New Translations for July
The Exchange of Princesses
Chantal Thomas
John Cullen, tr.
Other Press
The royal houses of France and Spain trade their princesses in 1722, hoping to strengthen the bonds of the two countries and bring peace. Yet nothing turns out as expected. This work of fiction brings to life historical characters from the French and Spanish courts who are otherwise lifeless.
The Journey
Sergio Pitol
George Henson, tr.
Deep Vellum Press
Based on the author’s own travel journals, this book takes the reader through the Soviet Union during 1986. The second volume in Pitol’s Trilogy of Memory, the story travels through Prague, the Caucasus, Moscow, and Leningrad, as the author reflects on the impact of Russian literature and the power that literature holds.
Twenty-One Days of a Neurasthenic
Octave Mirbeau
Justin Vicari, tr.
Dalkey Archive Press
Driven mad by life during the beginning of the twentieth century, Georges Vasseur leaves to find a cure. He comes across corrupt politicians, amnesiac coquettes, cheerfully sadistic killers, imperialist generals, and quack psychiatrists. In many ways his experiences could be had in modern day.
