The Witcher books (NO SPOILERS)

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I dont know whether to take this as a joke or a display of barbarism and proof of what I was saying...

The best jokes are the ones that have an element of truth in them. Also sorry about the grammar, not my image.

Well, tv died long ago.. its not a respectable medium anymore, please don't consider it. In the west its simply 50% advertisements and the rest is so dumb i reckon its a form of mind control/propoganda. Ie, the people it actually appeals to will be made dumber/kept firmly at the same level of dumb after consuming it. Its really blatant now.. i wouldn't be surprised if free to air tv is already turning into a niche rather than a staple with people these days.

Also for that image.. i think it puts books in their place finally :p Not better not worse...
 
The best jokes are the ones that have an element of truth in them. Also sorry about the grammar, not my image.

Well, tv died long ago.. its not a respectable medium anymore, please don't consider it. In the west its simply 50% advertisements and the rest is so dumb i reckon its a form of mind control/propoganda. Ie, the people it actually appeals to will be made dumber/kept firmly at the same level of dumb after consuming it. Its really blatant now.. i wouldn't be surprised if free to air tv is already turning into a niche rather than a staple with people these days.

Also for that image.. i think it puts books in their place finally :p Not better not worse...

Ohh please...
TV is a respected medium all around. Only naysayers say otherwise. Here in Eastern Europe, the last few years it has climbed HARD as better than cinema.

VIDEO GAMES are NOT a respected medium yet. Here in Bulgaria... less so than other places even. Is it fair? Nope. Will it changed? Probably it will one day.

But I will be honest, up until I came into these forums, even if someone did NOT read books or even for some (almost certainly stupid) reason did not like it... they would NEVER be bold enough to say it with a straight face and even be PROUD of that. Never. This is an (anti) culture shock to me. I do not and can not understand it. Some things are just sacred on a level even religion aint...

The badly written image can not put the eldest storytelling art form in its place mate... and this is an easy game to play... you know it can be used on them "precious" games too?
 
Well, tv died long ago.. its not a respectable medium anymore, please don't consider it. In the west its simply 50% advertisements and the rest is so dumb

I think you are mixing up TV businesses which are degrading and don't want to change, with cinematography in the form of serials. TV business will indeed die, at least its current common form. It's already happening. Video is shifting to the Internet and TV media conglomerates scratch their heads and can't figure out why they are losing subscribers more and more every year.

However cinematographic art isn't going anywhere, it's as popular as ever. It will just change the way it's
funded, with legacy and slow to adapt media companies going the way of dinosaurs, and newer and more nimble, who understand and embrace technology rather than fighting it on every turn, taking their place.
 
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All right, mates, all jokes, and comments on the fortunes of literature aside, time to return to the topic, please -- The Witcher books.
 
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Received The Last Wish Introducing The Witcher from Amazon late Friday afternoon, Started reading it not long after pulling it out of the packaging. Then was forced to put it down for dinner, then picked it back up after dinner, then put it down to answer some history questions to my 13 y.o. son. Ended up talking to him for over 4 hours. Decided to post this message before picking it back up again. Last page that I can remember seeing was page 38. Sooooo off I go again to pick it back up. And since it is 2:41 a.m. my time, everyone is asleep & I should be able to get a lot read before I go to sleep. So far am very into the reading, and can hear Geralt's voice in my head while reading his lines.

But question, I don't remember if a striga was in TW2 & I know it's not in TW3. Is there one on TW?
 
I want to start reading the books but I'm lost.

I played all the Witcher games and I'm almost at the end of 3. Seriously one of my favorite trilogies. I want to start reading the books but I have a few questions: When do the books take place? Are they hard to read (I'm not American)? How easy is it getting into them since I don't read books normally?
Also, when I search online I come upon two versions of each book entry. For example, The Last Wish has a version of a cover of Geralt fighting a dragon and then there's another one of real life looking Geralt looking to the side. The second version costs more but has less pages. Why is that?
Thanks!
 
When do the books take place?
The books take place a few years before the games.

Are they hard to read (I'm not American)? How easy is it getting into them since I don't read books normally?
They are extremely easy to read, but if you aren't english then maybe you can find a translation in your own language?

Also, when I search online I come upon two versions of each book entry. For example, The Last Wish has a version of a cover of Geralt fighting a dragon and then there's another one of real life looking Geralt looking to the side. The second version costs more but has less pages. Why is that?
The amount of pages probably just has to do with the font (more words per page...).
 
The books take place a few years before the games.


They are extremely easy to read, but if you aren't english then maybe you can find a translation in your own language?


The amount of pages probably just has to do with the font (more words per page...).

So why are there two versions? It's just the cover that's different?
 
So why are there two versions? It's just the cover that's different?

The British editions have different covers from the American release. It's the same translation by the same translators but the British editions are released first with different covers. That's it.
 
The Last Wish takes place 20 years before the games.
Not sure about Sword of Destiny.
The saga starts like 1260s so it takes place 10 years before the games. But I didn't read all of them so I think the books end in 1268 and TW1 takes place in 1270.

I read like 2 books per year so I am a poor reader too and I am not native English speaker. But I know English well and am reading without problems. If you know too you shouldn't have any problems. Just keep a dictionary close because there could be words that you have never heard of.
 
http://witcher.gamepedia.com/The_Last_Wish#Translations

  • Bulgarian: Вещерът. Последното желание, (ИнфоДар, 2008)
  • Czech: Poslední přání, (Leonardo, 1999)
  • German: Der letzte Wunsch, (Heyne, 1998)
  • English: The Last Wish, translated by Danusia Stok (UK – Gollancz, 2007, US – Orbit, 2008)
  • Spanish: El último deseo, translated by Jose María Faraldo (Bibliópolis fantástica, 2002)
  • Finnish: Viimeinen toivomus, translated by Tapani Kärkkäinen (WSOY 2010)
  • French: Le Dernier Vœu, (Bragelonne, 2003)
  • Hungarian: Vaják I. – Az utolsó kívánság, translated by Szathmáry-Kellermann Viktória (PlayON 2011)
  • Italian: Il Guardiano degli Innocenti, (Nord, 2010)
  • Korean: 위처:이성의 목소리, (제우미디어, 2011)
  • Lithuanian: Paskutinis noras, (Eridanas, 2005)
  • Dutch: De Laatste Wens, (Dutch Media Uitgevers, 2010)
  • Brazilian Portuguese: O Último Desejo, translated by Tomasz Barcinski (WMF Martins Fontes, 2011)
  • Russian: Последнее желание, translated by Евгений Вайсброт (АСТ, 1996)
  • Serbian: Последња жеља/Poslednja želja, translated by Olivera Duskov and Milan Duskov (IPS 2009)
  • Swedish: Den sista önskningen, (Coltso, 2010)
  • Traditional Chinese: 獵魔士 - 最後的願望, translated by 林蔚昀 (蓋亞文化, 2011)

Even Chinese now, however not all books are translated in those languages. The last one, The Lady of the Lake, is "only" available in the following languages:


  • Bulgarian: Вещерът: Господарката на езерото. Том 1 & Том 2, translated by Vasil Velchev (ИнфоДар, 2010)
  • Czech: Zaklínač VII. - Paní jezera, (Leonardo, Ostrava 2000)
  • French: La Dame du Lac, translated by Lydia Waleryszak (Bragelonne, 2011)
  • German: Die Dame vom See, translated by Erik Simon (dtv, 2011)
  • Lithuanian: Ežero valdovė, (Eridanas, 2007)
  • Russian: Владычица озера, (АСТ, 2000)
  • Spanish: La dama del lago 1 & La dama del lago 2, (Alamut, 2010/2011)


The Last Wish takes place 20 years before the games.
Not sure about Sword of Destiny.
The saga starts like 1260s so it takes place 10 years before the games. But I didn't read all of them so I think the books end in 1268 and TW1 takes place in 1270.

I read like 2 books per year so I am a poor reader too and I am not native English speaker. But I know English well and am reading without problems. If you know too you shouldn't have any problems. Just keep a dictionary close because there could be words that you have never heard of.

http://witcher.gamepedia.com/Timeline

Yup, Ciri wasn't even born, when The Last Wish takes place.
 
There will be a new spanish edition of the novels with new covers:

The Last Wish

The Sword of Destiny

The Blood of Elves

Here are the old ones, first edition:



And second one:

 
Have any of you read both the original Polish versions of the books and the English translations?

I'm interested to know how the English translations compare to Sapkowski's original Polish literature. Do we miss much of what Sapkowski conveys in the original literature? I hope not, however, I have enjoyed the translations a lot so far.

Yes. First translations by Danusia Stok were flatter, dumbed in language aspects. Sapkowski is an erudite. He uses many dialects, each character has his own language depending on his background. In english version it is much flatter in first translations. Second translator David French is much better but still it is a little flatter than the original. Translation of Sapkowski is a nightmare. You need be even a better erudite then Sapkowski to translate it perfectly.
 
A new update. Not sure if anyone posted it already but the Dutch translation of Tower of the Swallow will come out in March.

This is the coverart:

 

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1. From what I can tell, there are two different English translations of the Witcher books. One is Orbit (US) and the other is Gollancz (UK). Are there any other English translations of the Witcher books besides those two? Are there any differences between the two translations? Which is the superior translation?

2. In the Witcher wiki link the OP posted, it says that the 6th novel, Season of Storms, does not belong to the saga. Should I skip reading that book then when it gets an English translation?

3. Is the order of the Witcher books that I should read from first to last the OP stated still accurate?
 
Witcher books UK and US version

After Witcher 3, I decided to give the Witcher books a try. English is not my mother tongue, but since the Dutch translation isn't that good, I want to read the English version. Apparently there's a UK (Gollancz) and US (Orbit) version. Are they the same except for some specific grammar and language?

Since I started with a Witcher game, the image I have of the main characters is based on my experience in the game. Does the artwork of the UK version breaks/violates this experience or are the book covers non-character related. (I mean if one of the covers has to ressemble Geralt or Yenn, than I would rather stick with the US books and artwork).
 
1. From what I can tell, there are two different English translations of the Witcher books. One is Orbit (US) and the other is Gollancz (UK). Are there any other English translations of the Witcher books besides those two? Are there any differences between the two translations? Which is the superior translation?
After Witcher 3, I decided to give the Witcher books a try. English is not my mother tongue, but since the Dutch translation isn't that good, I want to read the English version. Apparently there's a UK (Gollancz) and US (Orbit) version. Are they the same except for some specific grammar and language?

Yeah, they're pretty much the same.


Since I started with a Witcher game, the image I have of the main characters is based on my experience in the game. Does the artwork of the UK version breaks/violates this experience or are the book covers non-character related. (I mean if one of the covers has to ressemble Geralt or Yenn, than I would rather stick with the US books and artwork).

There's only artwork on the covers of the books. But yeah, the characters on the UK covers are supposed to resemble characters from the books.


2. In the Witcher wiki link the OP posted, it says that the 6th novel, Season of Storms, does not belong to the saga. Should I skip reading that book then when it gets an English translation?

It depends - Season of Storm is a prequel to the novels. It's still about Geralt. That's what's meant by it not belonging to the saga. If you skip it, you won't miss out on any of the main story, but you will miss out on some new witcher lore.


3. Is the order of the Witcher books that I should read from first to last the OP stated still accurate?

Yes, it is.
 
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