The Translator - by John Crowley (Paperback)

About the Book

Joining the ranks of such outstanding feats of literary imagination as "The English Patient" and "The Remains of the Day" is Crowley's "The Translator"--a story that centers on a love affair between an exiled Russian poet and his American translator, set against the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Book Synopsis

Joining the ranks of such outstanding feats of literary imagination as "The English Patient" and "The Remains of the Day" is Crowley's "The Translator"--a story that centers on a love affair between an exiled Russian poet and his American translator, set against the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

From the Back Cover

A novel of tremendous scope and beauty, The Translator tells of the relationship between an exiled Russian poet and his American translator during the Cuban missile crisis, a time when a writer's words -- especially forbidden ones -- could be powerful enough to change the course of history.

Review Quotes

"[The Translator] gives us a world so suffused with beauty that its inhabitants manage to speak in fragments of poetry ... Crowley's subject matter is is grand and serious, involving nothing less than the souls of nations and the transforming power of language." - New York Times Book Review
"Thrilling....[Crowley] succeeds with what no prudent novel ought to attempt." - New York Times
"A rarity: a love story with a core of intelligence and insight.' - Kirkus Reviews
"A novel that affirms and celebrates language... [and] masterfully renders a moment in history." - Book Magazine
"One of the finest writers working today...Crowley's exquisitely subtle writing transports readers through the shadow lands between childhood and adulthood, through the cultural differences between Russia and the United States, and through the filtered lens of poetry and the harsher reality of the evening news." - Pittsburgh Tribune
"Wonderfully sensual... Layered and rich, The Translator is a remarkable novel. - San Francisco Chronicle
"Effortless." - Christian Science Monitor
"Nothing short of magical." - Time Out New York
"Brilliant . . . Into this plot mix, Crowley throws his characteristic blend of wit and intellectual magic, suggesting alternative interpretations for events and expanding our definitions of truth in the process." - Atlanta Journal-Constitution