CCR Book Club - February 2011

Thank you all for coming to the January Book Club meeting at my house and for the wonderful food you all brought.

At the meeting we were discussing the choice of the Italian title for the translation of the book "Cutting for Stone", by Abraham Verghese, which is "La Porta delle Lacrime".

Michèle found some interesting information about this choice of title which has been drawn from a line in the book in the third chapter when Hema's plane flies over the Straits of "Bab al-Mandab", which literally means "Porta della Lacrime" in Italian. It is thus called because of the many shipwrecks which have occurred in those dangerous Straits.

Another meeting of the CCR Book Club - lively discussion and great food.

The words "Cutting for Stone" are derived from the text of the Hippocratic oath historically taken by doctors swearing to practice medicine ethically. Often literal translations of book titles simply don't work leaving publishing houses with the task of choosing a completely new title, which can sometimes leave original language readers a bit perplexed by the choice made. "Porta della Lacrime" is quite lyrical if not as successful a tie-in with the story as "Cutting for Stone" is.

Our February book, suggested by Lynn is Kazuo Ishiguro's "Never Let Me Go" which is in stock at Feltrinelli International (15 copies). The meeting to discuss the book will be Tuesday, February 22, to be confirmed.

March's book will be "Rebecca's Tale" by Sally Beauman, as suggested by Jeannine. As the book is not readily in stock I have placed an order for club members through The Anglo American Book Co. I will be able to collect the books and bring them to the February Book meeting for distribution.


happy reading,

Cindi