To all of you non-English people here, do you like to read in

Vietnamesefag here. I read all of my books in English because I really hate my fucking language.

>>7666117
I hate spaniards translations and books are cheaper in english.
So that.

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>>7666117
None of that English crap for me, I use my momma tongue - good ole red-blooded American.

>>7666121
turkfag, same here. I despise my mother tongue. For some reason I also hate Spanish.

>>7666117
Both, what the fuck. If you know a language, use it, except it's a weird case like >>7666121 , where the language has no relevant literature (if it has do let me know, vietnamese anon).

>>7666157
Nigga, even China doesn't have any good literature, why would nguyenland?

>>7666121
>>7666138
McFucking kill yourselves, faggots.

The only right answer is to read books originally written in English in English, and reading books originally written in your native language in your native language. Same applies for other second languages and so on.
For the rest, just read the best translation at hand

I pretty much only need to learn Russian these. I'm fluent in Spanish, English, German, French, and can read and write in Latin (though I am getting better with pronunciation).
Also read in the language the book was written.

>>7666138
Well, Spanish is the worst-sounding out of all the romance languages.

>>7666171
That is Portuguese and you know it.

>>7666171
t. Yank that only heard mexicans talking

>>7666175
I live in Europe you fag

>>7666182
t. Yuropoor that only heard mexicans talking on American media.

>>7666117
Im from buenos aires... and i rather read books in spanish unless the original version is in english

>>7666193
Is Borges, everything in your country?

>>7666117
Indian here. I read in English cause reading stuff by authors like Pynchon in Hindu would be pretty bizarre lel.

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>>7666193
Tomatelas de mi tablon porteño puto

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>>7666193
>Im from buenos aires

>>7666117
English books in English, Croatian books in Croatian. I struggle with reading German.
Some Roman works I read in Latin, Spanish poetry in Spanish, but I struggle with it sometimes. Easier than German though.

>>7666284
So what I can't read in German/Spanish I read in English instead, never Croatian. Because translations are much much better. I very rarely read in Croatian these days.

Arab here, I read all my books in English

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>>7666193

>buenos aires

I don't trust my mother tongue translators, read only a few books in it, now reading Homer. I love my language, it's beautiful and very delicate language, you have to master it on high level to sound naturaly. It doesn't apply for some dialects.

Lithuanian

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Frenchfag here. I usaally read translated book, but I've read some book in english. French translations aren't that bad, and there is a lot of french litterature (classic stuff like Hugo kinda bore me, but even without that there is a lot to read).

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>>7666117
Icelander here, I used to read much more in english because it was inconvenient for me to get translated copies of the favorites discussed here. Also there is a much more offer of english translated classics than in my language.

However in the last few years there has been increasing republications to e-book format of icelandic classics such as all the icelandic sagas, old norse sagas and even some obscure medieval poems and stories. Even a translation of the Illiad which I couldnt find nowhere was given free online on ebook format.

Lately I have been reducing what i read in english and moving on to the Icelandic classics (sagas and such) and German classics (in german). I have a large backlog of english classics though.

I live abroad.

>>7666284
>>7666288
Can you recommend a generally well received Croation work that has been translated worldwide?

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German here. If a book is originally written in German, French or English, I will read the original version because I don't like translations. If it's not originally written in one of those languages, I read the German translation.

>>7666117
Russian anon here, I like to read in my mother language. But If I want to read a book that was originally written in the English language, then I won't buy it in Russian. I'm afraid that some of the core charm of these books can be lost when translated into Russian.

Portuguese here. I read books that were written in English or in a Language that I don't know in English.

>>7666157
Actually Vietnam has good liturature, it's just the way the words are used is too hard to understand (like in The Tale of Kieu, or most pre-1975 books). But once you understand it, it's great, we also got badass poems.

>>7666157
And Vietnamese lituratures are hard to stranslate.
This is a English translation of the first part of The Tale of Kieu, it is so unpoetic and rough compare to the Vietnamese version:

Within the span of hundred years of human existence,
what a bitter struggle is waged between genius and destiny!
How many harrowing events have occurred while mulberries cover the conquered sea!
Rich in beauty, unlucky in life!
Strange indeed, but little wonder,
since casting hatred upon rosy cheeks is a habit of the Blue Sky.

>>7666556
Poetry doesn't translate well, more news at 11

German native, always in English. I even read Kafka in English. Sue me.

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>>7666567
>Kafka
Cuckold

>>7666117
I prefer reading in Czech, since my knowledge of English isn't perfect. With books originally written in English, I usually grab the original, but not always.

>>7666170
>I'm fluent in Spanish
Bullshit. Write your previous post in Spanish to prove me wrong.

>>7666497
I don't know what has been translated, but I can tell you chances you'll enjoy it aren't that high because its mostly locals writing about local culture and history, naturally. My personal favorite and an exception to that what I said could be Ranko Marinkovic's Cyclops and I believe its translated in English.
As for other authors, definitely don't miss Nobel prize winner Ivo Andric, although he is Bosnian.

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>>7666207
>tablon

>>7666117
Spanish-speaker here. It depends on the book, really. My English is pretty good, but that doesn't mean I won't have a hard time reading, say, the Longfellow translation of the Divine Comedy.

>>7666594
That whole post, and you pick Spanish to be skeptical of? When most of the United States, which dominates the board population, is basically required to take Spanish early on in their schooling? Bizarre.

Portuguese is absolutely awful for Philosophy. So I only read it in English.

>>7666605
Fine, prove me wrong then. Surely you must be able to write such a short post in perfect Spanish, right?

>>7666610
I didn't make the original post I just think you're crazy.

>>7666613
Or maybe it's that you're full of shit and can't speak Spanish either.

The reason I picked Spanish is because A) It's my native language, and B) I see a LOT of snobby Americans acting like they know their shit because of a class they took in high school.

Read books in their original language whenever you're able.

>>7666617
Your insecurities are palpable. I never said I knew Spanish.

>>7666622
How am I insecure? Also, learn some motherfucking Spanish.

>>7666624
Why, it's a nigger tier language

>>7666627
>borges
>nigger tier
Try harder, dipshit.

i prefer to read them in italian

I can read in Chinese, Japanese, and English. If I am reading western literature then most of the time I like to read them in English, the main reason is that Chinese translations are often way less reliable than the English ones.

Another reason is with the Chinese language itself. Although old Chinese (the language before PRC was a thing) was concise and beautiful, modern Chinese is just seriously fucked beyond help. Not many people in China can write proper Chinese anymore. Most of them write in a highly convoluted way, adding unnecessary words here and there, so to make the messages look "serious" and "scientific".

If you're learning Chinese and wish to read literature, try to avoid using modern sources like news report or TV show as your learning materials.

>>7666638
Holy crap, are you Chinese? If so, congratulations on being the first chink who can actually write English like a native.

>>7666644
Not exactly, I live in Hong Kong where English is one of our official languages.

I am happy as fuck when you say that though, I thought my English was pretty shitty.

>>7666117
I am fluent in english, but i dont really have a choice in this - library has only translated versions. Only other way is reading ebooks in original, but its not very comfortable, i dont have kindle

>>7666117
I read in Hebrew, its mainly depend on the text and its complexity.
if its translation I tend to compare translation to see a different view on the text.

Serbfag here.

I read books that are originally in English in English, but I read translations of Russian, French, German, etc. literature in Serbian.

I do read some simple stories and fairy tales in German, though, if that counts.

>>7666638
>Most of them write in a highly convoluted way, adding unnecessary words here and there, so to make the messages look "serious" and "scientific".

This happened in the West before it happened in China. It's a sickly development. It's the child of the false humility of "Science", where you are not supposed to trust what you think, so you have to constantly stammer and wrap every statement you make in a dozen qualifiers -- "In my opinion", "It could very well be the case", "One might imagine" -- in order to avoid the criticism of being "dogmatic". Again, this is a FALSE humility. None of these people have the Socratic distrust of their own minds. The ancients just said what they thought clearly and let themselves be criticised for what they thought; they didn't try to shroud themselves in pseudo-skepiticism so that they could always back out of what they said by saying, "that's not really what I think, it's just an opinion."

Not everything is available in Lithuanian, so I have to use English sometimes, but I fucking hate it.
Half the time I'm translating the words I can't understand. Fucking hell you guys have a lot of synonims.

>>7666290
Stranger here, gtfo from my beach.

>>7666117
Dutchfag here. Books by Dutch authors I, naturally, read in Dutch, but I refuse to read Dutch translations. English translations are fine though.

>>7666567
As a expected by a country filled with unwarranted guilt and self hate

>>7666168
yup swedenfag and i do this

I pretty much gave up on reading translated poetry after taking up French, unless it's in blank verse or in an "exotic" language. If it's in something like German, Spanish or Italian, I seek out the original text, an English and a Croatian translation.

Not buying English-language literature in translation anymore.

I rarely read Croatian novels since I prefer poetry. We've had some truly great poets; novelists less so. I wonder much of our literature is widely available in translation. Probably not much.

>>7666764

Same here.
Dutch translations are just so shit 96.2% of the time.
Too bad English books and translations are so fucking expensive outside of thriftshops.

>>7666817
>We've had some truly great poets
Much implying there fampai. Which ones do you mean?

>>7666631
Dove li scarichi?

>>7666117
I like to read with my mother's tongue in my mouth.

>>7666117
I generally prefer to read in English, specially if the book was originally written in english.

I can read on russian, spanish and english. So I read the original version when I can.
This being said, spanish really sounds bad in my head.

>>7666485
>Hugo kinda bores me

Jardin du Luxembourg

Spaniard here. Translations are okay here so I usually read in Spanish, but sometimes I like to read some English literature in its language. Gotta love spanish contemporary poetry above all else tho.

>>7666822
But the thriftshops and second-hand bookstores we do have are fucking GOAT. Amsterdam alone has four I regularly drop-in and I always come back with bags filled with books. One tip: close to the Book Exchange (which you can google), is a small alley filled with stands of books.

I like reading in both (Spanish is my mother tongue). Since english is just slightly harder for me it requires me to read more carefully. This sort of english-mode reading it's more rewarding sometimes, because I'm more focused. I also can read German.
I hold this belief. For example if I'm gonna read a french or italian author I better read in Spanish since it's the closest language, kind of silly, kind of right. Do you guys do the same?

>>7666959

But it's usually filled solely with JAMES PATERSON when I visit.

Nice brag thread

I can write and speak English quite well, I am not a mother tongue, therefore I still make mistakes. I like reading in English when it comes to reading articles etc... But I cannot stay focused when it comes to reading long books or sentences with a more complex structure. This is why I stick to my mother tongue most of the time when it comes to reading books as it makes me quicker (I am impatient). I think it's only a perception as I have read many 'difficult' articles in the past without finding it difficult at all. I think I am just being lazy.

>>7666944
>
Hola, me encantaria una recomendacion de poesia comtemporanea en espanol.

Muchas gracias.

>>7666175
>>7666183
lol Mexican & latinamerican Spanish > spanish Spanish pleb

It's possible he's only heard cholos talk, though.

>>7666117
I am Dutch but I almost exclusively read in English. It isn't doing my Dutch any good, but almost anything translated to Dutch just seems so shit. I furthermore like to discuss books with an international audience, so naturally I am inclined to read in English.

Will try to read some German works in German and perhaps, though I doubt it very much, read something in French if I am able to understand it to my satisfasction.

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>>7666229

>>7666117
Indianfag here. My mother spoke 4 languages and i chose English. Seems like a good decision thus far :)

Hungarian here. If the book's original language is English then I obviously read it in English, otherwise I try to get the Hungarian translation, but the English one is usually easier to get your hands on, especially in ebook format.

It's a shame that Hungarian lit isn't well known aside from a few exceptions like Krasznahorkai.

>>7666629
Everyone I know from Spain say that south-american dialects sound fucking retarded, is there a noticeable difference between written Spanish from Spain and various South-American countries?

Norwegian. It really depends on the source language. For example I will definitely read Russian or French lit in English because the translations are much better, but I always read German in Norwegian because it's very easy to translate between these two languages, so the prose feels the same.

I would have no problem reading Danish or Swedish but the translation is pretty much 1:1 to Norwegian so there's no point

>>7666992
Try the Book Exchange. A load of classics, regularly updated. The alley I am talking about has so many books that I doubt you can't find what you want.

>>7667524
Spaniards are butthurt because Latin Americans are more innovative and popular
Take for example modernism in Spanish lit, it originated from America. Then came the Latin American boom stuff.
Anyway, for Latin Americans, Spanish Spanish sounds retarded and vice versa.

I rarely read English except on the internet.

>>7666963
Yes, I do that too. I read books originally in nordic languages in German, even though my English and Spanish are better.

>>7667524
In latin america they have dropped some verb tenses, and that triggers spaniards.
In Spanish from Spain or Castilian or whatever they have a past tense for earlier in the day (or week or whatever the time reference is, which is the day if not stated) and one for stuff that happened before the present time reference.
When latin americans say "desayuné" (I had breakfast) they are talking about that morning, but spaniards think it is wrong and it irks them.
On the other hand, latin americans think Castilian sounds too affected and pompous.
I've heard it is the same for Portugese and Brazilian.

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German books in German, English books in English and in case of other languages else I prefer the German translation.
Overall qualiyt is very high and due to the internet you can find out easily which version is the best one.

I bought the English version of 'Ningen Shikaku' / 'No longer human' because the German one hasn't been reprinted until 2015 for dozens of years and I didn't want to pay 120€ upwards for it whilst I paid about 5€ for the English one.

>>7667555

Is dat die in de Wallen?

Daar kom ik dus nooit, zal ik doen.

I read English book in English, Dutch books in Dutch and with translations of other languages it depends which is more convenient or which is the better translation.

>>7666117
Anything translated in dutch sounds fucking retarded.

>>7666944
>Translations are okay here
They are shit manolo.

>>7667801
Ja, dat is inderdaad randje Wallen. Echt een geweldige winkel voor Engelse literatuur en het steegje ernaast ook.

>>7666199
No. Mafalda is bigger than Borges.

Brazilian here. I read most classics and books that are in English in English, but books that were originally wrote in a romance language I read in portuguese or spanish (if the book was in spanish). French books I read in portuguese. Russian books too, sometimes, except if there is no direct translation (I think that the Russians write in a way that sounds better in Portuguese).

>>7666168
I don't know man, I would have had a rough time reading books like The Divine Comedy if it wasn't for being pre-translated for me.

>>7667499
>mfw I'm Hungarian and I don't like Krasznahorkai

Hungarian translations are generally fine, when I read a book for a first time, I read it in Hungarian even if its originally English, although I'm fluent. I'd like to learn French well enough to read French lit in original.

English.

Urdu fantasy is rainbows.

>>7666138
>lower class faggot that despises his language because it remind him of his family and lower class friends

i bet you are a chpfag. eti topkek.

>>7666117
swede here. read english and french books in english, german and swedish books in swedish. spanish books in spanish.

is it a good idea to read french books in spanish, simply because of the similarity of the two languages?

i think english has a more french feel to it than spanish does, and i aint got time to learn a fourth language

>>7670001
>english has a more french feel

thats because fancy-sounding english words originate from Latin throught French

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>>7666117
I'm Hungarian.
I prefer original English if its available without too much hassle, but Hungarian is okay too. Non-English I obviously go for the translation.
Rarely do I encounter something that I can not read in English, though it recently happened with Neuromancer. It was a terrible and I gave up after a hundred pages, but I might try the Hungarian version, maybe that makes more sense.

Also this thread has some weird people hating their own language, so now I feel lucky that Hungarian is pretty awesome.

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Russian anon here. I always try to read books in original language and I can do it if the book is in English, German or Portuguese. However, for books in other languages I usually read English translations, except when it is in Polish, Czech or other Slavic language (in this case a Russian translation would probably be closer).

Croat here. Croatian books in Croatian, English books in English (even though Shakespeare can be a pain in the ass to understand). For translations from other languages, it depends. The Russians, for example, usually have great Croatian translators. Elsewhere, I'm more careful, I make choices on a case by case basis.

>>7666284
>>7666695
>>7666817
Bok! :)

>>7670032
>Also this thread has some weird people hating their own language,
To such people, English sounds exotic, modern and cool (owing to cultural imperialism), while their mother tongue sounds provincial. Nobody wants to look and sound like some sort of a hillbilly, so they start fetishizing English and hating their own language. That's my theory, at least.

>>7670120
>their mother tongue sounds provincial

As I see, Eastern European people tend to have that feeling, due to an inferiority complex they developed historically.
>>7670032 must be familiar with the poet Ady Endre. His poetry (and journalism) is mostly concerned with the dual identity of Hungarians. He longs to express that he identifies as an all-European intellectual, as well as embracing his native, Hungarian, even semi-Asian heritage.

I used to have a hard time reading in my native tongue due to me growing up with the internet, games, etc. About 1/2 years ago I decided I ought to read more literature of my own country partially to get better at writing because I sucked at doing so, which did pay off.
Besides, I was quite unaware that there is actually amazing literature in my language. I am Dutch by the way.

>>7667187
Pues aquí en España, en el siglo XX, tenemos tres generaciones: la generación del 98 (1898, no exactamente siglo XX, pero ya me entiendes), generación del 14 (o novecentistas) y la generación del 27.

De la generación del 1898 es muy destacable Antonio Machado. De la del 14, Juan Ramón Jiménez (autor de Platero y Yo, una obra bastante famosa aquí en España). De la generación del 27 (mi favorita personalmente) destacar a Gerardo Diego, Pedro Salinas, Federico García Lorca, Rafael Alberti, Luis Cernuda... Si te gustan busca más, hay algunos que me he dejado en el tintero.

>>7670228
mira también:
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generaci%C3%B3n_del_36 (importante ahí Miguel Hernández)
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generaci%C3%B3n_del_50

BRfag here, basically every south-american book I read in portuguese because the translation will be better. The rest, I read in english because usually is cheaper and is easier to find lit books in english here.

Only English and Russian, I dont read anything in Burmese (my mother tongue) because there's nothing worthwhile to read.

>>7670217
My mother just came back from Netherlands and had bought me Nescio's "Amsterdam Stories". What do you think about him?

Italian here. I read everything in italian except eng and french poetry

I prefer reading in my native language (Russian) because my reading speed is slower in English. Except when I know the translation is bad. When it comes to poetry I prefer bilingual editions.