Haruki Murakami in the West: Comparing the English, Dutch, German, and Swedish translations of Norwegian Wood

Abstract

The representation of Haruki Murakami's works in the West is more complex than it may appear. Many readers have strong opinions on which translations are the 'best' and 'worst' versions of his work, but so far, few critics have engaged in comparative criticism to back up such claims. Scholars and translators have condemned the English translations for being too free in their approach, but the English translations nevertheless occupy a central role in the Western market, strongly influencing the international perception of Murakami's oeuvre. This thesis attempts to provide a stepping stone towards a much larger area of comparative critical studies, where various Western translations of Murakami's works may be evaluated and contrasted. The thesis discusses four translations of the novel Norwegian Wood, and aims to evaluate which of these may be considered the most faithful representation of the tone and contents of the source text. The focus lies on the translation of the name of the protagonist, as well as the translation of culture-specific items.