little bitty girl

So I didn't quite get to my 6 book goal before the end of the year but it is what it is. Marie's been trying to get me to read Murakami since we first met. For some reason, I've always resisted and I finally read Norwegian Wood this past week. The book was quite simply astounding. So complex and beautifully written about love and loss.

The only question that I have about the book or just a general question is, how do translations work? Because this book was translated from Japanese. I mean, obviously the actual body of work is written by the author. However, there are some authors that weigh out the meaning and weight of every one of their words so carefully before committing them to page, that I sometimes wonder whether the book then becomes part of the translator's work. The English language is so vast with so many words having almost the same meaning that how does one really know that's what the original author meant to write? Does the work suddenly become lost in translation? What do you guys think?

The other book that's been bouncing around in my head is The Violent Friendship Of Esther Johnson. I really had no idea what the book was about because sometimes, I just challenge myself to grab the first book that catches my eye. Sometimes it turns out to be an interesting read and sometimes I can't get past the fourth chapter. Nonetheless, it's a fun exercise.

This book is a historical fiction based on the very secret nature of Esther Johnson and Jonathan Swift's relationship with one another. Esther is a woman that he meets when he is in his 20's when she was 8 at his then employer's estate. They proceed to have an ambiguous lifelong friendship until her death. This book was written from her perspective and was completely fascinating. It delves into the inner workings of a woman's life as a single woman in the 17th century. It's made me want to read some of Swift's other work since the only thing I've ever read of his is Gulliver's Travels. It is said that his other works make some allusions to her.