Growing up in a household where more than one language was spoken, translation was very common. It was like a game, finding certain words and meanings to match and capture what was being said. With English coming in later, I used translation to my advantage. Everything I heard and saw, from ads on the subway to chatter on the streets, I translated. I later wanted to read books I had read before but in the English language, in order to become more comfortable and to advance my fluency.

Even though I had read them before, books like The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, it was like I was reading them for the first time. I was seeing these stories from a new perspective. I noticed details that I probably would have never noticed in the book’s original language. I was lost in translation but in an exciting way, finding and pursuing an interest in international literature that continues to this day.

Translation is a difficult process at times. There are words or meanings in a language that English does not have an equivalent to. Sometimes a lot of rethinking needs to be done, to make the translation clear and true to the original. As English language readers, we have many opportunities to read literature in translation but only 3% of the books published in the United States are works in translation, as noted in the online journal Three Percent.

In keeping with the theme of Mid-Manhattan’s Adult Summer Reading Program “Exercise Your Mind; go beyond your comfort zone,” here’s a list of selected novels that have been translated into English. Challenge yourself, read something out of your comfort zone, and discover new literature from around the world.

Simone: A Novel by Eduardo Lalo; translated from Spanish by David Frye
An unnamed writer experiences odd moments of stalking from a mysterious student while struggling to make something of himself. Set in the streets of San Juan, Puerto Rico, glimpse of life are captured in this tale of love, suspense, disillusion and imagination.  

The Truth and Other Lies: A Novel by Sascha Arango; translated from the German by Imogen Taylor
Henry Heyden is not what he seems to be. A husband, friend and coworker, all of which is a constructed mask. His facade is about to crumble but when trying to find a solution, it only leads to a terrible mistake.

The Arch and the Butterfly by Mohamed Achaari; translated from Arabic by Aida Bamia
Youssef al-Firsiwi finds a mysterious letter under his door. He learns that his only son whom he has been killed in Afghanistan fighting with the Islamist resistance. Youssef is quickly caught up in a mesh of family tragedies that reflect the changes he is experiencing in his life.

Adventures in Immediate Irreality by Max Blecher; translated from Romanian by Michael Henry Heim
A novella that paints in vivid colors, the eerie images of  "irreality" that plagued Max Blecher in his youth. Within these chapters moves along a peculiar dream logic, sketching through the tremulous, frightening and exhilarating awakenings of a very young man.

Bonita Avenue: A Novel by Peter Buwalda; translated from the Dutch by Jonathan Reeder
Siem Sigerius is a mathematics professor with a promising future in politics. He lives in the complete portrait of a comfortable life with a family and a home in the bucolic countryside. Siem's past, however, comes to threaten the peace and stability that he has achieved, and when he stumbles upon a deception that’s painfully close to home, things begin to fall apart.

The 100-year-old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson; translated from the Swedish by Rod Bradbury
Trapped to a nursing home and about to turn 100, Allan Karlsson climbs out of the window in his slippers and embarks on an unforgettable adventure involving thugs, a elephant and a very friendly hot dog stand operator.

18% Gray: A Novel by Zachary Karabashliev ; translated from the Bulgarian by Angela Rodel
After the disappearance of his wife, Zack sets off on a trip across America with his memories, a camera, and a duffel bag of dope. Through the lens of the old camera, he rediscovers himself through photography. The journey unleashes a series of erratic, hilarious, and life-threatening events scattered with flashbacks to his relationship with with his wife.