Translation and Reception of Ismail Kadare’s Works via French: Paratextual Analysis

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the process of how the Albanian writer Ismail Kadare's novel has been received in Korea through the medium of the French language. Indirect translation is a method of translation that has been criticized by many scholars since it is often perceived as being distant from the original. Notwithstanding, it contributes to the reception of foreign literature written in minority languages, serving to enhance cultural diversity in the international literary world. To this end, this study attempts to identify the translators' positions and strategies, their perceptions about the original and translation based on the analysis of various paratexts collected on Kadare’s translated texts. Peritexts of fifteen translations published in Korea and epitexts of English translations were analyzed. The analysis shows that various efforts were made on the part of translators to overcome the limitations of indirect translation and to be faithful to the original, with their trust on the universal value of Kadare's works.