Why should engineers read more fiction?
9 – Rest and Relaxation – Lost in Translation
Reading is a wonderful way to rest and relax.
Some of us look for an ‘easy-read’, nothing too taxing, a feel-good romance or cosy crime mystery; others love a thrilling page turner, an action-packed race against time. There are those in need of mental stimulation, saving the densest books for when they have time to savour the subtleties of that missing letter e, and those who revel in contrast – solving crimes in freezing Scandinavia from a sun lounger on the beach or sweltering through a Louisiana swamp each night after a day’s skiing.
Suggesting holiday books that will work for a complete stranger is nigh on impossible, so I will limit myself to a couple of observations: quality and variety.
When I was little, I looked forward to my mum’s fish pie, made with tinned salmon, frozen mixed vegetables, a white sauce and smash (instant dehydrated mashed potato): quick and filling and immensely comforting. As an adult I have learned (courtesy of the man I love) that the better the ingredients, the more time and care taken in the preparation, the more delicious and satisfying the dish.
So, although it is tempting to stick to bestsellers, hold on just a minute.
Sometimes a book sells well because it’s a cracking story, but often the hype doesn’t live up to the promise. A twist you never saw coming. Well yes, I did actually, from about a million miles away. A dark psychological thriller. Or another married woman with a unreliable memory and poor taste in life partner? Gripping, dark and twisted crime. Let me guess, at least one naked young woman will be tortured and dismembered and bleed into the snow.
The more you read well-crafted stories, the more you will thirst for quality books.
And here’s the thing, unlike fine food and wine, great books generally don’t cost any more than indifferent ones. Your reading time is limited, use it well.
Here’s a thought. Maybe engineers gravitate to non-fiction because they are discerning readers fed up with the worst of mass-market fiction.
Or maybe no one’s given them ten really good recommendations.
I’m not a literary snob, honest. Or maybe I am. I grew up reading Barbara Cartland and Mills and Boon (and eating instant fish pie). I loathed the ‘classics’ they made us read at school, but thanks to some enlightened friends and lovers and their book lists, I grew up.
I adore books in translation. Only 20% of the world’s population speak English and fewer than 5% have English as their native language. That means most stories are told first in another language. Translation is a valuable skill, and therefore expensive, so there’s an automatic quality filter; only the best books are translated and no two are the same. Discerning publishers like Oneworld, Fitzcarraldo Editions, Charco Press, cbeditions find the gems.
Variety, as we all know, is the spice of life.
I know this next bit is a tough ask, a bit like asking a real person for directions instead of sticking to the map/satnav, but even if you ignore all my other recommendations, then take heed of this one.
All choices of book are incredibly personal, one reader’s nectar is another’s poison. But help is at hand, there are professionals out there.
My recommendation: Ask a thoughtful bookseller or librarian to recommend a book in translation.
Here are some examples of books I adored – but do find your own.
Little Eyes by SAMANTA SCHWEBLIN, Translated by Megan McDowell
https://oneworld-publications.com/little-eyes.html
Pereira Maintains by Antonio Tabucchi (Author) and Patrick Creagh (Translator)
https://uk.bookshop.org/books/pereira-maintains-a-testimony/9780241519301
Flights by Olga Tokarczuk, translated by Jennifer Croft
https://fitzcarraldoeditions.com/books/flights
Veilchenfeld by Gert Hofmann , translated by Eric Mace-Tessler
https://www.cbeditions.com/hofmann2.html
Death Deserved by Jørn Lier Horst, Thomas Enger, translated by Anne Bruce
The Housekeeper and the Professor Yoko Ogawa (Author) and Stephen Snyder (Translator)
https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/111/1117617/the-housekeeper-and-the-professor/9781784875442.html
Go, Went, Gone by by Jenny Erpenbeck (Author), Susan Bernofsky (Translator)
Slum Virgin Gabriela Cabezon Camara (Author) Frances Riddle (Translator)
https://uk.bookshop.org/books/slum-virgin/9781999722708?aid=9056
The Cat who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa (Author), Louise Heal Kawai (Translator)
https://uk.bookshop.org/books/the-cat-who-saved-books/9781529081473?aid=9056
Continue to number ten – Support writers, translators, designers, publishers and bookshops
The full list of 10 recommended books (and a few extras) is available here
Fiona Erskine is a professional engineer and the author of Jaq Silver thrillers The Chemical Detective, The Chemical Reaction, The Chemical Cocktail and genre defying Phosphate Rocks: A death in Ten Objects.
The Chemical Detective 