The translational challenges of the works of László Krasznahorkai: Additions to the study of the subject

Abstract

The paper deals with the difficulties of translating the works of László Krasznahorkai into Serbian, not just from the perspective of translation theory and translation practice, but also from the situation of the Serbian publishing market and publishing policy. Three Krasznahorkai books have been published in Serbian translation so far, two of which have been translated by the author of this study, so a kind of subjectivity in the analysis was unavoidable. The difficulties of translation and the secrets of the translator’s workshop will be discussed only in connection with these two works– the novel The Melancholy of Resistance and the book of short stories The World Goes On. The third book published in Serbian, Krasznahorkai’s novel Satantango is mentioned in connection with publishing and translation ethics problems. The main problem that has left its mark on the reception of Krasznahorkai’s works in Serbia stems from the discrepancy between the financial situation of the publishers and their excessive ambitions, which, in addition to specific literary translation problems, this study tries to circumvent.