islandclimber
08-03-2009, 04:15 PM
So I just read this in the translation by Sheila Fischman, and though I did quite like it, I felt that it seemed quite disconnected and emotionless for the better part, and I was wondering if this was the translation? has anyone read it in French?
I mean, I understand that with the nature of the protagonist, and his kind of giving up attitude towards life for the better part of the book, maybe it purposefully is written in a way that the words seem to ring hollow constantly?
This is the only work of Poulin's I have read so I don't have much to compare it to here, but I just found it interesting that the way it was written made one feel so emotionally absent from an otherwise enticing and captivating story... the futility of human endeavours seemed to be a prevailing theme here...
SPOILER WARNING
also, for others who have read it, what did you make of the ending? I expected him to fail at finding his brother so when he actually found him it seemed a little too "happy ending" at first, but with the condition he found Theo in (completely unable to recognize him, physically and mentally destroyed), well it was an interesting twist...
anyways if anyone else has read this novel (I would call it a novella as it is pretty short), I'd be interested to hear thoughts on it.. :)
I mean, I understand that with the nature of the protagonist, and his kind of giving up attitude towards life for the better part of the book, maybe it purposefully is written in a way that the words seem to ring hollow constantly?
This is the only work of Poulin's I have read so I don't have much to compare it to here, but I just found it interesting that the way it was written made one feel so emotionally absent from an otherwise enticing and captivating story... the futility of human endeavours seemed to be a prevailing theme here...
SPOILER WARNING
also, for others who have read it, what did you make of the ending? I expected him to fail at finding his brother so when he actually found him it seemed a little too "happy ending" at first, but with the condition he found Theo in (completely unable to recognize him, physically and mentally destroyed), well it was an interesting twist...
anyways if anyone else has read this novel (I would call it a novella as it is pretty short), I'd be interested to hear thoughts on it.. :)