tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13406351.post116490796486440775..comments2023-11-05T09:55:13.077+02:00Comments on Itching for Eestimaa: Estonia's Second LineGiustinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04756707910693785516noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13406351.post-1165425435962745962006-12-06T19:17:00.000+02:002006-12-06T19:17:00.000+02:00why do we need poetrydoes it somehow helpto give u...<I>why do we need poetry<BR/>does it somehow help<BR/>to give up alcohol<BR/>by god’s arse<BR/>I said “give up alcohol”<BR/>why give it up<BR/>it’s our national idiosyncrasy<BR/>a trademark more powerful than ”welcome to estonia”<BR/>I will motherfuckin’ phone ya<BR/>then we’ll go to a bar<BR/>already hemingway knew<BR/>that in each port in the world<BR/>there’s an estonian<BR/>completely plastered<BR/>pissed and broke</I>plasma-jackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06485039580759398780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13406351.post-1165425387703589612006-12-06T19:16:00.000+02:002006-12-06T19:16:00.000+02:00Eesti Keele Instituut, Eesti Keele Teabekeskus & s...Eesti Keele Instituut, Eesti Keele Teabekeskus & similar bodies translate Estonian prose and especially poetry into foreign languages. Check out a poem of one of the most important young Estonians poets, Jürgen Rooste, tranlasted into English by Eric Dickens:<BR/><BR/>http://www.estlit.ee/index.php?id=1996plasma-jackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06485039580759398780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13406351.post-1165421099249913342006-12-06T18:04:00.000+02:002006-12-06T18:04:00.000+02:00Sorry Justin, this conversation here is way off to...Sorry Justin, this conversation here is way off topic when it comes to the original post - maybe you could do one about Estonian literature in the world if you have time and if it interests you?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13406351.post-1165420911745822642006-12-06T18:01:00.000+02:002006-12-06T18:01:00.000+02:00Yes - I know Sipsik first hand, did a paper for To...Yes - I know Sipsik first hand, did a paper for Torop and the semiotics of translation on that book. It was terrible... There were many many many mistakes and that book ended up as being more entertaining for adults than interesting for children...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13406351.post-1165360953690911742006-12-06T01:22:00.000+02:002006-12-06T01:22:00.000+02:00Does anybody know if children's books "Naksitralli...Does anybody know if children's books "Naksitrallid" (Three Jolly Fellows), "Sipsik" and "Kunksmoor" have been translated into English? If not, they should be.<BR/><BR/>I just read on google that Tammsaare's "Truth and Justice" has been translated, but I don't know how good is it.<BR/>Same about O. Luts's "Spring" (Kevade) - it seems to exist in English, but is it any good? could have been hard work, considering that Luts was the one who invented spoken language in Estonian literature.<BR/><BR/>Some other suggestions: Ristikivi's "Lohe hambad" (Dragon's Teeth);<BR/>anything by Juhan Jaik (a marvellous world of South Estonian ghost-stories, mostly very funny and intentionally so);<BR/>Andres Ehin's surrealist poetry.<BR/>Gailit, perhaps?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13406351.post-1165347150305171332006-12-05T21:32:00.000+02:002006-12-05T21:32:00.000+02:00I remember that it was in the process of being tra...I remember that it was in the process of being translated into French as well, Rehepapp, I mean - we had to do excerpts of it in our Estonian-French translation course in Tartu (how convenient...right?). That had us sweating. I'm not sure if it ever got published. Jaan Tätte was, "Ristumine peateega", that wasn't so bad. I think that maybe the one that Tätte did with Murutar - "Kuhu kuningad kadusid", maybe that would be a good introduction to Estonian culture and history... well, history, mainly.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13406351.post-1165220260069091572006-12-04T10:17:00.000+02:002006-12-04T10:17:00.000+02:00Kivirähk's "Rehepapp" was translated into Finnish....Kivirähk's "Rehepapp" was translated into Finnish. But this book was not successfull in FinlandAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13406351.post-1165184374986994552006-12-04T00:19:00.000+02:002006-12-04T00:19:00.000+02:00Well actually it's not all that bad, because it ha...Well actually it's not all that bad, because it has some pretty nice fantasy in it etc, but the point between the lines might be missed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13406351.post-1165183976325828202006-12-04T00:12:00.000+02:002006-12-04T00:12:00.000+02:00I haven't read it. Most Estonians I have spoken wi...<I>I haven't read it. Most Estonians I have spoken with say it illustrates how secretly evil they are as a people.</I><BR/><BR/>Well if you don't know ANYTHING about Estonian literature, history, everyday life and mythology, then it's pretty dull to read, I imagine. It's like me watching American sitcoms, where they make jokes about some controversial person of public interest who I know nothing about. So the fake-audience is all dying of laughter and I'm like "Uhm.. okay.. who is mentioned guy and why is it funny?"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13406351.post-1165167287636171222006-12-03T19:34:00.000+02:002006-12-03T19:34:00.000+02:00The Seventh Spring of Peace is great. If you do no...The Seventh Spring of Peace is great. If you do not need the daily headlines about history and her interpretation, read that book.Jens-Olafhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18304784095687896639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13406351.post-1165010678557664922006-12-02T00:04:00.000+02:002006-12-02T00:04:00.000+02:00I think "The Seventh Spring of Peace" by Luik (Sei...I think "The Seventh Spring of Peace" by Luik (Seitsmes rahukevad) should be translated.<BR/>Late Jüri Ehlvest's short stories, maybe.<BR/><BR/>If it is translatable, I'd suggest the comic book "Tagurpidi":))) by Priit Pärn. I've heard that Danes have done it - under the name of "Rejsen til Sønderomvendt" - and that it is quite popular among Danish children. Check out the web facsimile of the original:<BR/>http://home.cyber.ee/arne/tagurpidi/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13406351.post-1165002391047593772006-12-01T21:46:00.000+02:002006-12-01T21:46:00.000+02:00What suggestions would readers here have for Eston...What suggestions would readers here have for Estonian books that absolutely need to be translated into English? Besides Rehepapp... I'm not sure if I would go there... :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13406351.post-1164996027150246192006-12-01T20:00:00.000+02:002006-12-01T20:00:00.000+02:00Have you read "Rehepapp", Giustino? and think it c...<I>Have you read "Rehepapp", Giustino? and think it could be an interesting read for those not already very familiar with Estonia and its mythology?</I><BR/><BR/>I haven't read it. Most Estonians I have spoken with say it illustrates how secretly evil they are as a people.Giustinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04756707910693785516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13406351.post-1164995864729375182006-12-01T19:57:00.000+02:002006-12-01T19:57:00.000+02:00Problem with translating Estonian literature into ...Problem with translating Estonian literature into English is always the translator. There are so few around, and many of them work on shorter stuff (poetry, etc). The best guy out there is my friend Eric Dickens, who did the last 2 Kross things. The earlier ones by Anselm Hollo, were actually translated mainly from the Finnish translation. Never good.<BR/><BR/>I actually blame the väliseestlased for not doing much. They complain about the inertia over the decades of occupation back in the homeland, but they dropped the ball in this respect outside of the kodumaa too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13406351.post-1164966633280251962006-12-01T11:50:00.000+02:002006-12-01T11:50:00.000+02:00Another question - is he well liked in Estonia?Amo...<I>Another question - is he well liked in Estonia?</I><BR/><BR/>Among the reading population, he's an icon. His last novel wasn't very good, but altogether he surely is as important as Tammsaare, if we're talking about popular Estonian prose. As for me, i like his works very much.plasma-jackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06485039580759398780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13406351.post-1164961659001562102006-12-01T10:27:00.000+02:002006-12-01T10:27:00.000+02:00"Jaan Kross is 80 years"Actually he is 86 years ol..."Jaan Kross is 80 years"<BR/>Actually he is 86 years oldAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13406351.post-1164958863786610192006-12-01T09:41:00.000+02:002006-12-01T09:41:00.000+02:00Translation into German happened in the 90s almous...Translation into German happened in the 90s almoust: Kross, Luik, Valton, Unt and others but since 2000 there are rarely new ones.Jens-Olafhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18304784095687896639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13406351.post-1164933918875859492006-12-01T02:45:00.000+02:002006-12-01T02:45:00.000+02:00Have you read "Rehepapp", Giustino? and think it c...Have you read "Rehepapp", Giustino? and think it could be an interesting read for those not already very familiar with Estonia and its mythology?<BR/>Even for those familiar, I'd rather suggest "French ja Koulu". It says as much about Estonia, but has much more of a plot. And is at least as funny.<BR/><BR/>B. Kriplur, "Border State" by Emil Tode (pseudonym of Õnnepalu) exists in English; if you are into modernism, there is a couple of books by Mati Unt. Poetry by Kaplinski. Quite incredibly, there is nothing by Viivi Luik in English (but if you read French or German, some of her books have been translated into those languages). I read at<BR/>http://www.stephen-spender.org/SSMTrust/ssmt_translation.htm<BR/>that they started working at it.<BR/><BR/>In general, more Estonian authors have been translated into German and French than in English, don't know why...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13406351.post-1164925840367301142006-12-01T00:30:00.000+02:002006-12-01T00:30:00.000+02:00By the way, what's the status of translating Kivir...By the way, what's the status of translating Kivirähk's Rehepapp? ALmost every Estonian I have spoken to that is under 40 regards him as the new "national author" (see ya, Tammsaare!)Giustinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04756707910693785516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13406351.post-1164925128402329072006-12-01T00:18:00.000+02:002006-12-01T00:18:00.000+02:00Another question - is he well liked in Estonia?Als...Another question - is he well liked in Estonia?<BR/><BR/>Also, are there other Estonian writers translated into English?B. Kriplurhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14060459463005060184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13406351.post-1164923997182697402006-11-30T23:59:00.000+02:002006-11-30T23:59:00.000+02:00Jaan is not in the best of health, but still with ...Jaan is not in the best of health, but still with us and feisty. I know my friend Eric Dickens is hoping to translate another one of his books into English in the near future. His son could get himself into politics, but way, way too much baggage.<BR/><BR/>I'm all for more "fresh blood" in politics, though Aaviksoo is not exactly fresh (nor was Tulviste and others).<BR/><BR/>I would actually argue that the old "Eesti Kongress" and the Popular Front cleavage is still visible, notably by the Laar and Savisaar personas. In many ways, the Ilves/Rüütel election was a manifestation of it. Let's see what March brings. It could be both Laar and Savisaar's last push for power -- Mart's got other things he wants to pursue, Eddie's probably not gonna remain in good enough health.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13406351.post-1164917924414724802006-11-30T22:18:00.000+02:002006-11-30T22:18:00.000+02:00Jaan Kross is 80 years old so I don't think he'll ...Jaan Kross is 80 years old so I don't think he'll be running for office anytime soon.<BR/><BR/>I personally think that a lot of the really talented people in Estonia tend to eschew politics for business at the moment. There are a lot of incredibly bright people in Estonia but a lot of them concentrate on making their own personal situation better but I wouldn't be surprised to see some of them put their hats into the ring in the future.AndresShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16923952410154441315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13406351.post-1164914194371673222006-11-30T21:16:00.000+02:002006-11-30T21:16:00.000+02:00Is he still around?I think he's decided to cultiva...<I>Is he still around?</I><BR/><BR/>I think he's decided to cultivate his role as "voice of the nation." His name added a lot of weight to the letter of support Ilves got from the national intelligentsia before the electoral college met in September.Giustinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04756707910693785516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13406351.post-1164912512535966622006-11-30T20:48:00.000+02:002006-11-30T20:48:00.000+02:00What ever happened to Jaan Kross? I don't know mu...What ever happened to Jaan Kross? I don't know much about Estonian politics, but I read a book by him and I also read that he was also in politics. Is he still around?B. Kriplurhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14060459463005060184noreply@blogger.com