{"product_id":"if-this-be-magic-the-unlikely-art-of-shakespeare-in-translation-9780593801666","title":"If This Be Magic: The Unlikely Art of Shakespeare in Translation","description":"\u003cb\u003eHow does Shakespeare remain \u003ci\u003eShakespeare \u003c\/i\u003ewhen every word is changed? In this playful, meditative exploration of translating the world's most beloved playwright, Daniel Hahn guides us through the magic of bringing the Bard to a global audience. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"For those who care deeply about language, and about Shakespeare. . . this will be a treasured book.\" --James Shapiro, author of 1599: \u003ci\u003eA Year in the Life of Shakespeare\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eShakespeare may have breathed the air of sixteenth-century England, but today, all the world is his stage. Every year, millions of people, from Bogotá to Borneo, read \u003ci\u003eHamlet \u003c\/i\u003efor the first time, thanks to the tireless work of translators. Drawing on the work of the very best of them, Hahn dives into the infinitesimally complicated ways the great playwright is reinvented and yet sounds, somehow, like himself--in Chinese, Dutch, Turkish, and more than a hundred other languages. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFrom word order, puns, and punctuation to metaphor, accent, and song, Shake­speare's variety of genius presents an endless set of conundrums, among them: How does Romeo and Juliet's love story unfold if their dialogue cannot form a son­net (nor rhyme), as it does in the original? How can you form wordplay around the letter \"I\" and its sound if its meanings are not shared in other languages? These are just two out of millions of issues facing translators tasked with bringing Shakespeare to non-English languages, non-Shakespearean eras and cultures. To attempt such a feat, they must cut and add beats, maintain rhymes, adapt names and locations, and preserve meaning while not unilaterally prioritizing it, all while knowing that for each word, line, or scene they construct, another option is yet to be discovered. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eTraveling the world, Hahn speaks to writers and actors engaging with Shake­speare's work, sharing stories of his own. Hahn, whose great-grandfather produced one of Brazil's earliest Shakespeare translations, emerges as a wise and enthusiastic guide, teacher, and sleuth. \u003ci\u003eIf This Be Magic \u003c\/i\u003edoes not require knowledge of any other language or more than a passing acquaintance with the Bard's canon, but it draws out fascinating insights on both. As nerdy as they come (there is a chapter on commas), supremely readable, and funny throughout, this is a book for everyone and a fitting tribute to the Globe's Bard.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Daniel Hahn\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Knopf Publishing Group\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/21\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 416\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.26lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.50h x 6.49w x 1.39d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780593801666\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 02\/15\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 03\/01\/2026 pg. 108\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 03\/30\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDANIEL HAHN is an award-winning translator, writer and editor. His translations include a wide range of fiction and non-fiction from Europe, Africa and the Americas, as well as many children's books and plays. He is the author of \u003ci\u003eCatching Fire: A Translation Diary\u003c\/i\u003e, the editor of the \u003ci\u003eOxford Companion to Children's Literature\u003c\/i\u003e, and co-editor with Padma Viswanathan of the forthcoming \u003ci\u003ePenguin Book of Brazilian Short Stories\u003c\/i\u003e. He is currently translating an Angolan novel.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"booksdeli.com","offers":[{"title":"Daniel Hahn \/ Hardcover \/ English","offer_id":47876571299997,"sku":"9780593801666","price":50.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0619\/5648\/9373\/files\/img_32862cfe-6504-48f6-87e6-7ecabc6532b3.jpg?v=1777382128","url":"https:\/\/booksdeli.com\/products\/if-this-be-magic-the-unlikely-art-of-shakespeare-in-translation-9780593801666","provider":"booksdeli.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}