My Idea of a Book Review

It's cold and dark here now. AT this time of the year, that is to be expected. So the only thing I really feel like doing after work these days is curling up in bed with books or movies. I have nothing unread in my bedroom at the moment and when this usually happens, I generally turn to Harry Potter to save the day. But this time, I reached for Harry Potter in italiano. I've started reading it again, deciding it's now or never to get stuck into it. I'm on chapter 3 and making really good progress. Remember the last time I tried to read it, I spent 30 minutes on the opening paragraph, so really, 3 chapters in 3 nights is quite an improvement.

I guess the logic was to read a children's book because the vocabulary is simpler and if I already knew the story, and was interested in the story, I'd be better able to stumble thru it. Well, about half-way correct logic. JK Rowling does not pander and some of those very evocative words she uses translate to very long hard to pronounce words in Italian, most of which I do not know. True that I know the story but I do not know all the grammatical tenses in Italian (and there seem to be many) so I'm often unsure who we are speaking about, who is indeed speaking, and when the action took place. One thing I've realized, quite happily, is that this exercise is indeed improving my Italian. I may not get everything, but I'm getting some of it. It's how we learned as children, right? Reading helped to improve vocab and grammar. Here's hoping the magic works again.

A few observations on the differences between HP-UK and HP-Ital:

1- They have strange illustrations. I still prefer the US illustrator but the Italian one is smoking some powerful weed. McGonagal is drawn like a cat, with whiskers and a cape pinned at the neck by a fish skeleton.

2- Speaking of McGonagal, her name is now McGinsy or some such thing. And Dumbledore is Silente. Everyone else so far retains the same name. Now why, I ask you, change two main characters names and not all of them? And why change McGonagal's to something close but not at all in keeping with the Italian language. Silente I can already see was chosen for it's rhythm; it fits in very nicely when reading, keeping the musical quality in tact. But McGinsy? And Ron? And Hagrid? I defy you to find a sentence in which Hagrid doesn't sound harsh. Plus, what is Madame Maxime going to call Dumbledore if his name is now Albus Silente? Dumblydore is a cute French nickname/mispronunciation. How do you do that with Silente? Silly? Lenty?

3- There is one other character whose name has been changed and I cannot for the life of me, figure out who it is.

4- I have discovered two distinct style of reading while embarking upon this challenge of mine: stilted and intrinsic. I find I am reading each word in my head in a halting manner, sort of pounding the words out much like a person very uncomfortably reading a speech they did not write. Then I find whole parts of the text where I can stop actively reading and simply absorb the words because I know exactly what they mean. I am familiar with them so I need only see them to understand. In much the same way you don't actually read the word STOP when you approach the sign, I find passages where I can put my mind on autopilot and watch the movie in my head. That's usually when I figure out what part of the story we're I'm reading. It's a good feeling when that happens but it's usually brief and Poor Public Speaker takes the reigns again.

5- It's very jarring, and much less charming, to hear Harry mutter something under his breath, get caught and then say "Niente, niente..."

6- Dialouge, in Italian, is denoted "not like this" but <>. Took me forever to figure that one out.

7- The snake just escaped from the zoo in last nights reading, and while making his bid for freedom, he says to Harry "Grrrrracias amigo" (he is Brazilian) and I'm a bit worried that snakes in Italy roll their R's instead of hissing their S's. And also a little demoralized; it takes a sincere warm-up on my part to get my tongue rolling, however hissing comes suprising ease.


Off to work now. Happy Thanksgiving to all the Americans! Just think, that's one Holiday you'll be celebrating and I'll be working. Have some turkey for me.