I got copies of Awaken the Senses in French yesterday. Doesn't it look all pretty and shiny and well...French?
While I was stroking the cover (all authors do this, trust me), it struck me that the hero of this book, Alexandre Dupree, is from France. Part of his appeal in the original English was that he was an exotic stranger (one who occasionally mumured sweet nothings in French).
But for the French readers, Alexandre will be a native, subtly changing the tone of the book. I've never thought about this before, but I suppose it applies to all the 'foreign' heroes we write - in one country at least, they're not foreign. Do you think women in those countries snicker and snort at authors' depictions of their men? Personally, I think not. I still find NZ heroes hot, despite living in the midst of Kiwi men. Do you have any preference as to where your heroes come from?
Incidentally when I went onto Amazon France to grab a jpeg of the cover of Awaken the Senses, I found the French cover for Awaken to Pleasure, too. C
heck it out on the right. Very different, no? But that might be due to the fact it's a duo - anyone know if that's Sara Orwig's cover?Oh and to answer yesterday's question, the thing I bought is big and gleaming, has four tyres and takes me places. Yep, after three years of riding a bicycle through the rice fields of Japan, I now have a vehicle!
6 comments:
I like my heroes from Australia. It's the accent.
Katie, who are your fave Aussie writers? Have you read Bronwyn Jameson's books - they're awesome! (And I'm not just saying that because she's a friend :)
Congrats on the car!
And as for heroes...I'm not picky where they're from. I do enjoy Antipodean accents though! I blame those Finn boys...
I do find myself getting picky over dialogue though, when I read English characters written by foreigners. Although I've found that English people and Aussies can have a totally normal conversation and understand each other perfectly--when they're from opposite sides of the globe. I don't understand French half as well, and it's 21 miles away! Weird!
Nalini, your cheque is in the mail! :-)
Congratulations on the big and shiny wheels. Essential in Auckland, yes?
And the French cover with the baby...it looks sooo familiar but I just can't place it. The French covers are always a treat and a surprise.
So funny, Cat, when you talk about the Antipodean accent - cause I think, what accent? ;)
No worries, Bron *g* And yep, wheels are totally essential over her with the city being so spread out.
Nalini, I get the same thing when people swoon over English accents. I'm like, "Seriously?"
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