The translator of the 1959 version of Brideshead Revisited into Norwegian has responded to our posting on the review of that book in Aftenposten. See earlier post. The response is copied below:
From: Johanne Fronth-Nygren <(click to email)>
Date: Mar 22, 2017 08:57
Subject: Comment to posting about new Norwegian edition of Brideshead 19th March
To: (click to email)
Cc:
Hello!
What fun that the vigilant Society got wind of this new edition!
Now this is also a good example of the limitations of google translate and the need for human translators to avoid misunderstandings:
The reviewer refers the point I make in the afterword of the ‘sacred’ aspect of the book often being overlooked in the general reception, and how the love story between Charles and Julia is eagerly read, whilst the fact that they part out of religious conviction has been and still often is seen as a “bad ending” to an otherwise enjoyable tale. This is due, I think, to Waugh’s (maybe too) subtle guidance of the reader through Charles’ spiritual development. In the afterword Brideshead’s treatment of conversion is contrasted with that of the roughly contemporaneous Gymnadenia and Den brennende busk by Norway’s catholic Nobel laureate Sigrid Undset, and also seen in connection with Søren Kierkegaard’s theory of life stages. With the aid of these references a non-believing reader can gain a better understanding of Waugh’s project when rereading – or “revisiting” (not “reunion”) –Brideshead.
P.S. The Norwegian title of the review is “Forfatteren som unnskyldte sitt eget verk”.
With best wishes,
Johanne Fronth-Nygren
