tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7932429135630556215.post8836639725323658437..comments2024-02-26T13:12:10.143-05:00Comments on Lizok's Bookshelf: Blurbing Petroleum VenusLisa C. Haydenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10139281544357167953noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7932429135630556215.post-13706920729143976982010-04-02T11:01:27.576-04:002010-04-02T11:01:27.576-04:00Alex, yes, your comments on YA books are very simi...Alex, yes, your comments on YA books are very similar to what I've heard in the past at the library. I also read an article about an author (or authors?) who was surprised a book was being promoted as YA. <br /><br />Though I have absolutely no knowledge of how Russian publishers market their books to YA readers, I can say that a quick look at the Eksmo site (<a href="http://www.eksmo.ru/catalog_books/catalogs/list.php?SECTION_ID=888" rel="nofollow">here</a>) shows a number of Eksmo series/product lines for children/young readers. Even a quick look shows an interesting blend of books... for example, I noticed Aleksei Tolstoy's science fiction, including <i>Aelita</i>, another book several Russian friends have told me they enjoyed as teenagers.Lisa C. Haydenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10139281544357167953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7932429135630556215.post-75594817364007327932010-03-31T18:28:52.161-04:002010-03-31T18:28:52.161-04:00I'm pretty interested in this question. As far...I'm pretty interested in this question. As far as I can tell, there is little that makes YA books specifically YA. They may be shorter (though not necessarily); they typically focus on teenage protagonists (though not all books with teenage characters are known as YA books); they often have exotic or fantastic settings (though obviously not all do).<br /><br />But books do get published and marketed "as" YA books. In fact, I think publishers have specifically YA imprints, and they do determine where in the bookstore a book is shelved and what kind of promotion the book gets based on their decision. I remember hearing on NPR (or reading somewhere… where I can't seem to find it at the moment) a piece about authors who were surprised when their publisher came back and explained that their new book will be sold as a YA book.<br /><br />So, and I realize that I'm belaboring the point, what I'm particularly interested in is whether Russian publishers have already managed to "construct" a YA audience and develop marketing tools aimed at that audience. I'm sure both Harry Potter and Twilight are very successful in translation. I wonder if anyone has had the bright idea to lump them together with the Brothers Strugatsky and sell them as books "для старшего школьного возраста".Alexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17860696958452364390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7932429135630556215.post-33344842643162276342010-03-31T14:14:05.688-04:002010-03-31T14:14:05.688-04:00Your librarian might give you the possibly disappo...Your librarian might give you the possibly disappointing answer that Young Adult books are simply books teenagers might enjoy reading, often because they're about teenagers. I buy Russian-language books for my public library, and I have not found too many we would consider YA - the only recent purchases I've made in that category are Russian translations of the Twilight series.Shelley F-Vhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14667870315095055615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7932429135630556215.post-20913259115152434612010-03-31T09:41:37.097-04:002010-03-31T09:41:37.097-04:00Alex, unfortunately, I'm not familiar enough w...Alex, unfortunately, I'm not familiar enough with YA books in either language to answer your question. I do have the impression (and that's all it is) that the YA category has broadened a lot in the US. I'm going to ask the youth services librarians about terminology next time I'm at the library. <br /><br />Languagehat, agreed on all counts! I left the original "youth literature" in the post but added another note in square brackets to clarify.Lisa C. Haydenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10139281544357167953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7932429135630556215.post-49011557830833704652010-03-31T08:17:21.210-04:002010-03-31T08:17:21.210-04:00The phrase "youth literature" sounds ver...The phrase "youth literature" sounds very odd to me, but apparently it exists, and Wikipedia says:<br /><br /><i>Youth literature may refer to:<br /><br /> * Young adult literature<br /> * Children's literature</i><br /><br />So I don't think you should use it here; a paraphrase ("literature by younger authors") would better convey your meaning.Languagehathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13285708503881129380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7932429135630556215.post-82582146039162133332010-03-30T21:51:37.910-04:002010-03-30T21:51:37.910-04:00Thanks for the response! For a second I thought th...Thanks for the response! For a second I thought the reviewer meant "молодежной" and not "молодой," but then I realized that молодежь is different enough from "youth" to make me think twice. Do you know, by chance, if there's any kind of Russian analog to YA books in English?Alexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17860696958452364390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7932429135630556215.post-31863181280676232072010-03-29T09:26:14.794-04:002010-03-29T09:26:14.794-04:00It's funny, Alex, I went back and forth on thi...It's funny, Alex, I went back and forth on this when I wrote the post... I just added a note to "see comments." Nothing felt quite right for a translation, perhaps because the blurb was so short and context-less. I felt like it really did mean books by young writers, which I figured would imply "contemporary," anyway. <br /><br />Your comment made me realize that "youth literature" sounds like "young adult" books (for teenagers) in English. I just can't seem to get used to these rather ambiguous terms, despite many conversations about and with the Youth Services Department of the local library! <br /><br />As for <i>Petroleum Venus</i> itself... by coincidence (or maybe not?), I think this would be a very good book for teenagers.Lisa C. Haydenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10139281544357167953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7932429135630556215.post-13186151769002599882010-03-29T01:54:11.859-04:002010-03-29T01:54:11.859-04:00молодой литературе — perhaps better translated as ...молодой литературе — perhaps better translated as "contemporary literature"?Alexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17860696958452364390noreply@blogger.com