*The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
cover design: Eduard Iwan Mangopang
After reading the first few pages, i knew i wanted to translate this one. It's a gem of a book. And i tried my best not to lose the author's voice. If my best is not good enough for those of you who have read the English version and loved it, then my apology. This book refused to be translated by typing. It wanted me to do it by handwriting. You know, there are books that don't mind being translated either by typing or handwriting, or even recording. They simply accept. But this one refused. Strongly. Uncompromisingly. Each time i sat in front of my computer, mentally ready to let the words out, i was stuck. Without reason. The words just wooshed out of my mind. Gone. And wouldn't come back until i relented by picking up my notebook and pen. Then the words started to flow. Several times i tried to cheat it. I wrote down half a sentence, then rushed to the computer to type the rest. But it wouldn't work that way. So, always back to pen and paper in the end. Anyway, i finished it pretty quickly.
Favourite quote:
After reading the first few pages, i knew i wanted to translate this one. It's a gem of a book. And i tried my best not to lose the author's voice. If my best is not good enough for those of you who have read the English version and loved it, then my apology. This book refused to be translated by typing. It wanted me to do it by handwriting. You know, there are books that don't mind being translated either by typing or handwriting, or even recording. They simply accept. But this one refused. Strongly. Uncompromisingly. Each time i sat in front of my computer, mentally ready to let the words out, i was stuck. Without reason. The words just wooshed out of my mind. Gone. And wouldn't come back until i relented by picking up my notebook and pen. Then the words started to flow. Several times i tried to cheat it. I wrote down half a sentence, then rushed to the computer to type the rest. But it wouldn't work that way. So, always back to pen and paper in the end. Anyway, i finished it pretty quickly.
Favourite quote:
Dalam perjalanan aku melewati air mancur. Mangkuknya kering. Aku melongok ke dalamnya, untuk melihat apakah di dasarnya ada uang-uang logam. Tapi yang ada hanya daun-daun. Daun-daun di mana-mana, berguguran dan terus berguguran, mengembalikan dunia ke warna tanah. Kadang-kadang aku lupa, dunia ini tidak punya jadwal sama denganku. Mereka tidak sekarat, atau kalaupun sekarat mereka akan hidup kembali, cukup dengan diberi sedikit cahaya matahari dan pemeliharaan yang biasanya. Kadang-kadang aku berpikir: aku lebih tua daripada pohon ini, lebih tua daripada bangku ini, lebih tua daripada hujan. Tapi. Aku tidak lebih tua daripada hujan. Hujan telah turun bertahun-tahun ke bumi, dan masih akan turun setelah aku tiada.
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