My friend Malie bought me The Murderess (1903) by Alexandros Papadiamantis a couple of years ago – by which I mean, she told me to buy some books I wanted for my birthday, and this was one of the books I chose. I found it surprisingly hard to find out when it was originally published, as my copy doesn’t say and Wikipedia is keeping coy about it, but some other review I read says 1903. My edition is translated from the (you guessed it) Greek by Peter Levi.
The murderess in question is a grandmother who decides to smother/strangle her infant grandchild – and then goes on a bit of a spree of drowning and otherwise killing young girls. If that sounds like the sort of modern crime novel I have zero interest in, then it’s not really. It’s more of a philosophy-meets-chase, where Hadoula decides that the world is such a cruel place for women that it would be a kindness to kill these young girls before they find out (and we see, in flashback, how her son has spoiled her own life).
It’s an intriguing concept, and Papadiamantis is subtle enough about her motive (or motives) to make it more intriguing still – is Hadoula really just thrilled by power, for instance. Then she goes on the run, and it all gets a bit bizarre.
It was interesting to read in Levi’s introduction that he found the translation very difficult, particularly to match the leisurely pace and regional language of Papadiamantis. I don’t speak any Greek, but the translation did feel a little obstructive or false at times – I don’t quite know how to explain that feeling, but perhaps you’re familiar with it. Not my favourite book I’ve read this 25 Books, but I’m glad I read it.
Ooh, what a creepy premise. I know exactly what you mean about translations feeling obstructive or false — I never know if it’s genuinely a problem of translation or if it’s me lacking cultural knowledge that would be required to understand it more fluently. But I am definitely familiar with the sensation.
I don’t know why, but this just sounds a bit dark for you, Simon! And I know what you mean about the translation – I’ve had that feeling before, based on nothing more than instinct, and have switched versions of a book I’m reading. The wrong translation can really mess up a book for you.
The 20s & 30s were not Edwardian … 1901 – 1910 or even extending to 1914 when the Great War startted …
That does sound a bit dark for you! I know what you mean about works in translation – it’s when you can tell, and when it jars the reading experience just that bit too much. What interesting books you’ve read during your project, though!