Item: Translator
Rating: 5.00
Author: eclecticreading

by Nina Schuyler

When renowned translator Hanne Schubert falls down a flight of stairs, she suffers from an unusual but real condition - the loss of her native language. Speaking only Japanese, a language learned later in life, she leaves for Japan. There, to Hanne's shock, the Japanese novelist whose work she recently translated confronts her publicly for sabotaging his work.

Reeling, Hanne seeks out the inspiration for the author's novel - a tortured, chimerical actor, once a master in the art of Noh theater. Through their passionate, volatile relationship, Hanne is forced to reexamine how she has lived her life, including her estranged relationship with her daughter. In elegant and understated prose, Nina Schuyler offers a deeply moving and mesmerizing story about language, love, and the transcendence of family.

I received a galley copy of this novel to read in exchange for an honest review.

The Translator is a wonderful, beautiful, thought-provoking novel; I honestly could not put it down once I started reading it. Having studied a few languages in recent years, I've come to appreciate the tricky and detailed job that translators have and I enjoyed reading how the character Hanne approached the job and her understanding of the Japanese language.

I also enjoyed reading about Hanne's time in Japan and the prominent role that Japanese culture plays in the story as well as the personal journey that the character embarks on, re-evaluating her life and decisions as well as how she and her daughter came to a sad estrangement.

I highly recommend this novel if you're into Japanese culture or are into novels featuring internal character drama. Definitely one of the best novels I've read this year.

My complete review of the title was originally posted at eclectictales.com: http://www.eclectictales.com/blog/2013/07/01/review-the-translator/

Translator

by Nina Schuyler

Reviewed by Lianne on Jun 30, 2013

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