Lost in Translation

Captain Alatriste, Arturo Pérez Reverte. I spent a few days in New York last week and while I was there, I made some time for a trip to my favorite bookstore anywhere, The Strand. After wandering the aisles for an hour or so, I left with enough books to keep me busy for the next month or two. I started my stack with Captain Alatriste, the first in a series of swashuckling adventures from Spanish author Arturo Pérez Reverte. A few months back, I wrote about how much I enjoyed his book The Club Dumas, and the quality of that book led me to read some more of his work. Reverte has written several books about Alatriste, a Spanish soldier and sword for hire in the 16th century who finds himself becoming involved with the politics of the day, which of course leads to a lot of dangerous situations that can only be resolved with cold steel. This book was an enjoyable read all around, but as with The Club Dumas, I was highly impressed that Reverte’s prose, originally written in his native Spanish, is just as beautiful and enthralling when translated to English. It’s hard enough to be an outstanding writer in your native tongue, but his books hold up despite the change from the original language.