Literary Translation and the Idea of a Minor Romania
Title Details

184 Pages

22.8 x 15.2 cm

Series: Rochester Studies in East and Central Europe

Series Vol. Number: 12

Imprint: University of Rochester Press

Literary Translation and the Idea of a Minor Romania

by Sean Cotter

  • Description
  • Contents
  • Reviews
Examines translations by canonical Romanian writers Lucian Blaga, Constantin Noica, and Emil Cioran, arguing that that their works reveal a new, "minor" mode of national identity.

Studies of the Romanian national imagination have historically focused on the formation of modern Romania after World War I, Romania's fascist movement and alliance with Germany during World War II, or the remobilization of nationalist discourse in the 1970s and 1980s -- moments in which Romanian intellectuals imagine their nation assuming or working toward major cultural status. Literary Translation and the Idea of a Minor Romania examines translations by canonical Romanian writers Lucian Blaga, Constantin Noica, and Emil Cioran following the imposition of Communist rule, arguing that their works reveal a new, "minor" mode of national identity based on the model of the translator. The "minor" emphasizes intercultural exchange, adaptation, and ironic distance in the ways a nation thinks of itself. Drawing on theorists as diverse as Benedict Anderson, Gilles Deleuze, Felix Guattari, and Françoise Lionnet, Sean Cotter proposes that this multilingual and multicultural version of the nation is better suited than older models to understanding a globalized world, one in which translation plays an indispensable role..

Sean Cotter is associate professor of literature and literary translation at the University of Texas at Dallas.
Introduction
Resistance and Minor Translation during the Soviet Period
Lucian Blaga's Translations under Soviet Eyes
Constantin Noica, Philosopher of the Minor Translation
Minor Prayers: The Beauty of the Diminutive in Emil Cioran
Conclusion
"Winner of the Society for Romanian Studies Book Prize, 2015" .
"A thought-provoking reflection." FINNISH JOURNAL FOR ROMANIAN STUDIES
"Sean Cotter's Literary Translation will have a profound impact both on translation studies and East European studies, bringing these fields into closer intellectual engagement with each other. The author's lucid and highly readable writing style will make this volume an appealing choice for graduate and advanced undergraduate level courses. An impressive volume, situated on the cutting edge of innovative cross-disciplinary scholarly pursuit." Vitaly Chernetsky, Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, University of Kansas

Hardcover

9781580464369

April 2014

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9781580468558

April 2014

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Title Details

184 Pages

2.28 x 1.52 cm

Series: Rochester Studies in East and Central Europe

Series Vol. Number: 12

Imprint: University of Rochester Press