Archive for August, 2013

Review, Translation

Playing Hangman in Montreal

Playing Hangman in Montreal

Je me souviens. I remember. The official motto of Quebec is right there on every license plate in the province, and it’s carved in stone over the door to the Parliament Building in Quebec City. It’s also the title of Martin Michaud’s latest detective novel, his third, featuring Montreal Detective Sergeant Victor Lessard.

Review, Translation

Losing Control in the New World

Losing Control in the New World

“In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” While the names of his three vessels—the Niña, Pinta, and Santa María—may ring familiar, the details of Columbus’s inaugural voyage don’t fit as neatly into the answer lines of history exams.

Review, Translation

On the Pleasure of Hating

On the Pleasure of Hating

Antoine is an equal opportunity hater. To enjoy Variétés Delphi we must join him. “As we read we throw aside the trammels of civilization, the flimsy veil of humanity. ‘Off, you lendings!’”

Comment, Translation

Retranslating a Quebec Classic

Retranslating a Quebec Classic

Translating is never easy. What about revising a much-loved translation that has become a classic in its own right? Steven Urquhart describes the balancing act.

Review, Translation

Of Rain and Rainbows

Of Rain and Rainbows

I read The Douglas Notebooks all at once. There was something so ephemeral, so whimsical, about this tale that it felt as though it might all disappear if I put the book down.