/lit/ - Literature

>>22316884
I received pic related as a birthday gift from a friend of mine and I was sure that my reading experience would be tainted by the translation and editing that would have to correspond to a cover such as this. Sure enough it was packed full of footnotes that served the only purpose of annoying the reader. Things like explaining the etymology of Goliadkin's name before we get a description of the character, commentary of works of art mentioned in the story (even to the point of spoiling the book- one footnote, on one of the pages that describe his visit to the doctor, mentioned his "declining mental state" long before it's established that this would be a major plot point), translation of *some* French or German words spoken etc.
I see something similar happening here. If you say "Yid" and have to explain that it's derogatory, you've done a poor job translating. Not that "kike" would have necessarily fit, but I would have thought that if you need a footnote to explain a concept as simple as antisemitism in Russia, maybe stick to commentaries and criticisms that no one wants to read.