The Reception of Péter Esterházy’s Helping Verbs of the Heart from the Perspective of Translatability and Readability

Abstract

This paper examines the challenges of translating and interpreting Péter Esterházy’s Helping Verbs of the Heart, a work deeply rooted in Hungarian literary tradition. Esterházy’s prose, marked by complex stylistic elements and cultural references, poses significant interpretive difficulties for English-speaking readers, who may lack the cultural context essential for full comprehension. By exploring how translation choices, influenced by both literary merit and marketability, shape foreign reception, this study highlights the nuanced shifts in meaning that occur when such culturally embedded texts are translated. It also considers how these translations impact interpretive methods in English-speaking contexts, revealing how Esterházy’s work challenges prevailing literary frameworks and necessitates new reading strategies.