Kundera article in New Yorker

[David Powelstock]

I agree with Russell about the absence of translation--well, in fact,
Kundera *recommends* reading works in translation! There is something to be
said for his ideal of a world literature--after all, there are such
works--primarily novels--that lose relatively little in translation, and
which partake of this alinguistic (cum grano salis, please!) trans-cultural
aesthetic. War and Peace comes to mind. It's the assertion of this aesthetic
as exclusive or even primary that I find not only far-fetched but ultimately
sterile and unappealing. Perhaps if one wishes to write philosophy or found
a religion this might be the way to go, but I like my bones with a little
flesh, thank you. Along these lines, let me add that I find Kundera's
latter-day novels (written in French) as colorless and odorless as natural
gas. 

I also agree with Russell that Kundera is involved in "image control," but
perhaps to a lesser degree than Russell suggests. I think that Kundera
really is pretty deeply invested in the ideas he puts forth--as witnessed by
his migration away from the Czech language and culture and toward greater
abstraction. In fact, I would argue that the tendency was always there in
his works, even the early ones. Whether this trajectory is the one that best
serves his talent is another question. Frankly, he lost my interest several
novels ago. But I do think that he poses a rather serious challenge to the
organization and practices of literary studies in the Academy, and in the
Slavic field in particular. As a Russianist and some-time Bohemist, I find
these cultures to have almost nothing in common. And consider this: has any
Czech author ever gained currency on the West because he was pushed forward
specifically by academic Slavists? One needs translators, of course, but
these needn't be--and often aren't--stationed in the Academy. My point is
simply that there is some truth to Kundera's assertion that Czech writers
profit little by their being headquartered in "Slavic" departments. 

David

David Powelstock
Asst. Prof. of Russian & East European Literatures
Chair, Program in Russian & East European Studies
Brandeis University
GRALL, MS 024
Waltham, MA  02454-9110
781.736.3347 (Office) 

-----Original Message-----
From: Slavic & East European Languages and Literature list
[mailto:SEELANGS at listserv.cuny.edu] On Behalf Of Valentino, Russell
Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 10:54 AM
To: SEELANGS at listserv.cuny.edu
Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] Kundera article in New Yorker

Great topic.

I found Kundera's objection to being grouped with the Russians by the
"eminent Slavist" who meant him no harm rather inconsistent, if not
contradictory. That is world literature too. It's just not the one he wants
to be primarily associated with, which is obviously centered farther west. I
read the objection more as authorial image control, or an attempt at it,
under a pretext of something else.

The other, and more seriously troubling aspect of the piece is the utter
absence of anything about translation, which is the only way that works get
into the "larger context" he wants us all to think about. Leaving
translation out of the discussion merely perpetuates the
"English-was-good-enough-for-Jesus" assumptions characteristic of most
readings and discussions of translated works. Why Kundera of all people
should fail to even mention it is puzzling at the very least.

Overall, the piece could have been much more challenging than it was.

(The review of Tom Stoppard's trilogy of plays about Russian
nineteenth-century revolutionary thinkers in the same issue was more
interesting.)

Russell Valentino

-----Original Message-----
From: Slavic & East European Languages and Literature list
[mailto:SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU] On Behalf Of colkitto
Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 8:39 AM
To: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU
Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] Kundera article in New Yorker

One comment that could be made on the Milan Kundera article is that the term
"Slavic" should primarily be thought of as purely linguistic, like "Celtic",
"Germanic", or even "Indo-European", referring to a group of fairly
disparate cultures that happen to speak historically related languages.

To take an extreme example of a similar phenomenon, the fact that American 
English and Farsi are
both Indo-European has not been cited as a factor suggesting that the US
might aspire to closer relations with Iran in the Middle East.

This approach should go some way to answering Kundera's concerns about being

grouped with classical Russian writer, as a "Slavic
author."

Imagine grouping him with, e.g., Hafiz, or, at the opposite end, Dafydd ap 
Gwilym, as an "Indo-European author."

Meanwhile, for Canadians, there is a specially interesting passage:

"Given that the French are unused to distinguishing between nation and
state, I often hear Kafka described as a Czech writer.  Of course that is
nonsense."

Recently there has been some discussion in Canada as to the exact meaning of
the term "nation", and whether there can be nations within nations, etc.,
mainly centred (of course) on the position of Quebec.  Many  pundits have
tied themselves in knots over whether Quebec can be a nation within the
Canadian nation (or state) or not.  They should read Kundera's article.

Meanwhile Witold Manczak has an article in Bulletin de la Soiciete
Polonaise de la Linguistique (LVIII, 2002) titled Naród a jezyk, panstwo i 
religia,
which deals with some of the same issues, citing changing views of the 
status of Copernicus as an example.

Robert Orr

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