I just finished reading Hergé Foundation's latest publication, Colocs en Stock [Google translation], a Québécois adaptation of The Red Sea Sharks. I'm always wary of these regional adaptations.
This venture into Canadian French territories is a fine example of how things can go overboard. The author of the adaption is obviously more preoccupied with stuffing as many Québécois expressions as possible than giving life to the characters in a Québécois setting. Everyone speaks Québécois like an old uneducated person, even the custom officer at a Middle East border.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying there isn't anything funny to do with the way French is spoken here. I'm simply saying this book misses the appropriate dosage to make it feel natural and enjoyable. Anyone interested in reading colloquial Canadian French should try Paul dans le métro [Google translation] by Michel Rabagliati, a much better representation of the way French is spoken in my part of the world nowadays.
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A Québécois Pure Laine reaching out to Anglos and Allophones
About Me
- Michel Bolduc
- Montréal, Canada
- A middle class family man who tackled his second language with his will and his wits. "Studying in your second language is the amazing opportunity to take a step back, observe two cultures and realize why you appreciate them both."
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1 comment:
First of all, I love your blog, and as an American with québécois roots, I applaud your effort to reach out to Anglophones and Allophones.
I just saw Colocs en stock the other day while on the Renaud-Bray website... I actually was intrigued as to why a Tintin book was suddenly on the Palmarès and then I noticed it was a regional translation.
I love Tintin, and I think the regional translations can be fun... but I'm glad for the positive review about the Paul comics... I almost bought Paul à Québec the last time I was in Montréal, back in April, but I had limited funds. I'll definitely buy some of the Paul books the next time then.
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