1981 Quote by Christopher Hitchens
““Kilmartin wrote a highly amusing and illuminating account of his experience as a Proust revisionist, which appeared in the first issue of Ben Sonnenberg's quarterly Grand Street in the autumn of 1981. The essay opened with a kind of encouragement: 'There used to be a story that discerning Frenchmen preferred to read Marcel Proust in English on the grounds that the prose of A la recherche du temps perdu was deeply un-French and heavily influenced by English writers such as Ruskin.' I cling to this even though Kilmartin thought it to be ridiculous Parisian snobbery; I shall never be able to read Proust in French, and one's opportunities for outfacing Gallic self-regard are relatively scarce.””
About This Quote
Source Article: Grand Street, Autumn 1981, Issue 1, essay by Kilmartin
The passage humorously critiques the idea that French readers might prefer English translations of Proust because the original feels un-French, highlighting cultural snobbery and translation challenges.
In simple terms: It jokes about French readers choosing English versions of Proust due to perceived un-Frenchness.
Key Takeaway
Question the cultural biases that affect how we read foreign literature.
Themes
literature
translation
culture
snobbery
identity
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
critical
humorous
When to use this quote
- academic discussion
- book clubs
- language learning
- cross‑cultural analysis
Key Concepts
cultural bias
translation theory
national identity
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you ever choose a translation over the original?
- How does language shape our perception of a work?
A Different Perspective
Translation can never fully capture the original's nuance, and preferences may be personal rather than cultural.
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