In Translation: The Transformation of Natsuo Kirino's Grotesque
Back in May, Grotesque, the second novel to be translated into English by the prolific Japanese writer Natuso Kirino hit bookstores. Almost immediately, rumors arose that the publisher, Alfred A. Knopf had done more than translate it -- cyberspace book geeks trembled with outrage at the news that the holiest of holies had been tampered with -- the ending been changed from the original version. The rumor inspired plenty of outrage and incredulity from yours truly, so I decided to check it out. A cursory investigation confirmed that changes were made through an interview that the author did during an appearance to promote the book in California. She didn't elaborate too much, except to say that the changes were made to make the book understandable to U.S. readers.
Emails to Kirino went unanswered, so I contacted Knopf, who agreed to have the book's editor, Lexy Bloom. answer my questions about the translation via email. Below, is our enlightening exchange, slightly edited for length and clarity.
Is it true that the American edition of Grotesque was changed from the Japanese original?
Yes, there were editorial changes made to the English-language edition (published in the US, Canada, and the UK).
Were there changes throughout the book or was it just the end as I have read elsewhere)?
Once Grotesque was translated from the Japanese to English, we felt that the novel was, at points, digressive in nature and overly long. The author, agent, translator, publishers and I agreed that it needed further editorial work prior to publication in English.
With complete approval from the author and translator, I undertook a series of editorial cuts on which the author fully gave her permission. Knopf would never publish a book without approval from the author on any editorial changes.
Why the ending?
In Japanese - a language I do not read - the ending was rendered in an almost fantastical way - it was not meant to appear real. In English, the literal translation rendered these events as entirely realistic. I suggested to the author and translator that the best way to convey the fantastical tone of the ending and get to the same endpoint was to adjust it in the manner that you've read in our edition. The author agreed.
Was the plot/story changed? Was the style changed?
The style remains 100% pure Kirino - deliciously twisted, dark, deeply insightful into the meanings of beauty, cruelty and violence. As for the story, there were no cuts that dramatically altered the storyline; rather we feel they helped bring out what was at the heart of the story, deleting scenes or aspects that were otherwise confusing or distracting.
How often does this happen with books translated into English?
It's not at all uncommon. This happens in every language, not just English -- when our authors are translated into other languages, we get requests for cuts and changes which we pass to our authors for their input and approval (or not, as the case may be) and we make sure the author and translator are in direct touch about it.
Many readers believe that changing the narrative in any way for a specific audience compromises the writer's artistic integrity, not to mention the work itself. What is your response to this?
Were an author to disapprove of any of the cuts I suggested, I would never make them. I would cancel a book contract before I would publish a book with significant changes that the author did not approve. In the case of Grotesque, the author and I underwent a normal editorial process -with the additional help of trusty interpreters and translators - to collectively come up with what we all feel is the best possible English-language edition of the book. This is, at heart, an artistic process and one that I feel heightens artistic integrity, rather than compromises it. I am heartened by such enthusiastic and inquisitive responses from readers about Kirino's work. She's an author I truly believe in - I think her approach to contemporary social issues in Japan is visionary, and that she writes like no one else. In an era where only 3% of books published in the US are translations, a dialogue like this one - where readers care passionately about the content of a Japanese writer's book - is thrilling to me.
Next spring we'll publish another of Kirino's novels, called What Remained, and there are two more, Real World and Metabola, scheduled for the future. I hope all of Kirino's fans will keep reading.
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