A Translation for the Quarantimes

I’m working on a translation of Une Voyage autour ma Chambre (A Voyage Around My Room), by Xavier de Maistre, from French to English. He was confined to his room for 42 days in the 1790s as a punishment for dueling, so this is a perfect project for these quarantimes.  It includes his thoughts on the soul, his love for his dog, his best friend’s death, and his realization that his servant might not entirely enjoy cleaning mud from Maistre’s boots.

Like everyone, I’m looking for new ways to connect with others when we can’t get together in person, so I’m posting this one on Patreon. There are 42 chapters in the book, so I’m publishing a chapter a day beginning today, May 1, and it will go through June 11. Feedback, reactions, and comments are all encouraged on Patreon! I’d love to nerd out about this book and the translation process with other interested folks.

The first three posts are free; after that, the posts will be for patrons only. But! If you become a patron for $3 or more by midnight on Sunday and are still a patron on June 11, you’ll get a free copy of the book when it’s published in September.

Why wait until September? Because this translation is pretty rough. I’m writing it out longhand with a fountain pen like the enormous nerd that I am, then cleaning it up a little as I type it in to post it online. The final book will be properly, professionally revised and edited, which takes time.