Well, here I am reading Let The Right One In. And, just in case you didn't know, it's a book translated from Swedish just like The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.
So then. What if these books hadn't been popular enough in their home country? What if they hadn't managed to garner enough attention to warrant English translations and U.S. publications? How would I have come into contact with them? Beyond wild coincidence or some Swedish language class or further forays into "it was meant to be" tosh, I simply wouldn't have.
Extrapolate how much stuff we're missing out on that's happening outside our "territories". Man, once again, I imagine how much more thoroughly I'd be able to live if I had me some immortality.
How much do I know about Swedish pop culture? Not much. It's outside my cultural territory. And only a simpleton would imagine the Swedes didn't have a pop culture at all. They have references, and in-jokes, and stock characters, and I don't have any part of it. But I wish I did.
Everyone is missing out on a lot of stuff around them. I don't think most people give it much thought, and most of those that do just take it as a fact of life and don't lament it. Maybe it's easier to get by that way.
What was the last book you read and when? Be honest now. I mean more
than just skimming. And I definitely don't count any one that you were
assigned or required to read. I'm asking you what was the last book you
read purely by choice.
Well the last book I read was Artemis Fowl and The Arctic Incident. There are a lot of things we miss out on. It's one of the reasons I enjoy people who scanslate and fansub manga. There are plenty of things out there that don't get picked up we might not have been exposed to. We can't really be exposed to everything there is still though. It's not like people take the time to translate books and other things that aren't released elsewhere. It is actually something I lament. On the other side of the coin, how many things do other people miss out on? There are things we love, but aren't successful enough to be released elsewhere. It is lamentable.
ReplyDeleteDid you stop after Book 2 in that series? I have all but Atlantis Complex. In other news, I just found out that the final book, #8, came out TODAY!
DeleteI'm reading "The Captains Daughter" {about the sinking of the Titanic} but I watch a lot of sub-titled movies, "Let the Right One in" is actually one of my favourites. "The Devil's Backbone" is another, as well as "Time Crimes", as well as numerous more sub-titled movies.
ReplyDeleteReading, or deciphering books is too much like hard work! :D
Just finished Let the Right One In. It's good. I actually saw the movie a while ago, and it's a little different from the book, but I can now say that I like both.
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