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A review by edoherty
The Dangerous Journey by Tove Jansson
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Gorgeous artwork let down by awkward translation.
Translations are hard, there's no question, and translations of poetry are even harder. In this case, I assume the translator opted to keep the original's rhythm and rhyme scheme at the expense of the best word choices, and - in my opinion - it didn't entirely pay off.
I love the Moomin stories, I appreciate this brief visit with the characters, and the artwork (I can't tell if it's all watercolor or if there's a smattering of ink or crayon as well) is glorious. The text, though, I think is probably better in the original.
Translations are hard, there's no question, and translations of poetry are even harder. In this case, I assume the translator opted to keep the original's rhythm and rhyme scheme at the expense of the best word choices, and - in my opinion - it didn't entirely pay off.
I love the Moomin stories, I appreciate this brief visit with the characters, and the artwork (I can't tell if it's all watercolor or if there's a smattering of ink or crayon as well) is glorious. The text, though, I think is probably better in the original.