The Translation of Dr. Apelles (Vintage Contemporaries) [Paperback]

David Treuer (Author)

Book Description

Series: Vintage Contemporaries | Publication Date: February 12, 2008

Dr. Apelles, a translator of ancient texts, has made an unsettling discovery: a manuscript that has languished for years, written in a language that only he speaks. Moving back and forth between the scholar and his text, from a lone man in a labyrinthine archive to a pair of beautiful young Indian lovers in an unspoiled and snowy woodland, David Treuer weaves together two love stories. Enthralling and suspenseful, The Translation of Dr. Apelles dares to redefine the Native American novel.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Stunning. . . . Treuer's edgy romance celebrates our love for each other, love for the earth and love of story, the way we make sense of life in all its wildness." —Los Angeles Times

"Deeply crafty, shape-shifting. . . . [Treuer] seems to want to do for Native American culture and literature what James Joyce did for the Irish: haul it into the mainstream of Western culture through sheer nerve and verve." —The Washington Post

"The Translation of Dr Apelles . . . provides new layers of information and meaning with every pass. This Escher-esque craftsmanship dazzles." —The Seattle Times

“David Treuer is mounting a challenge to the whole idea of Indian identity as depicted by both Native and white writers."
—The New York Times

“Smart, sweet . . . well-crafted, clever. . . . Treuer juggles multiple elements with skill and confidence: literary satire, metafictional gamesmanship and cultural truth-telling.” —Star Tribune

About the Author

David Treuer is an Ojibwe Indian from Leech Lake Reservation in northern Minnesota. He is the recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship to Canada, a Pushcart Prize, the 1996 Minnesota Book Award and was a finalist for the Penn West prize in 1999. The Translation of Dr Apelles is his third novel. He divides his time between his home on the Leech Lake Reservation and Minneapolis.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Vintage (February 12, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307386627
• ISBN-13: 978-0307386625
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.7 x 7.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #141,125 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David Treuer is Ojibwe from the Leech Lake Reservation in northern Minnesota. He grew up on Leech Lake and left to attend Princeton University where he worked with Paul Muldoon, Joanna Scott, and Toni Morrison. He published his first novel, LITTLE, when he was twenty-four. Treuer is the recipient of the Pushcart Prize, and his work has been named an editor's pick by the Washington Post, Time Out, and City Pages. His essays and reviews have appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Esquire, Slate.com, and The Washington Post.

He also earned his PhD in anthropology and teaches literature and creative writing at The University of Southern California. He divides his time between LA and The Leech Lake Reservation.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This IS a good book!, May 22, 2008

By 

Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Translation of Dr. Apelles (Vintage Contemporaries) (Paperback)

The Translation of Dr. Apelles is a book that sneaks up on you and takes you to unexpected places.

The novel has two intertwined stories. There is the star-crossed love of Eta and Bimaadiz, two Indian children who are found and raised by families in Agencytown. They are both beautiful and innocent, and much of their struggle is the result of these characteristics. Since they are both the only children of their adoptive families, and they share a love of hunting and trapping, they often find themselves working together. Their love grows as they do, but not as simply. Jealous friends, marauding war bands, and plain misunderstanding keep them apart.

The other story is of Dr. Apelles, who is translating the story of the children. He learns as much about himself as he does of the story. We are introduced to him as he realizes that he has never truly loved or been loved. As his story alternates with that of Eta and Bimaadiz, we see him come more alive to the people around him and learn the nature and pain of loving. We meet Campaspe, a woman who works with him at RECAP, and who is attracted to Dr. Apelles long before he finds himself to be attractive. Their relationship is also challenging, not so much because of external events, but because of their own idiosyncrasies.

This novel is written in a style (which appears old fashioned) with a narrator who knows everything that is going to happen and who shares snippets of this omniscience you. The stories take on a life of their own with characters that are well rounded and believable. The result is a very readable book with a wonderfully satisfying conclusion.

Few books make me say, "That was a good book" at their end. This was one.

Armchair Interviews agrees.

5.0 out of 5 stars DELICIOUS!, November 6, 2009

By 

Erica Rivera "Author of INSATIABLE" (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Translation of Dr. Apelles (Vintage Contemporaries) (Paperback)

I don't read novels (I'm a memoir autor and creative non-fiction fanatic) but I plowed through "Apelles" in a record 48 hours. The language is so sensual and rich, the details so sharp, the sexuality so subtle, and the story builds so swiftly, I couldn't stop reading. The narrator's voice grabs you from the first page and reveals, little by little, the depths of the characters. Writers will especially relate to Dr. Apelles, but this book appeals to both men and women of any interests. I also appreciate Treuer's wry humor and how he pokes fun at his own genre throughout.

Nothing else I could say would do justice to this amazing book. Truly, a novel beautiful beyond words. You simply have to experience it for yourself. I can't wait to read it again!

~Erica Rivera, author of "INSATIABLE: A Young Mother's Struggle with Anorexia"
Insatiable: A Young Mother's Struggle with Anorexia

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars the translation of dr. apelles, August 9, 2010

By 

Robert Pond (hebron, ohio USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Translation of Dr. Apelles (Vintage Contemporaries) (Paperback)

The book, written by a Native American is quite different from anything I have read lately. Intriguing, but sometimes confusing, would be the description of the reading experience.