Why Translation Matters

Edith Grossman (1936–2023) was acclaimed for her translations of works by Gabriel García Márquez, Mario Vargas Llosa, Carlos Fuentes, Mayra Montero, and many other distinguished Spanish-language writers. Her translation of Don Quixote is widely considered a masterpiece. She received numerous prizes for her work, including the Ralph Manheim Medal for Translation by PEN in 2006, an award in literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2008, a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2009, and the Queen Sofía Spanish Institute Translation Prize in 2010. She was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

“Groundbreaking.”—New York Times“Grossman and others like her continue to offer us enlightenment. . . . [The subject] is passionately explored and patiently explained.”—Richard Howard, New York Times Book Review“In this slim but powerful volume, Edith Grossman argues that translation performs a function that is too often ignored or misunderstood.”—Edward King, Sunday Times“A passionate defense of the translator’s art.”—Peter Terzian, Boston Globe“Grossman writes with passion and clarity, and with a wisdom acquired through decades of practice. . . . Why Translation Matters is well argued and stylishly written. Or, to put it another way, it is both able and seamless.”—Daniel Hahn, Times Literary Supplement“A brief, forceful defense of [translation].”—Hillel Italie, Associated Press“There is a fair bit here about the mechanics of translation, including an excellent account of how Grossman overcame her anxiety about approaching Don Quixotee. . . . But it is her unswerving confidence in the metier and her blunt yet sophisticated defence of it that matter most, in the end.”—The Observer“Straight-talking and thought-provoking. . . . Translation matters. Having read this, you won’t be in any doubt.”—Nora Mahony, Irish Times“In this fascinating book, the author, a renowned translator herself, discusses her own methods of translation and argues the case that a bringing a literary work into a new language often gives it another identity while being intimately bound to the original. . . . This scholarly work . . . should become a classic of its kind.”—Gazette & Herald“This scholarly work is surprisingly easy to read and should become a classic of its kind.”—Bill Spence, Yorkshire Gazette & HeraldSelected as a Choice Outstanding Academic Title for 2010 in the Language & Literature category“Edith Grossman, the Glenn Gould of translators, has written a superb book on the art of the literary translation. Even Walter Benjamin is surpassed by her insights into her task, which she rightly sees as imaginatively independent. This should become a classic text.”—Harold Bloom