Press and publications
In the media: ‘Wonder' by Hugo Claus
‘Wonder', the American translation of Hugo Claus' ‘De verwondering', was presented a year ago at the Flanders House in New York. Publisher Archipelago Books received guidance from the Flemish Literature Fund to translate this special book. The translator is Michael Henry Heim, whose previous translations include works by Günter Grass and Milan Kundera.
The English-language media is full of praise for ‘Wonder'. Raving reviews still keep appearing:
‘‘Wonder' is an extraordinarily powerful and original work'. Douglas Messerli, EXPLORINGfictions, 17 April 2010 > Read the full article...
‘Fine and ambitious. [...] Packed with asides, allusions, and fierce juxtapositions, a style created to evoke a world sliding into chaos where contrast and contradictions are so grotesque that we can only ‘wonder' ' Tim Parks, The New York Review of Books
‘To speak today of a still largely-unknown major work on European Fascism [...] seems presumptuous, rather like announcing the existence of, if not a new continent, at least a land mass of strange and significant proportions. But in discussing ‘Wonder', it would be churlish not to admit to an explorer's exhilaration at discovery'. Sam Munson, The National, 11 June 2009
‘As to the language, Claus's abilities are astonishing, so much so that I'm eager to read his poetry'. Scott Esposito, Conversational Reading
The American translation of ‘Wonder' by Hugo Claus featured on the shortlist of the Best Translated Book Award. This is one of the most important translation prizes for literature in the English-language territory. The prize is instituted by Three Percent, a resource for international literature at the University of Rochester. The aim is to generate attention for foreign literature in English translation.
