news | Friday February 6, 2015

Book Review: Birth of a Bridge in Three Percent

Three Percent is the University of Rochester’s periodical about international literature and translation. In the latest issue, Christopher Iacono reviewed Birth of a Bridge (2014) by Maylis de Kerangal, translated by Jessica Moore. Here are the final thoughts from the review:

The action in this novel (de Kerangal’s first to be translated into English) is fast-paced with long sentences that sparkle and flow like that under the sun; just as the characters in the story occasionally mingle, so do references to nature, artifice, and culture. … the reader never feels bogged down because of the passion and intelligence she displays in her subject, as well as her inventive use of language. In addition, Moore’s translation manages the impressive balancing act of maintaining the originality of Kerangal’s French prose while making it accessible for non-French readers. Overall, unlike the characters that constantly move from place to place, Birth of a Bridge will stay with readers long after they finish it.

Read the full review online.