Lost in Translation

[Furman, Yelena]

Dear Ona, Elena, and all - 
Criticism of one's society can be a very, very good thing.  And perhaps not completely reconciling identity/experience can also be a good thing - they can't, after all, be neatly fitted into one another, and gaps will always remain.  As someone who has struggled with, and occasionally continues to struggle with, the same issue, I read Hoffman in my late twenties; I remember thinking that it was not the greatest work ever nor did I agree/identify with a lot of her experiences, yet this book is definitely worth reading.  If the teenager in question is struggling with issues of identity at her age, she will certainly be able to get a lot out of Hoffman's account.    
- Yelena Furman

________________________________

From: Slavic & East European Languages and Literature list on behalf of Renner-Fahey, Ona
Sent: Mon 10/9/2006 8:29 AM
To: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU
Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] Lost in Translation



Elena,

We just discussed this book recently for a Jewish reading group. One of
my colleagues, in response to your query, responded: "I never really got
the impression that [Hoffman] was able to reconcile her
experiences/identities." And it seems to me that Hoffman does a lot of
criticizing of American culture, so it might not actually be the best
reading for a teenager who might need encouragement. Of course, it
entirely depends on the teen's maturity and emotional stability, etc.

Ona Renner-Fahey

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Slavic & East European Languages and Literature list
[mailto:SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU] On Behalf Of Elena Gapova
Sent: Sunday, October 08, 2006 9:58 AM
To: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU
Subject: [SEELANGS] Lost in Translation

Dear all,

mine is a "childrearing question". Do you think that Eva Hoffman's "Lost
in
Translation" is a good reading advice for a girl turning 15 and
struggling
over the issues of her East European identity vs. her American
experience?
Can "an average teenager" grasp the complexity of what Hoffman writes
about,
or will most of it be lost (though not in translation), at this early
age?

e.g.

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