Description

Why might Hamlet be even longer in Italian?

How does the story of Romeo and Juliet begin . . . in Thai?

How do you build a joke in German, or recreate a rhyme in Japanese?

And why are Lady Macbeth’s pronouns such a problem?

What does it mean to translate Shakespeare? When we change all the poetry, all the wordplay, all the syntax – all the words! – is it still Shakespeare? And is it still any good?

Daniel Hahn, seasoned translator and Shakespeare fanatic, will change the way you think about language itself. Ranging widely across Shakespeare’s works, and across the world’s languages, this book explores why we choose the words we do and what effect they have.

No knowledge of any particular language is required, though a bit of patience for the nerdiest of close reading is desirable. This micro-attention to detail reveals anew the joy of Shakespeare, celebrates creativity and revels in the power of words.

Publisher Review

I’ve just finished, and loved, If this Be Magic. It’s a fresh and vivid way to think about Shakespeare; it’s so witty and knowledgeable, so alive to the ways in which language resists reduction. It feels like attending the most fascinating lecture of the term; like learning made swift and sharp and generous — KATHERINE RUNDELL A wonderful book, erudite and enjoyable. I love learning new things while having an excellent time. Danny is a brilliant writer — CATHY RENTZENBRINK Daniel Hahn is a remarkable translator, writer and editor, a dedicated supporter of literature and knowledge, and he has written this gem of a book which is clearly the outcome of decades of hard work and dedication, and passion, really, for the art of storytelling — ELIF SHAFAK A lifetime of love and learning distilled – what a joy and a privilege to read — LUCY MANGAN For those who care deeply about language, and about Shakespeare, and about the courage of those who try to render him in a foreign tongue, this will be a treasured book — JAMES SHAPIRO, Columbia Professor of English, author of 1599: A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE This lovely, expansive book illustrates Shakespeare’s global reach in languages from Afrikaans to Yiddish – but it also reveals how much can be found, rather than lost, in translation – poetically, culturally, and imaginatively. — EMMA SMITH Praise for Daniel Hahn: ‘Hahn is so smart and neurotic and funny’ * * New York Times * * A distillation of knowledge of a depth and breadth that makes you boggle anew at what one book can do — Guardian A substantial achievement — Times Literary Supplement