Cartea aleanului = Book of Longing in Romanian

tomsakic · Post by **tomsakic** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 1:08 pm

http://www.polirom.ro/titluri.cgi?actio ... &colectia=

Translated by Serban Foarta and Cristina Cheveresan.
Afterword by Mircea Mihaies.

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Cartea aleanului
Autor: Leonard Cohen
Colectie: Biblioteca Polirom
Domeniu: Literatura
ISBN: 973-46-0484-8
Anul aparitiei: 2006
Pagini: 248
Format: 140X220 mm
Pret: 36.95 RON / 369500 lei
Disponibil: DA · Adauga in cos

Traducere de Serban Foarta si Cristina Cheveresan.
Postfata de Mircea Mihaies.

Leonard Cohen este celebru pentru cintecele, versurile si cartile sale, indragite deopotriva de cititori si pasionati ai muzicii. Cartea aleanului, noul sau volum de poezii asteptat timp de douazeci de ani, ii urmeaza bestsellerului aparut in 1993, Stranger Music. Poemele, pentru prima data reunite intr-o carte, au fost scrise la Mt. Baldy si Los Angeles, Montreal si Mumbai. Excelent conceputa, aceasta uimitoare colectie de poezii este insotita de ilustratiile provocatoare realizate de autor, care se intrepatrund in mod emotionant si neasteptat cu poezia atemporala, meditativa, adeseori de un umor negru. Cartea contine toate elementele care i-au adus lui Leonard Cohen recunoasterea internationala a maiestriei limbajului sau.

"Cartea aleanului are tonul, anvergura si aerul martial al finalului de cariera. E in egala masura recapitulativa si prospectiva, dind impresia ca inchide si deschide, prin cele peste o suta saizeci de poeme si patruzeci si trei de desene (cele mai multe autoportrete), o etapa in creatia poetului. Strategia e cit se poate de limpede: alaturi de desene, adica de imagine, e convocat si sunetul, pentru a obtine harta in relief a unui suflet niciodata tamaduit. In mod esential, poezia lui Leonard Cohen este una de dragoste." (Mircea Mihaies)

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(First news about edition comes from Vlad in Hydra 2007 Meet-up thread. Laura mentioned reviews, maybe we will see some of them copied to this thread?

)

vlad · Post by **vlad** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 4:49 pm

Here some addresses:

The Publishers (Polirom) literary weekly online:
http://www.supliment.polirom.ro/article ... rticle=438
And a pdf of issue # 97/2006 downloadable at:
http://www.supliment.polirom.ro/images/ ... tional.pdf
with a photo of Leonard Cohen on the cover and some translations starting on p. 11

Event today at Club A in Bucharest (a music-art-etc. pub in the prettiest part of the city):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/info_culture/message/6857

One of the larger daylies selected it as Book of the Week a while ago:
http://evz.ro/article.php?artid=279120

The rest of what I've seen in the press (at least a dozen notes) more or less quote the publishers' press-release, they are fillers or PR style. This is no exception, it's just longer:
http://www.cotidianul.ro/index.php?id=7 ... f987998ebe

None justify a translation effort. However, the fact that there are so many of them is worth noting - the publishers seem to have done a reasonable PR job...

best,

vlad · Post by **vlad** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 5:27 pm

It's also worth noting that Șerban Foarță (read sth like: sherrbann foarrtsoh), is one of the most distinguished Romanian poets; he's also a musician himself and used to write lyrics for the most famous Romanian folk-rock group of the seventies still playing today, Phoenix.

So the translations are seldom literal, they relate to the original in a congenial way and always sound great. Foarță has a very special way with words, he mixes own creations with obsolete and rare vocabulary in, among others, a post-surrealist tradition of which he is one of the last representatives. In his own writings he is more profane than Leonard Cohen, but as playful, often mischievous and funny in deeply touching ways. A better choice for a translator of Leonard Cohen's work would be difficult to imagine.

best,

Laura · Post by **Laura** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 10:52 pm

As I was afraid... it gets launched on thursday. Sigh, no chance for me to get there (I guess no boss would accept an excuse from work for reasons of Cohen?!)
Laura

tomsakic · Post by **tomsakic** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 11:42 am

Hey Laura, you still didn't learn how to talk to your boss?

Here's my list of excuses for such occasions: Going to the doctor. Having official meeting at another institution. Cheking the data in National Library. Meeting my PhD mentor at the faculty. Etc. Etc.

vlad · Post by **vlad** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 4:23 am

... I most certainly would, besides I've heard flimsier excuses for less noble purposes...

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 8:00 am

I've always found that truth works really well...

"Remember that holiday I took this summer? Well, this is the launching of the book, written by the man my holiday was all about. This time, I'll only be gone [several hours/one day... as the case may be]."

Enough suggestions here to choose from. Good luck. I know I'd go.

~ Lizzy

Laura · Post by **Laura** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 9:18 pm

Unfortunately, I decided it's not recommendable for me to lie to my boss the moment I realised that he tends to answer what I'm thinking before I actually SAY it. Since other people do that sometimes too, I suspect there is something quite wrong with my face!

Laura

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 9:49 pm

Hopefully, you'll at least ask

.

The worst he can do is say No

.

The best he can do is say Yes

.

Later that night at dinner...

< * I'm so pleased with some of my employees... one even thinks taking off work for a book launching is important . So many just want to go blow money. * >

~ Lizzy