Comments on: The Surrealism of Asturias http://mossyskull.com/magic-realism/the-surrealism-of-asturias/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-surrealism-of-asturias Ramblings of Michael J. DeLuca Tue, 10 Apr 2012 02:45:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: The Mossy Skull » Blog Archive » Chilam Balam http://mossyskull.com/magic-realism/the-surrealism-of-asturias/comment-page-1/#comment-7420 The Mossy Skull » Blog Archive » Chilam Balam Sun, 13 Mar 2011 17:22:26 +0000 http://mjd.joskinandlob.com/wordpress/?p=281#comment-7420 [...] gives an idea of what Miguel Angel Asturias and Julio Cortazar might have been trying for in their surrealist efforts at creating modern Maya [...] [...] gives an idea of what Miguel Angel Asturias and Julio Cortazar might have been trying for in their surrealist efforts at creating modern Maya [...]

]]> By: mjd http://mossyskull.com/magic-realism/the-surrealism-of-asturias/comment-page-1/#comment-1335 mjd Wed, 21 Jul 2010 16:53:12 +0000 http://mjd.joskinandlob.com/wordpress/?p=281#comment-1335 Thank you very much for this correction! I agree it is a beautiful line in English. I still entertain dreams of someday finding a new translator (not me, obviously), tracking down Miguel Angel's estate, and getting permission to reprint at least some of his works in English. I think Small Beer Press (where I work) would love to do it if I could produce the material. Somewhere in a notebook I have written down the name and address of his Spanish-language publisher in Madrid, copied from the front pages of several editions I found in a university library in Guatemala City when I visited in January. Someday, cuando mi Espanol es mejor, voy a escribirlos. Thank you very much for this correction! I agree it is a beautiful line in English.

I still entertain dreams of someday finding a new translator (not me, obviously), tracking down Miguel Angel’s estate, and getting permission to reprint at least some of his works in English. I think Small Beer Press (where I work) would love to do it if I could produce the material.

Somewhere in a notebook I have written down the name and address of his Spanish-language publisher in Madrid, copied from the front pages of several editions I found in a university library in Guatemala City when I visited in January. Someday, cuando mi Espanol es mejor, voy a escribirlos.

]]> By: IR http://mossyskull.com/magic-realism/the-surrealism-of-asturias/comment-page-1/#comment-1334 IR Wed, 21 Jul 2010 01:27:18 +0000 http://mjd.joskinandlob.com/wordpress/?p=281#comment-1334 I'm Guatemalan, so, correct translation first: "The Gaspar Ilom allows the dreams from the eyes from the land of Ilom to be stolen." And pardon me, I love how it sounds in English, cause it is the way I think Miguel Angel would have like it to sound. In the referred text he is trying to imitate the rhythm of Gaspar nightmare as he fights his own conscience for not defending correctly his land. This resonance in his construction is the most essential part of his writing. It is not only the metaphorical sense or the myths or the disintegration of ideas, but the rhythm and the sounds that evokes the action in progress that works in his literature, which is... difficult to translate. As a Guatemalan, thanks for putting interest into his literature, maybe some day one of us will be able to revive his voice. IR I’m Guatemalan, so, correct translation first:

“The Gaspar Ilom allows the dreams from the eyes from the land of Ilom to be stolen.”

And pardon me, I love how it sounds in English, cause it is the way I think Miguel Angel would have like it to sound. In the referred text he is trying to imitate the rhythm of Gaspar nightmare as he fights his own conscience for not defending correctly his land.

This resonance in his construction is the most essential part of his writing. It is not only the metaphorical sense or the myths or the disintegration of ideas, but the rhythm and the sounds that evokes the action in progress that works in his literature, which is… difficult to translate.

As a Guatemalan, thanks for putting interest into his literature, maybe some day one of us will be able to revive his voice.

IR

]]> By: No Apocalypse | The Mossy Skull http://mossyskull.com/magic-realism/the-surrealism-of-asturias/comment-page-1/#comment-362 No Apocalypse | The Mossy Skull Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:30:48 +0000 http://mjd.joskinandlob.com/wordpress/?p=281#comment-362 [...] researched historical epic like Gary Jennings’ Aztec, transportive surrealistic allegory like Asturias’ Hombres de Maiz, absurdist, hallucinatory postmodern ultraviolence like Sesshu Foster’s Atomik Aztex and [...] [...] researched historical epic like Gary Jennings’ Aztec, transportive surrealistic allegory like Asturias’ Hombres de Maiz, absurdist, hallucinatory postmodern ultraviolence like Sesshu Foster’s Atomik Aztex and [...]

]]> By: mjd http://mossyskull.com/magic-realism/the-surrealism-of-asturias/comment-page-1/#comment-361 mjd Fri, 01 Feb 2008 13:32:56 +0000 http://mjd.joskinandlob.com/wordpress/?p=281#comment-361 Heh. Thanks Nubo. I guess I was thinking of 'ropa'. Heh. Thanks Nubo. I guess I was thinking of ‘ropa’.

]]> By: Udi http://mossyskull.com/magic-realism/the-surrealism-of-asturias/comment-page-1/#comment-360 Udi Fri, 01 Feb 2008 06:20:06 +0000 http://mjd.joskinandlob.com/wordpress/?p=281#comment-360 Boon, I don't mean to one-up you but your translation is a bit off. "roben" is the subjunctive tense of robar, to steal. The construction deja que is usually followed by a subjunctive verb form. It's definitely a cryptic sentence, but what makes the most sense to me grammatically is: At the land of Ilom, Gaspar Ilom allows the dream of his eyes to be stolen from him. Boon,
I don’t mean to one-up you but your translation is a bit off. “roben” is the subjunctive tense of robar, to steal. The construction deja que is usually followed by a subjunctive verb form.

It’s definitely a cryptic sentence, but what makes the most sense to me grammatically is:

At the land of Ilom, Gaspar Ilom allows the dream of his eyes to be stolen from him.

]]> By: mjd http://mossyskull.com/magic-realism/the-surrealism-of-asturias/comment-page-1/#comment-359 mjd Thu, 31 Jan 2008 13:36:23 +0000 http://mjd.joskinandlob.com/wordpress/?p=281#comment-359 Ooh! $45, you say? That just might be worth it. ::scrapes cash together from couch cushions:: Ooh! $45, you say? That just might be worth it.
::scrapes cash together from couch cushions::

]]> By: John Klima http://mossyskull.com/magic-realism/the-surrealism-of-asturias/comment-page-1/#comment-358 John Klima Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:25:50 +0000 http://mjd.joskinandlob.com/wordpress/?p=281#comment-358 Mike, I should probably just e-mail you directly, but I did a search for this on ABE books [http://www.abebooks.com] and found copies as cheap as $45. Still not a bargain, but better than Amazon. Mike, I should probably just e-mail you directly, but I did a search for this on ABE books [http://www.abebooks.com] and found copies as cheap as $45. Still not a bargain, but better than Amazon.

]]> By: mjd http://mossyskull.com/magic-realism/the-surrealism-of-asturias/comment-page-1/#comment-357 mjd Mon, 28 Jan 2008 18:30:28 +0000 http://mjd.joskinandlob.com/wordpress/?p=281#comment-357 My local library consortium (Western MA) has about the same. Exactly one copy each of Mirror of Lida Sal and Men of Maize and a few other titles, quite a few more of the Spanish language versions. But you're right. I want a reference copy. I want to pick apart the prose with needle nose pliers and see how it works. Requesting interlibrary loans of these books more than two or three times starts to make me feel silly. Thanks for you comment! My local library consortium (Western MA) has about the same. Exactly one copy each of Mirror of Lida Sal and Men of Maize and a few other titles, quite a few more of the Spanish language versions.

But you’re right. I want a reference copy. I want to pick apart the prose with needle nose pliers and see how it works. Requesting interlibrary loans of these books more than two or three times starts to make me feel silly.

Thanks for you comment!

]]> By: John Klima http://mossyskull.com/magic-realism/the-surrealism-of-asturias/comment-page-1/#comment-356 John Klima Mon, 28 Jan 2008 16:00:05 +0000 http://mjd.joskinandlob.com/wordpress/?p=281#comment-356 I wonder who owns the rights to his books? I know you're looking for a copy of your own to hold and love and write in and whatnot, but for people looking to read him, they can check their local library system. Searching in my system on his name brought up 16 titles, almost half of which are in Spanish. But at least I could try reading the book now without doling out $100. :-D John Klima Editor Electric Velocipede I wonder who owns the rights to his books? I know you’re looking for a copy of your own to hold and love and write in and whatnot, but for people looking to read him, they can check their local library system.

Searching in my system on his name brought up 16 titles, almost half of which are in Spanish. But at least I could try reading the book now without doling out $100. :-D

John Klima
Editor
Electric Velocipede

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