Talk:Purge (novel)

A fact from Purge (novel) appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know column on 23 November 2010 (check views). The text of the entry was as follows:

Did you know... that the Finnish novel Puhdistus (Purge) by Sofi Oksanen has won awards in Finland and France but had mixed reviews in Estonia, where the story takes place?

A record of the entry may be seen at Wikipedia:Recent additions/2010/November.

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Help expanding

Hi, I have never read the novel, but with so many references, I would think it would not be too hard to expand this article significantly per Wikipedia:Manual of Style (novels). Please help, especially with a plot summary, thanks, Sadads (talk) 17:43, 6 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Plot section

I took a stab at the plot, but have not read the book yet, so am basing it off what I have read in reviews, which are likely missing alot. Could someone please clean it up and verify it for me? Sadads (talk) 07:23, 11 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

English

The Soviet Union did not exist as an independent state for twenty-one years, which is what your statement says. Maelli (talk) 16:28, 13 March 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Comments on the English translation

Hi. I'm Lola Rogers. I wrote the English translation of Purge.

This article mentions Carol Hussa Harvey's review of Purge in the Winnepeg Free Press, and paraphrases the review: That same reviewer also points to how the English translation by Lola Rogers misses the short sentences often commented on by Finnish reviewers as evoking a "lyrical, [and] poetic style.

What the review said was:

Several Finnish reviewers were impressed with Oksanen's lyrical, poetic style. This style is not as apparent in the English version by American translator Lola Rogers. Nonetheless, her frank, short sentences bore to the "truth" in a direct style that her characters are unable to use.

In other words, Harvey is not saying that I "missed" the short sentences, she is saying I used short sentences. Harvey doesn't say that she has read the original book, only reviews of the original book, and she is pointing out a difference between what reviewers said about the original and what her impression of the translation was. Harvey's review of the translation is very positive, describing it as "vivid", and "dramatically" and "deftly" written.

I found eight reviews of Purge that mention the quality of the English translation. One is the review from Winnepeg Free Press mentioned in this article. Of the rest, one mention is negative:

"The translation has some rough spots, and the narrative can be heavier on history than humanity." - Publisher's Weekly

Every other mention of the translation that I can find in reviews is positive:

"Credit also should be given to Lola Rogers' translation, which presents Oksanen's language fluidly, while wisely preserving the occasional transliterated word of Russian or Estonian." - The New Republic

"Lola Rogers’ translation showcases Oksanen’s uncanny style." - For Books' Sake

"Oksanen originally staged Purge as a play, an origin that can still be recognized in its episodic scenes and deliberately moderated tension. In its current form, however, the novel’s fluid and unadorned prose (in a musical and nuanced translation by Lola Rogers) shares a closer kinship with a psychological thriller. " - Three Percent

“Purge… received much critical praise and became a European bestseller. Thanks to Lola Rogers’ superb English translation, it’s easy to see why… Oksanen’s descriptions are beautiful, with an easy lyricism that is never laboured.” – Deepanjana Pal, Mumbai Boss

"Purge, whose smooth translation by Lola Rogers seems to capture every nuance and subtlety in the text, is particularly striking in its rich use of metaphor, imagery both subliminal and grotesque, and scenarios paralleled across time and space, all cohering to create a read both emotionally harrowing and as riveting as a thriller.” – Emma Garman, Words Without Borders

"Her prose is absolutely stunning (and here I should credit Lola Rogers on a fantastic translation)" - Savidge Reads

This article is the only mention of my name in all of wikipedia. It is probably the first thing that many people look at if they are interested in my work. Although I'm sure it's not intentional, I feel that the article quotes this review inaccurately and that it gives a biased impression of the critical reception of my translation. I hope that it can be revised or amended.

Thanks,

Lola Rogers — Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.24.244.109 (talk) 22:12, 23 October 2015 (UTC)[reply]

A fair request, although the only thing I could reasonably do is to remove the sentence about the translation. We don't usually review the translation itself in articles, unless truly unusual (failing completely or winning awards). If you do win any awards, let us know -- that should go into WP. LaMona (talk) 18:19, 30 November 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I just noticed your revision of this article. Thank you! Lola Rogers