[ 3 / biz / cgl / ck / diy / fa / ic / jp / lit / sci / vr / vt ] [ index / top / reports ] [ become a patron ] [ status ]
2023-11: Warosu is now out of extended maintenance.

/lit/ - Literature

View post   
File: 529 KB, 1600x1084, 1501620441056.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
9947704 No.9947704 [Reply] [Original]

Do you think it's possible to write a book using your 2nd language?

>> No.9947706

>>9947704
Conrad. Nabokov. Ha Jin. Yakov Smirnoff. And now (you)

>> No.9947713

I only read books in English, so why wouldn't I write in English.
It pretty much has become my first language.

>> No.9947827

>>9947706
also hannu rajaniemi

>Nabokov
he was a native speaker, it doesn't matter who teaches you the language as soon as they do it early enough, hence why there exist even esperanto native speakers

>> No.9947832

>>9947704
some of the best writers in English knew it as a second or third language

I think when you're born into a language you don;t have the same technical introduction to it as someone who learned latter and became fluent

>> No.9948615

>>9947704
I wonder if anyone can still write literature in Latin or Ancient Greek, since those are no longer native languages, but academic languages all the same. Thoughts?

>> No.9948657

>>9948615
There are indeed novels written in Latin. Whether or not they are written well or should be written at all is up for debate I guess, but it does happen. Not sure about Ancient Greek, though.

>> No.9948672

>>9948657
Interesting, are you talking about the 19th century novels written mostly by Germans, or do you know of any such thing happening recently?

>> No.9948692

>>9947704
Beckett wrote most of his work in French. Cioran also wrote in French though he was Hungarian, same for Milan Kundera who is Czech.

Overall, it's certainly possible but it's an obstacle. One writes not only with a practical understanding of language, but also with their emotional memory of it. It's more difficult to evoke emotion and imagery with your non-native language, because the intuitive associations of words with images and feelings are formed so early in life. I'd say the hardest is writing poetry in your second language, I can only think of Paul Celan who did that. Oh, and maybe Comte de Lautréamont, who was born in Uruguay, though I'm not sure if he was raised speaking French.

>> No.9948698

>>9948692
I just remembered: Pessoa wrote some poems in English. Here's one:

http://arquivopessoa.net/textos/1378

>> No.9948763
File: 573 KB, 621x672, 1496698797859.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
9948763

>>9947706
Is Ha Jin any good?
I read War Trash more for the historical context back in highschool, is his use of language good?

Nabakov is a god.
Conrad is meh, HoD is overrated.

>>9948672
He is talking about "Harrius Potterus" and "Hobbitus" Latin meme translations for pretentious pseuds to socially jerk off with after they take an entry level latin course.
and no there isn't any debate these joke books shouldn't exist.

>> No.9948787

>>9948763
Sure, Ive heard of the "meme translations", but that doesn't answer my question. Are there no original pieces or perhaps essays that are still written in dead languages??

>> No.9948952

>>9947713
I can't imagine English not becoming the working language for all citizens of the EU. It will be sad but I cant see how it will work otherwise

>> No.9948961

dunno, ask Milan Kundera and Samuel Beckett hehe

>> No.9948977

>>9948692
how old was Beckett and crew when they learned French, though? I know that Conrad only became fluent in english when he was in his 20s, but I don't think he's that great. If Beckett did something of the same, then maybe I have hope

>> No.9948984

>>9947832
Wrong, the best writers in English are natives.