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Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

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Progress Posts 2016 > 50: A book originally written in a language other than English

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message 1: by Michelle (last edited Nov 20, 2015 09:33PM) (new)

Michelle (girlvsbook) | 1173 comments There's a great big world out there full of great and diverse people! This week, read a book originally written in a language other than English.

Suggestions for Each Week

If you're reading in order, this week is: 12/9 - 12/15

To discuss the book, don't forget to add it in the A-Z folders or join the existing discussion if your book is already listed.

Progress Post:
- What are you reading this week?
- What language was your book originally written in?
- Is English your native language? If not, what is?
- Do you speak any other languages besides your native language?


message 2: by Adam (new)

Adam Smith (chaos624) | 1197 comments This should be an interesting one. My native language is English but I can read Japanese no problem. Several of my books last year were in Japanese so why not this one.

I think I'll end up reading エス Essu . I have the book sitting around so may as well get onto it.


message 3: by Pauline (new)

Pauline C | 68 comments I am reading A Man Called Ove, originally written in Swedish. I am reading in English ... My first and sadly only language (I studied French and German at school but sadly that was many moons ago!!)


message 4: by Ed (new)

Ed Lehman | 1783 comments Progress Post:
- What are you reading this week?
The Devil's Pool by George Sand

- What language was your book originally written in?
French

- Is English your native language? If not, what is? Yes.
- Do you speak any other languages besides your native language? not really...a little bit of Spanish...and remember a smattering of high school Latin


message 5: by Kirsten (last edited Jan 09, 2016 06:45PM) (new)

Kirsten Harrison | 19 comments Pauline wrote: "I am reading A Man Called Ove, originally written in Swedish. I am reading in English ... My first and sadly only language (I studied French and German at school but sadly that was ..."

I read this book, too, this week. I loved it. Laughter and tears were plentiful. I thought the characters were endearing.


message 6: by Therese (last edited Jan 13, 2016 10:40AM) (new)

Therese   Brink I am reading Genocide of One by Kazuaki Takano. It was originally written in Japanese. My native tongue is English and I know a smattering of words in French and Japanese.


message 7: by Bec (new)

Bec | 1334 comments - What are you reading this week?
I'm reading The Girl in the Spider's Web

- What language was your book originally written in?
Swedish

- Is English your native language? If not, what is?
Yes

- Do you speak any other languages besides your native language?
No, not really. I learned German at school but can't really say much now. I know a few Thai words now too but not enough to say I speak it!


message 8: by Julia (new)

Julia (_mj_howard) Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami

Originally in Japanese.


message 9: by Jasmine (new)

Jasmine (pikakejazz) | 140 comments - What are you reading this week?
Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami; meant to read this for last year's "originally written in another language" week.

- What language was your book originally written in?
Japanese

- Is English your native language? If not, what is?
Yes.

- Do you speak any other languages besides your native language?
Yes; Japanese. My Japanese is not as fluent though so reading this in Japanese would take FOREVER.


message 10: by Clare (new)

Clare (-clare-) | 114 comments - What are you reading this week?
Silence of the Grave (Inspector Erlendur #4) by Arnaldur Indriðason

- What language was your book originally written in?
Icelandic

- Is English your native language? If not, what is?
Yes

- Do you speak any other languages besides your native language?
I can speak very basic German and French but not really enough to hold a conversation.


message 11: by GailW (last edited Feb 13, 2016 08:23AM) (new)

GailW (abbygg) | 621 comments What are you reading this week?
I read The Ten Thousand Things by Maria Dermoût
What language was your book originally written in?
Dutch (and first published in 1955)
Is English your native language? If not, what is?
Yes
Do you speak any other languages besides your native language?
After 5 years of German, 3 years of French, (all in high school, a lifetime ago) and taking a stab at Spanish myself, I am ashamed to say the best I can do is read signs!

I first learned of this book while reading Wild by Cheryl Strayed. I was intrigued and decided to add to my list. I am so glad I did!


message 12: by Aleksandra (new)

Aleksandra (aleksandrakonwa) - What are you reading this week?
Ekspozycja Remigiusz Mróz
- What language was your book originally written in?
Polish
- Is English your native language? If not, what is?
No, Polish
- Do you speak any other languages besides your native language?
English and little Farsi (husband is from Iran)


message 13: by Therese (new)

Therese   Brink I read Genocide of One by Kazuaki Takano. The book was originally written in Japanese, English is my native language. I don't speak any other language fluently, I do know a smattering of Japanese and French though.


message 14: by Francesca (new)

Francesca | 780 comments - What are you reading this week?
Ring

- What language was your book originally written in?
Japanese.

- Is English your native language? If not, what is?
Yes, it is.

- Do you speak any other languages besides your native language?
Sadly, no, although I should learn one. I did Spanish for a few years in school but I couldn't quite get into it and although I still remember a few basic words and phrases, I can't remember most of it.


message 15: by Amber (new)

Amber | 23 comments What are you reading this week? Beowulf

What language was your book originally written in? Technically this was written originally in English but it was old English and still required translation into modern English so I counted it

Is English your native language? If not, what is? Yes

Do you speak any other languages besides your native language? No


message 16: by Lieke (new)

Lieke | 697 comments Robijnrood (Ruby Red) by Kerstin Gier

German, but I read it in Dutch.

No, Dutch is my native language

Yes, English and Swedish. I can also understand a little German but probably not enough to read this book in German. Maybe I should try the second book in the series in German.....


message 17: by Katerina (new)

Katerina (katejohnsson) | 56 comments - What are you reading this week? Pod sněhem
- What language was your book originally written in? Czech
- Is English your native language? If not, what is? No, Czech is my native language
- Do you speak any other languages besides your native language? Only English. And a little bit of German


message 18: by Emily (last edited Feb 29, 2016 07:58AM) (new)

Emily (emilyesears) | 412 comments What are you reading this week?

I completed The Library of Unrequited Love for this prompt.

What language was your book originally written in?

It was written in French by Sophie Divry and translated into English by Siân Reynolds.

Is English your native language? If not, what is?

English is my native language.

Do you speak any other languages besides your native language?

I wish I did, but I'm no good at learning languages. I took 2 years of Spanish in high school and another 2 years in college, but I still can't converse in Spanish.


message 19: by Helin (new)

Helin Puksand | 43 comments - What are you reading this week? I read Uneliivamees by Lars Kepler
- What language was your book originally written in? The original book was in Swedish, but I read it in Estonian.
- Is English your native language? If not, what is? My native language is Estonian.
- Do you speak any other languages besides your native language?
I speak English, Finnish, a little bit Frensh and German.


message 20: by Elaine (new)

Elaine | 0 comments I read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondō which was originally written in Japanese. My native language is English and I don't speak any foreign languages. I tried to learn Spanish in high school/college and found it to be an incredibly frustrating experience.


message 21: by Aine (new)

Aine | 179 comments What are you reading this week?
The Infatuations written by Javier Marias and translated by Margaret Jull Costa

What language was your book originally written in?
Spanish

Is English your native language? If not, what is?
Yes, it's English

Do you speak any other languages besides your native language?
A little bit of Irish, with school French and German.


message 22: by Angela (new)

Angela | 389 comments I'm reading Zeno's Conscience, by Italo Svevo (translated by William Weaver). It was originally written in Italian. My mother tongue is Serbian, but English is definitely my dominant language, as I started school in New Zealand. I can still speak Serbian and a little bit of schoolgirl German.


message 23: by Michelle (last edited Mar 27, 2016 08:23PM) (new)

Michelle (girlvsbook) | 1173 comments What are you reading this week? The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondō

What language was your book originally written in? It was originally written in Japanese.

Is English your native language? If not, what is? Yes, English is my native language.

Do you speak any other languages besides your native language? Meh, not really. I can speak just a little bit of Spanish leftover from high school Spanish classes.


message 24: by Lisa (new)

Lisa (lisar87) | 33 comments What are you reading this week?
Autobiography of a Geisha by Sayo Masuda

What language was your book originally written in?
The book was originally written in Japanese.

Is English your native language? If not, what is?
English in my native language.

Do you speak any other languages besides your native language?
Not enough to be worth much. Just some very basic formalities and simple words in French and Spanish.


message 25: by Valerie (new)

Valerie | 383 comments - What are you reading this week? The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden

- What language was your book originally written in? Swedish

- Is English your native language? Yes


- Do you speak any other languages besides your native language?
A little bit of Spanish, French, German, and Albanian


message 26: by Tawallah (new)

Tawallah | 0 comments I read Daughter of Fortune last week.

Origginally published in Spanish.

My native language is English but I'm trying to learn French and German. French is easier because I learnt it at school.


message 27: by Pamela, Arciform Mod (new)

Pamela | 1963 comments Mod
Pauline wrote: "I am reading A Man Called Ove, originally written in Swedish."

Me too! I hate skipping ahead this far, but my book group is reading and this seems the best fit.


- What language was your book originally written in?
Swedish

- Is English your native language? If not, what is?
Yes

- Do you speak any other languages besides your native language?
Not in a long time. In college, I got to being pretty fluent in Italian and read some books in it, but since then have had no reason to practice it, so have forgotten it. It was cool to know another language.


message 28: by °ʴ° (new)

°ʴ° (amybooksit) Progress Post:
- What are you reading this week?
I read The Shadow of the Wind

- What language was your book originally written in?
French

- Is English your native language? If not, what is?
Yes it is

- Do you speak any other languages besides your native language?
Sadly no


message 29: by Jill (new)

Jill (dogbotsmum) | 1356 comments What are you reading this week?
The Girl Who Played with Fire

What language was your book originally written in? Swedish

Is English your native language? If not, what is? Yes

Do you speak any other languages besides your native language?
I learnt French and German at school, but wouldn't want to read in either


message 30: by Kellie (new)

Kellie | 46 comments - What are you reading this week?
My Brilliant Friend

- What language was your book originally written in?
Italian

- Is English your native language? If not, what is?
English is my native language

- Do you speak any other languages besides your native language?
I can speak some Danish, a little bit of Spanish, and a smattering of phrases in a few other languages.


message 31: by Stacey (last edited May 26, 2016 10:14AM) (new)

Stacey D. | 1908 comments What are you reading this week? The Cold Song by Linn Ullmann

What language was your book originally written in? Norwegian

Is English your native language? If not, what is? Yes, English is my native language.

Do you speak any other languages besides your native language? I was a Spanish major in college, so I speak Spanish, plus I can read and speak some French, Brazilian Portuguese and am in the midst of learning Italian.


message 32: by Maple (new)

Maple (maplerie) | 1025 comments What are you reading this week?
The Angel's Game
The Angel's Game (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, #2) by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

What language was your book originally written in?
Spanish

Is English your native language? If not, what is?
Yes.

Do you speak any other languages besides your native language?
Not for lack of trying. I can't seem to retain enough to maintain a casual conversation. Sometimes I feel like I just need to drop myself off in a country for 6 months and learn it through trial and error without any interpreters. HA!


message 33: by Sophie (new)

Sophie (sawphie) | 2826 comments Manda, that's definitely the best way to learn a language, even though it's not often possible :(


message 34: by Kirsten (last edited Jul 03, 2016 02:39PM) (new)

Kirsten  (kmcripn) What are you reading this week?
Penguin Island by Anatole France

What language was your book originally written in?
French

Is English your native language? If not, what is?
Yes.

Do you speak any other languages besides your native language?
un poco Espanol


message 35: by J (new)

J Austill | 1076 comments - What are you reading this week?

Amerika: The Missing Person by Franz Kafka

- What language was your book originally written in?

German

- Is English your native language? If not, what is?

It's English, though a Midwestern American dialect.

- Do you speak any other languages besides your native language?

I'm decent enough at Spanish to read books untranslated (with a dictionary handy).


message 36: by Francesca (last edited Aug 05, 2016 07:36AM) (new)

Francesca (eufrosine85) | 67 comments I read The Elegance of the Hedgehog, originally written in French.
My native language is Italian but I am bilingual in French and I can speak/read English also


message 37: by Wend (new)

Wend (wends) | 50 comments - What are you reading this week?

A Man called Ove by Fredrik Backman. It's my favourite book so far this year.

- What language was your book originally written in?

Swedish

- Is English your native language? If not, what is?
English

- Do you speak any other languages besides your native language?

No. a smidgeon of French and Latin.


message 38: by Alexis (new)

Alexis  (TheSlothReader) For this week, I read Night by Elie Wiesel. It is Wiesel's account of the time he spent in a concentration camp during the Holocaust. It was originally written in Wiesel's native Yiddish, then translated into French. English is my native language but I also speak Spanish. I took two and a half years of Chinese and I'll be starting Japanese in a few weeks during this current school semester.


message 39: by Cherie (new)

Cherie | 32 comments Progress Post:
- What are you reading this week? The Phantom of the Opera
- What language was your book originally written in? French
- Is English your native language? If not, what is? English
- Do you speak any other languages besides your native language? Nope


message 40: by Karen (new)

Karen (winterscomin) | 41 comments - What are you reading this week?
The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafón
- What language was your book originally written in?
Spanish
- Is English your native language? If not, what is?
Yup.
- Do you speak any other languages besides your native language?
I know a minimal amount of Hebrew (I'm not fluent but if someone talks to me I can sometimes understand the gist). So uh... I can listen & write to some extent, but not really speak?


message 41: by Pam (new)

Pam (bluegrasspam) | 3766 comments I just finished The Alchemist, which I presume was originally published in Portuguese since the author is Brazilian. Yes, English is my native language. I also know some Spanish and a little Russian.


message 42: by Elizabeth (new)

Elizabeth | -19 comments What are you reading this week?As Red as Blood As Red as Blood (Lumikki Andersson, #1) by Salla Simukka 7/2/16
- What language was your book originally written in?Finnish
- Is English your native language? If not, what is?yes
- Do you speak any other languages besides your native language? no


Lyndi (mibookobsession) (mibookobsession) What are you reading this week? Madame Bovary
- What language was your book originally written in? French
- Is English your native language? If not, what is? Yes, English
- Do you speak any other languages besides your native language? I took a couple years of Spanish in high school, but I've forgotten most of it.


message 44: by L (new)

L | 127 comments - What are you reading this week?
For Week 50 I am reading Look Who's Back by Timur Vermes. Sorry to read out of order but I needed to read whatever I had on Kindle!

- What language was your book originally written in?
The book is originally written in German - perhaps unsurprising as it is a fictional spoof based on the premise that Hitler has woken up in 2011 still believing he is in charge of the Third Reich.

- Is English your native language? If not, what is?
Yes, English.

- Do you speak any other languages besides your native language?
I speak German well enough to have a crack at the original German version of this book: Er ist wieder da. In fact I bought the German version first so I will either tandem read it or read it afterwards. The language in the English translation is fairly simplistic - it is essentially a light comedy - I perhaps wouldn't be so confident with a trickier text!


message 45: by Sophie (new)

Sophie (sawphie) | 2826 comments I read a few of the reviews for Look Who's Back and if you don't take into account people shocked by the subject, it looks like an interesting read! I don't know if I still understand German well enough to try and read the original version though...


message 46: by Krysta (new)

Krysta (booksaremyfavthing) | 74 comments What are you reading this week?
What Is Mine

What language was your book originally written in?
Norwegian, I think.

Is English your native language? If not, what is?
English is my native language.

Do you speak any other languages besides your native language?
I don't speak any other languages.


message 47: by Jana (last edited Oct 02, 2016 07:43AM) (new)

Jana | 73 comments Progress Post:
- What are you reading this week? Theogony and The Odyssey
- What language was your book originally written in? Greek
- Is English your native language? If not, what is? Yes, English
- Do you speak any other languages besides your native language
Not fluently.


message 48: by Samantha (new)

Samantha | 1492 comments - What are you reading this week?
Perfect Days
- What language was your book originally written in?
Portuguese
- Is English your native language? If not, what is?
Yes
- Do you speak any other languages besides your native language?
I don't speak any other languages.


message 49: by Anna (new)

Anna | 1007 comments - What are you reading this week?
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

- What language was your book originally written in?
It was written in Swedish.

- Is English your native language? If not, what is?
Hungarian is my native language.

- Do you speak any other languages besides your native language?
I speak English (I grew up partly in Africa-Zambia-where the official language is English).
I can speak a bit of French and German, not enough to hold an intellectual conversation, but enough to get by.
I know a smattering of Spanish, and as Russian was compulsory in Hungary at the time I went to school, I know the cyrillic alphabet, but can't remember much else.


message 50: by Zaz (new)

Zaz | 2969 comments - What are you reading this week? Battle Royale

- What language was your book originally written in?
It was written in Japanese.

- Is English your native language? If not, what is?
Nope, it's French.

- Do you speak any other languages besides your native language?
English at a good level (I think) and Spanish at a low level as I understand most of it but don't speak it.


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