English Translation of the official SH2 Novelization

[saevitia]

Someone on deviantart is translating the Silent Hill 2 novelization. The first chapter is up so far, and it seems like a pretty good translation!

According to the translator "We get some small insights into James's character that you don't really get to see in the game (only if you arein't looking hard enough I guess)."

Read it here: http://lady-ducky.deviantart.com/art/OF ... -187299982


(mods, I wasn't sure where to put this. Please move it if there is a more appropriate place.

[Harrys_Girl]

Thank you so much for posting this. I've been wanting to read the novelizations for some time now. Quiet a few people are going to make good use of this link.

I'll go ahead and move this to the SH2 section because it should probably go there.

[amphreded]

Thanks saevitia, that was a good read.
I've added this thread to the Quicklinks.

[AuraTwilight]

Fucking awesome.

[simeonalo]

Oh my vagina! I can't wait to read this Now we need someone to translate the SH3 novel.

EDIT: The beginning with Laura and Eddie definitely provides information on the intro sequence when they're hanging out together

[Soulless-Shadow]

That was pretty good. Can't wait for the other chapters. It was interesting to read James' revulsion towards the lying figures. The translation definitely gives more insight into James' character.

[Yoshata]

.

[Cake]

.. absolutely bloody amazing.

LOVE the fact that we get to see more of the friendship(?) between Laura and Eddie, utter brilliance :'D Thanks for posting!

[Agent of God]

Awesome find!
Thanks, Saevitia.

[alone in the town]

I was wondering if some enterprising translator would ever tackle this.

It would be presumptuous of me to offer much in the way of comment. What I will say is that I am not very impressed.

[Yuki]

I was wondering if some enterprising translator would ever tackle this.

It would be presumptuous of me to offer much in the way of comment. What I will say is that I am not very impressed.

Er... why not? I didn't read it myself, and I can't compare the translation to the original, but was it not done well...?

[alone in the town]

I have no idea how good the translation is, because I don't understand a whit of Japanese written or spoken.

My comment regards the story itself. What I've read so far reads like every mediocre novelization I've ever read--it gets the details right, but it's paced way too quickly, and makes very little attempt to get inside the character's head. The last, to me, is the whole point of reading a novelization: to be privy to the characters' thoughts. The game is, by necessity, limited in this aspect. This novelization wastes little time on this (James displays almost no reaction whatsoever to the monsters!), so the result is basically a narrated walkthrough of the game.

Again, take my opinions with a grain of salt, because I am not disinterested in this matter: I novelized the game myself a few years ago. And, I'll be the first to admit that mine was far from perfect.

[nur_ein_tier]

Yeah, that's what I was afraid of. I mean, I've played the game, I don't need a play by play commentary on it. Sad that there isn't more insight into the thoughts of the characters, then.

[Yuki]

I have no idea how good the translation is, because I don't understand a whit of Japanese written or spoken.

My comment regards the story itself. What I've read so far reads like every mediocre novelization I've ever read--it gets the details right, but it's paced way too quickly, and makes very little attempt to get inside the character's head. The last, to me, is the whole point of reading a novelization: to be privy to the characters' thoughts. The game is, by necessity, limited in this aspect. This novelization wastes little time on this (James displays almost no reaction whatsoever to the monsters!), so the result is basically a narrated walkthrough of the game.

Again, take my opinions with a grain of salt, because I am not disinterested in this matter: I novelized the game myself a few years ago. And, I'll be the first to admit that mine was far from perfect.

Oh, okay; your comment read to me like you were saying that about the translation.

(Though, to be fair, I don't remember James showing much of a reaction to the monsters in the game, either...)

[alone in the town]

Oh, okay; your comment read to me like you were saying that about the translation.

(Though, to be fair, I don't remember James showing much of a reaction to the monsters in the game, either...)

No, but that's sort of acceptable--it is a videogame, after all. It'd be annoying if every monster caused some kind of reaction, and even then, it has to be simple. It's very difficult for visual media to examine the character's thoughts.

A good novelization, however, doesn't have to be fun to play, which means it should be interesting to read, and the best way to do that is show what the game cannot.

[leftshoe18]

Are there any fan translations of the other novels?

[Wolfus]

Thank you saevitia!

Oh my vagina! I can't wait to read this

I prefer to use eyes, when I read

[Xev]

Wish there was something new! All of that is really what we were thinking anyway.

What a cute avatar she has - numb bodies are cute.

[MartinStatic]

Will give this a read later on, thanks for the heads up.