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<i>La Recepción de Alfred Lord Tennyson en España: Traductores y Traducciones Artúricas</i>. ('The Reception of Alfred Lord Tennyson in Spain: Arthurian Translators and Translations.') (review)

2010; Scriptoriun Press; Volume: 20; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1353/art.2010.0003

1934-1539

Barbara Miller,

Linguistics and language evolution

Reviewed by: La Recepción de Alfred Lord Tennyson en España: Traductores y Traducciones Artúricas. ('The Reception of Alfred Lord Tennyson in Spain: Arthurian Translators and Translations.') Barbara D. Miller Juan Miguel Zarandona , La Recepción de Alfred Lord Tennyson en España: Traductores y Traducciones Artúricas. ('The Reception of Alfred Lord Tennyson in Spain: Arthurian Translators and Translations.') Universidad de Valladolid Literature Series 68. Universidad de Valladolid, 2007. Pp. 253. ISBN: 978-84-8448-413-4. 19.43. In this book, in Spanish, on the reception of Tennyson's works in Spain, Juan Miguel Zarandona expresses his unabashed admiration for a literary icon, in an age of dedicated iconoclasm. His well supported, unrelenting respect for the poet sets Zarandona apart in a cultural atmosphere where praise of white male authors associated with empire may be treated as heresy, and where such favorably balanced reappraisals are correspondingly rare. However this is not to say that the book is overtly political. In general, Zarandona focuses on the poetry first as art, yet does so without excluding or ignoring important contextual matters, thus rendering a thoughtfully honest evaluation. All this is done in characteristically comparative and interdisciplinary style. The author's tendency toward emphatically stated opinions is notable. But these personal takes are openly presented as such, and are consistently and dutifully accompanied by a variety of evidence and other commentary. An introductory survey and analysis of the body of criticism on such basics as genre considerations and poetic quality is solid and thorough. Also Zarandona's comparisons among translators are informed and comprehensive. And although the question has evidently been considered in the past regarding certain texts, the commentary here on excessively derivative translation is bold. Nevertheless, the author's determination to prove or disprove plagiarism could bog down a reader who would prefer a fuller emphasis on close readings or other kinds of textual analysis. It is only fair to note that if the section on Spanish authors influenced by Tennyson is surprisingly extensive, it is also apt and well rounded, including really interesting particulars on Unamuno as the English poet's avid reader, and a detailed study on Spanish vanguardist Benjamín Jarnés, who produced Arthurian prose in the shadow of approaching civil war. Even so, in Zarandona's determination to be thorough, his extremely detailed and enthusiastic commentary sometimes results in tangents that can distract a reader, where a footnote could add interest. This third book by the author manifests some of the less fortunate traits of the previous two, such as distractingly frequent typographical errors, and a disconcertingly uneven quality. At times this very energetic and enthusiastic young scholar seems to rush to publication, with the overall result of a less-than-perfect synthesis among text, context, and theoretical or hermeneutic examination. This comes partly of the author's background, specifically as a student of translation, rather than of literary theory. But it is important to note the publisher's role in managing textual minutiae, and even more, that steady improvement with each succeeding publication by this author should be evident to his readers. Zarandona continues to shine as a source for fascinating and relatively unknown international and intertextual connections, authors and background facts. And even considering his emphasis on the techniques and theories of the translator's art, versus the textual object, some of the most innovative commentary and analysis offered in this book, as well as the author's previous two, are rooted precisely in his expertise. [End Page 132] That is, he heightens and maintains our awareness of translation as an activity fundamentally responsible for comparative studies, and which here has the effect of showcasing the comparative nature of Arthurian literature. [End Page 133] Barbara D. Miller Buffalo State College Copyright © 2010 Arthuriana