The activity of b. l. Garnier in publishing translated novels and his impact on the literature circulating in Brazil (1870-1880)

Abstract

The Brazilian literature constitution in the XIX century needs to consider a wider array of cultural perspectives than it currently does. As it stands now, it includes a large presence of translations and national books. The existence of translations in Brazil is not a result of cultural delay or subservience to Western literatures. Nor is it a lack of strength of the national literature since a great part of the Western world foreign literature, such as Brazilian literature, has coexisted alongside national works. The case of Baptiste-Louis Garnier, bookseller and publisher, who is responsible, in some measure, for the consecration of José de Alencar, Machado de Assis, and others, reveals his influence in the Brazilian literary circuit by the inclusion of a variety of foreign works in the Brazilian book market. This project aims to understand the impact of translated novels on the literature circulating in Brazil between 1870 and 1880, a decade when this publisher increased the translation market through the hiring of translators and the installation of a printing house. In so doing, we seek to identify the titles translated by Garnier's publishing house, as well as interpret the criteria of his selection, which includes themes, authors, and critiques from the foreign country. We will also analyse the Brazilian critical reception of those works, comparing them with the critiques of the original countries in order to allow us to understand the features of literary evaluation in Brazil. Lastly, we will compare three Brazilian translations with the original novels in order to examine the adaptations used by translators to fit their works in the Brazilian literary scene. (AU)