Lost in Translation, Maybe?

[annundriel]

One of the books I am currently reading, off a friend's recommendation, is Hideyuki Kikuchi and Yoshitaka Amano's Vampire Hunter D. On the one hand, I'm intrigued by the story. On the other hand, the writing makes me want to bang my head against something.

For example:

From the farm he road hard north by northwest for two hours, until he came to a spot where a massive ashen citadel towering quietly atop a hillock loomed menacingly overhead.
- p. 57

Overkill, much?

Now, I'm going to mostly blame the translation. Whenever anything gets translated from the original language to something else, there is lots of room for error and massive failure. But I've still got to wonder what the original writing is like. I'm sure it doesn't help that I'm also reading Dickens at the moment.

I'm having other issues with it, too. Like the way in which information is presented. There could be some more subtlety involved.

I don't really want to speak ill of it though. Like I said, I am enjoying the storyline enough to keep reading. And I want to know what happens. But it's a little like finding a piece of fanfiction that has an excellent idea and fails on the execution.


Now I'm a little afraid I get too adjective-happy.

Comments

[bunnysan.livejournal.com]

I have been reading all of them from the beginning, I can tell you... the flowery language doesn't really stop, but I guess I have gotten use to it. I can say that the first few volumes the language is a bit more over the top than the rest. But, at times it does get tiring hearing, over and over again, just how pretty D is. >>;;

(Tale of the Dead Town (vol.4) is the best, imho)

[annundriel.livejournal.com]

haha, yeah, so far I'm like, "Okay, I get it, D is REALLY PRETTY."

Right now D is down at the bottom of the pit with the three sisters. And Doris just met Rei-Ginsei.

Even with the crazy flowery language, I really want to know where this is going. And what happens in the other volumes. I think the world they've created is really interesting.

[bunnysan.livejournal.com]

After 11 books, he is more than just pretty (and every single adjective of).

Ah, the three sisters... they are much more creepy in the book than they were in the movie. But that is the great thing about these books... even if the writing starts to get to you, you still want to know what happens!

If you continue to read on in the series, before you read Vol.3, Demon Deathchase you may want to watch the movie Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust. It is the movie based on the book, but! The endings are very different and you may not be able to stomach watching the movie after reading the book. The book is a tad graphic...

If I am remembering correctly, they are a few spelling and grammatical errors in a few of the later books, but I blame that on bad editing.

[annundriel.livejournal.com]

The three sisters and their hair... ::shudders::

I'm going to have to try to find the movie. I keep hearing about it.

Spelling and grammar don't both me too much. Sometimes editors do a terrible job. And, really, if a story is good I'll stick with it.

[bunnysan.livejournal.com]

The one you are reading right now is what the first Vampire Hunter D movie was based on (circa 1985) the animation is hilarious.

Oh god the hair >< Yes, but the strange abilities get even /better/ in later volumes ^.^