#uncertain glory

[gentleman-flynn]

Errol Flynn in Uncertain Glory (1944)

[ufonaut]

I suppose there's a time when any man, even a man like me, can find something bigger than himself.

Uncertain Glory (1944, dir. Raoul Walsh)

[useless-catalanfacts]

Why You Should Be Reading More Catalan Literature in Translation

I’ve been a translator from Catalan for almost fourteen years, and something that never fails to astonish me is the vibrancy of the Catalan

I’ve been a translator from Catalan for almost fourteen years, and something that never fails to astonish me is the vibrancy of the Catalan literary tradition. Whether a re-discovered classic or a startling young author from the near-constant flurry of innovative writing, there are always new voices to be unearthed, and the time-worn phrase “embarrassment of riches” comes to mind.

[...]

It’s this commitment in Wilder Winds to unflinching honesty and genuine emotion that is shared by the books on this list. Whether it be the realities or war, anarchism or autism, these voices offer the reader an intimate glimpse into other lives that never feel distant from our own. I’ve chosen eight books that demonstrate the richness of Catalan literature over the last century or so, but there are literally dozens more I could have chosen. Think of what follows, then, as less of a reading list and more of an amuse-bouche to whet your reading appetite for Catalan literature in English.

Are you interested in reading Catalan books that have been translated to English? Read this article to find 8 books that the translator Laura McGloughlin recommends (mostly novels, some short story books, and one poetry book).

[wtiennest]

 Errol Flynn as Jean Picard in Uncertain Glory

[whilereadingandwalking]

Uncertain Glory by Joan Sales, translated by Peter Bush, is the first book written in Catalan about the Spanish Civil War, a book that fought the censors under Franco for years before finally achieving publication. 

Lluís is a leader on the Aragonese front, distracted by the beauty of the countryside, the often disdainful drunkenness and antics of those around him, and his attraction to the widow of Castel de Olivo. His friend Soleràs dips in and out of his life, bringing his unpredictable twists and monologues with him. Cruells ponders the night sky with his telescope, working as a nurse. And meanwhile, Trini, the mother of Lluís's son, tries to survive in a Barcelona haunted by bombs and hunger—she lives on the companionship of her letters from Soleràs, a newly burgeoning faith, and her often difficult debates with her pacifist father and radical mother. 

Drawing from his own experience fighting on the republican side, Sales writes of the distinctly un-glorious war. The two sides of the war mix and murk in both absurd and tragic ways. On the front, smoky, muddy lines cross over the fighting; debates are the norm, and people fight within themselves. It is a realistic, well-written war novel, one that does not commit itself to a side and instead laments war as atmosphere, as setting, as real life. 

Uncertain Glory is a rich war epic; its genius comes from how focused and relatively small it stays, narrowing in on normal conversations, war-time jokes, everyday atrocities, and tight-knit relationships. While it could occasionally be slow going, it was definitely worth the full read.

[handsome-errol]

[theworldisnotadisaster]

Is there still hope for the future?

[errolflynnx]

Errol Flynn and Jean Sullivan, promotional shot of ‘Uncertain Glory’ (Raoul Walsh, 1944).