August

Book menu for August by Romina Paula; translated from Spanish by Jennifer Croft

I've started reading more literary translations because I'd like to try doing some translations (French to English) myself.  This winter and spring I read all of Jennifer Crofts translations. She translates from Spanish and Polish and was slated to be on the faculty of the 2020 Bread Loaf Translators Conference. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the conference has been postponed until 2021. I was to attend the conference and so was reading up on Ms. Croft. I hope she is on the faculty next year and that I get to meet her then. I also highly recommend her memoir, Homesick.


August is a quick but somber and mysterious novel that follows a twenty-something Argentine woman who travels back to her hometown on the fifth anniversary of her best friend's death.

Food mentioned in August:
Wine, 69, 120,, 175-176, 178, 180
     White wine, 1, 3, 62, 124
          Chablis, 2
Coffee, 1, 13, 128, 170
Whiskey, 13
Chocolates, 14
Yerba Mate, 15, 41, 121, 123, 139-140, 144, 170
Beer, 77-78, 167, 172, 175-176, 185
Salami and Cheese sandwiches, 128
Cookies, 139
Steak and fries, 176-178
Provencal toast, 176
Ice cream, 181
Dulce de leche, 181
Peanuts, 185
Orange juice, 196
Yogurt, 196
Croissants, 196

Books/Authors mentioned in August:
Hospital Britanico / Hector Viel Temperley, epigraph
Pablo Neruda, 55
The Little Prince / Antoine de Saint-Exupery, 158

Films mentioned in August:
Bleu, 8
Rouge, 8
The Sound of Music, 21
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, 112
Reality Bites, 125-126, 141, 176
Mermaid, 126
Beetlejuice, 126

Music mentioned in August:
Ricardo Montaner, 16
Counting Crows, 56-57, 125, 145-146
     "Round Here", 56, 146
The Police, 70
     "Every Breath You Take", 75
     "King of Pain", 76
Bob Marley, 83
Babasonicos, 152, 155, 157

TV Shows mentioned in August:
Six Feet Under, 3, 20
The Simpsons, 125, 179

Page numbers refer to the paperback edition (ISBN: 9781558614307)

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