Great video ..keep it up man

[@katezel]

Great tips! ✨ I very rarely read books translated into my native language. Even if the author is something other than English, I will choose the English translation. I've studied Translation and ever since I can't read a translated book (where I know both languages) without a critical eye, so choosing the English version is easier. I tried learning German by reading Goethe.. I quit two pages in, but then I bought some kids books and the journey got more enjoyable :)). I have two questions though: 1. do you have any Italians authors that you'd recommend? 2. are you studying any other languages? if so, did you read any books in them? which books? Have a wonderful day! ✨

[@TheBookchemist]

1) Keeping quite contemporary, Umberto Eco is among my very favorite authors, and so is Calvino, while Elena Ferrante is a must read! 2) No other languages ;) Thanks for the comment!

[@janhorsky3232]

Great video, but one thing i really struggle with is choosing whether to read the trabslation to my native language or to english. Do you ever feel like the latter is better?

[@FerHering]

You mentioned if you're reading German... Any recommendations on interesting German authors to start with?

[@matejas8433]

Fer Hermann Hesse and Patrick Süskind definitely

[@FerHering]

@@matejas8433 thank you, I was interested in them, but I was afraid they would be too complex :)

[@rubeng9092]

Kafka(He has alot of very very short works. None of his works are long. And the language is very basic and lacks flourishes that make the experience more difficult. Although I'm native German so I cant tell from experience.)

[@TheBookchemist]

I don't think I can really help - I love Kafka and like Hoffmann but I know they're not quite to everyone's taste! Kafka is still a must read, even if you end up disliking him (I did when I first read him at 19)!

[@tsvetelinmonchev624]

Ciao, invece a parte gli autori italiani non leggi più in italiano? Cosa pensi delle traduzioni di Foster Wallace e Pynchon? - se l hai mai letti, tradotti, ovviamente. Cioè, perdono secondo te nel testo tradotto, dal punto di vista della sintassi e dei giochi linguistici?

[@TheBookchemist]

Se mi è possibile (cioè se reperisco edizioni qui in UK) cerco di legger in italiano anche autori che scrivono in spagnolo o francese, basandomi sull'idea che la traduzione dovrebbe esser più "vicina" essendo tutte lingue romanze ;) Pynchon e Wallace perdono ovviamente tantissimo, ma sono romanzi che meritererebbero un lavoro di traduzione mostruoso (si parla di investirci anni e anni per preservare ogni complessità e gioco linguistico) e, fermo restante che potrei sbagliarmi, non penso che i traduttori siano stati messi in condizione di dedicarci il tempo necessario ;)

[@rubeng9092]

Easy Japanese authors to read?

[@charlesgillingham61]

More Gene Wolfe books when?

[@TheBookchemist]

Next year!

[@danieledgardo2122]

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