Sometimes, when I am choosing a book to read I often am confronted with the choice whether to read it in English o Italian.
It goes without saying that whenever the author is Italian I read it in its original language. When the author is of another nationality I also always choose Italian for a variety of reasons (main one being that it is easier to find it here, in Italy, obviously)
The question arises whenever I want to read something that was translated from English. I always feel like since I do understand the language I should choose its original language, but there are pros and cons to consider.
If I choose Italian:
+ I can find it more easily, which means that I can also start reading sooner, while my motivation is still high (it is also overall cheaper because I can probably find it second-hand)
+ I also find it a bit easier to understand, so the reading experience flows better
– I could be missing out on the beauty of the prose, or some deeper meanings that can only be understood in English
And viceversa
For example I read Lolita in English and while on the one hand it was an amazing experience, Nabokov’s mastery really shines through, on the otehr I also realize much of its beauty was probably lost on me, as I couldn’t understand some passages or took a bit to.
What do you think is the better choice here?
by okyouknowwhatFML