Description
Book SynopsisFor anyone who has ever yearned to master a new language,
Fifty Sounds is a visionary personal account and an indispensable resource for learning to think beyond your mother tongue.
Trade Review"Barton as a writer is searching, analytical, sharp.... Reading Barton in critical conversation with other texts—she loves Wittgenstein’s
Philosophical Investigations and Anne Carson’s
Eros the Bittersweet—is a joy. Particular vignettes, like when she describes the uncomfortable feeling of having to explain her work at a party as giro-giro (the sound of eyes riveting deep into holes in your self-belief, or vicariously visiting the Nocturama, or every party where you have to introduce yourself), or a harmless but softly mortifying exchange with a student’s parent as yochi-yochi (the sound of tottering [at last]), read as revelations.... Barton’s insight into and passion for language is ultimately a wonder.... turning a rather universal experience into something new, exciting, and fresh—a brand new world of speech and meaning to explore." -- Christine Drill - Chicago Review of Books
"In a tone that’s contemplative and playful, she ruminates on the works of Barthes, Wittgenstein, and Anne Caron, among others, to offer thought-provoking insights into literary translation as ‘a form of activism’ and refuge . . . Filled with linguistic surprises and a quiet intellect, this is sure to delight language learners and literary readers alike." -- Publishers Weekly
"[A] sharp, belletristic debut . . . A refreshingly honest and novel look at the nuance and revelatory power of language." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review
