A conversation with Dean Hunt
Dean Hunt has been employed at the United States' oldest foreign language book dealer, Schoenhof's Foreign Books in Cambridge, Massachusetts, near Harvard Square for nearly 16 years. Ingerid White spoke to him about the bookstore, which was founded in 1856, his interest in foreign languages and books, as well as his opinion of the writings of Pål H. Christiansen.
The inventory of Schoenhof's Foreign Books, from their language learning materials to their literature, non-fiction and children's sections, is highly diverse. Including the language learning materials, Schoenhof's sells publications in 750 languages.
I understand you speak and read 14 languages. Is this correct? What are they, and how did you come to learn to read Norwegian?
My main foreign languages are French, German, Spanish, Russian, Italian, Swedish and Dutch. Russian was my major. I have learned to varying degrees Serbo-Croatian, Greek, Turkish, Finnish and Catalan. I studied Japanese for a year my senior year in college. At the insistence of Brazilian friends, I'll add Portuguese, but with the caveat that I still have many holes to fill in my knowledge. As is generally known, after you have learned one language in one family of languages, learning another from the same family is easier. I have certainly found that to be the case for myself. Knowing Swedish made learning Norwegian and Danish easier. For years now I have felt comfortable in those sister languages to Swedish, at least as far as a reading knowledge is concerned.
Do you have any special interest in Scandinavian culture, literature and/or music?
My interest in Scandinavia was fired by having the good fortune to have had on my college campus (The College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio) students from Sweden, Denmark and Norway from the beginning of my four years in college. Two Swedish students in particular, one during my junior year and the other during my senior year, were especially instrumental in making the Swedish language part of my life. The student who influenced me especially during my senior year brought Swedish music into my life. The first Swedish writer who came to my attention was Pär Lagerkvist, courtesy of a Swedish student my sophomore year in college.
What Norwegian authors/books have you read?
I have to confess that I have read only two (apart from Pål H. Christiansen), Jostein Gaarder and Kjell Askildsen, though I know so many others by name or have perused their works.
Not long ago you informed me you were on the last of the four of Pål H. Christiansen's books in Norwegian that I had left with you, Humle & Honning. Can you tell me your impression of the books?
Well, first of all, they were a delight to read. I did have to take the dictionary out once in a while, but for the most part, I read them all easily. Humle & Honning was winsome with a fairy-tale quality.
Which did you read, Drømmer om storhet or the translation The Scoundrel Days of Hobo Highbrow? What was your impression of it as an American reader?
I read the latter; first of all, because I wanted to see how well the translator succeeded in conveying the original into English. I compared the original Norwegian to the translation at times and can say that I did not find the translation lacking in any way. The story itself should appeal to any reader who is looking for a delightful tale well told.
What do you think of Pål H. Christiansen's style of writing?
Spare, fairly unadorned. It is clear that he enjoys spinning a yarn.
Who are your favorite authors?
I know that it's going to sound like a cop-out, but there are so many that I can't choose a favorite. One who I have read with great pleasure over the years now is Jhumpa Lahiri, whose "Interpreter of Maladies", "The Namesake" and her latest, "Unaccustomed Earth" I recommend highly.
(Interview by Ingerid White)