Resumo

CLOETE, DJ  e  KOTZE, Hercülene. Deon Meyer's Koors and Fever: An investigation into the novels' position in the (South) African and English (American) literary polysystem . Tydskr. geesteswet. [online]. 2023, vol.63, n.1, pp.1-22. ISSN 2224-7912.  http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2224-7912/2023/v63n1a1.

According to Hermans (1999:42), the polysystem theory approach (hereafter PST) promotes the functional and goal-oriented approach to translation. Such an approach means that the emphasis is on the search for explanations that are primarily aimed at the target culture. Shuttleworth (2009:200) explains that PST (as set out by Even-Zohar and other experts) is not a complete, waterproof package, but rather a starting point for further study. If the model is approached in this way, it will constantly add value to investigations of a theoretical as well as a descriptive nature. When looking at crime fiction, the impact of translations can be examined as part of the suspense fiction/thriller subsystem, especially in the case of Deon Meyer whose works have been translated into more than 27 different languages. For purposes of this article, we have made use of Deon Meyer's Koors and Fever to illustrate the value and importance of text positioning within a larger system - more specifically, the American literary polysystem and the South African (Afrikaans) literary polysystem. Thus, the larger social context within which both these texts were created, but also received, is unlocked. The primary research method in this study is a systems theory analysis. Considering the data used, it is also deemed a reception study and uses a paratextual analysis to analyse the data. Fever's position in the American literary polysystem is determined using the paratext, namely reviews by literary critics and online reviews by the public, as well as examining aspects in and around the novels. Looking at Fever's paratext, the novel functions as translated suspense fiction within the American suspense fiction subsystem. Fever has been received mostly positively according to the online reviews by critics and the general readership, and the position that Fever subsequently occupies in this system is mainly due to its positive reception. Furthermore, the reason why Fever is accepted into this particular system may most possibly be due to the fact that Meyer won one of the USA's top book prizes, the American Barry Prize for Best Thriller for Thirteen Hours (Malan, 2011; also Meyer, 2019) already in 2011, and has therefore already entered the American literary polysystem. Awarding Meyer with this prize shows that Meyer's translated English novels also form part of the American suspense fiction polysystem and serve as a good indication that his novels are no longer on the periphery of this system, but that his work is increasingly becoming part of the American context and that it also enjoys international recognition. The preceding points do not yet include the aspects of the discussion related to the peritext. What is important here is the quote from Stephen King that is used on the front page, namely "Reminiscent of The Stand and The Passage. Great stuff." However, there is no indication (on the cover at least) that this novel is a type of post-apocalyptic novel and if the reader knows Meyer's other works, they may expect a typical crime novel. The American publishers decided to put Stephen King's quote on the front page and it is placed there strategically, because it gives the reader an indication ofwhat they can expect. The Passage by Justin Cronin is described by The Guardian (2010) as a post-apocalyptic vampire story and The Stand by Stephen King is described by Amazon (2011) as Stephen King's apocalyptic outlook on a world overwhelmed by a plague. If the reader is acquainted with these books, this quote will provide him with some insight into what to expect in Meyer's Fever. The information provided by the paratext of the novel, Fever, is twofold. The first is that the novel is a translation (although it is not explicitly mentioned) and that the polysystem is receptive to translations from the source language, which is Afrikaans. The second is that, although Meyer is a crime fiction writer, this novel is also part of the literary polysystem that includes apocalyptic /post-apocalyptic novels. In the discussion of the findings, it is shown that Meyer's novel occupies a central position in the aforementioned subsystem and may be an indication of the type of translation strategies used. The discussion of "repertoremes" and "textemes" emphasises the repertoire of a specific author or text. These repertoremes form a unique network of relationships in a text (Toury, 2012:304). The unique network of relationships can be seen in the way a novel is classified according to genre, but also includes typical linguistic and narrative elements and the process of translation can influence this network of relationships. The translator may decide to use more conventional repertoires, or more innovative repertoires - especially if these texts are closer to the centre of the literary system (Even-Zohar, 1990). When the genre or structure of Fever is considered, it seems that a more conventional repertoire was used (possibly the strong memory of The Stand), but when the text's narrative and linguistic elements are considered, a more innovative repertoire was used. The choices made by the translator about certain (South) African words that are included in the translation (and for which a glossary is provided), are relevant here, but also the fact that the translated novel takes place in South Africa, and not, for example, in America. It seems that, although crime fiction is typically not considered as "canonised literature", it can indeed be considered that it takes a more central position in the literary system and change current schools of thought regarding crime fiction.

Palavras-chave : polysystem theory; literary polysystem; suspense fiction; crime fiction; Deon Meyer; paratext; reception; systems theory approach; paratextual analysis; translation; literary canon.

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