Reviews

Miss Herbert by Adam Thirlwell

apatrick's review against another edition

5.0

This is literary criticism at its best, specifically focusing on style and translation and whether the twain shall meet.

fletchorama's review against another edition

5.0

this book was right up my alley. a lengthy meditation on the relationships between writers, their writings, and the possible value of a bad translation.

buta_comes_home's review

4.0

Speaking personally I have consistently said of this book that I couldn’t tell you the half of what it says but I just love the reading of it. The style, the voice... unfortunately, at some point I Very coherently relayed more than half of what I had read to a colleague. Possibly wrongly but definitely coherently. I wish there had been more female characters, happily there are many in the acknowledgements and, of course, Miss Herbert herself. I wish I had found it earlier, I regret none of the time spent on it.

smartcookiesca's review against another edition

5.0

I have never more thoroughly enjoyed a book as I have The Delighted States, which has served as introduction to translation studies and comparative literature more generally. It is definitely now my favorite nonfiction book and on the short list of books overall.