Eastbound is the 2023 English-language translation of Maylis de Kerangal’s novel Tangente vers l'est which was originally published in 2012. The direct translation of the original title would be “Tangent Toward the East” but the revised title conveys the same idea more directly. Either would be appropriate as the novel takes place on train traveling eastward across the Trans-Siberian Express in Russia.
The story that takes place on that train is what might occur if Alfred Hitchcock had ever adapted a story by Leo Tolstoy. An older woman and a younger man whose paths have never crossed before are suddenly thrown together by circumstances. Adding to the confusion of their necessity to work together in secret partnership is that the woman speaks only French and the young man speaks only Russian. The reference to Tolstoy is especially appropriate as the slim volume may remind many readers of the great Russian writer’s memorable and somewhat oxymoronic long-form short stories.
In 2012, the original version won the prestigious Landerneau Prize, an award recognizing outstanding achievement in various forms of literature—including comic books, thrillers, and novels—written in French. Kerangal took home the prize for top novel. On the heels of the critical and commercial success in France, the English translation was immediately greeted with raves. Among the single-word kudos found across multiple high-profile reviews regarding the novel are “impeccable,” “enrapturing,” and “evocative.”
The recognition of Kerangal’s ability to pack a lot of psychological tension into such a short book includes being named among the best books of the year by Vanity Fair, Financial Times, and New Yorker. Capping these honors by published reviewers is being named one of the ten best books of the year by The New York Times.
In addition to recognizing the original story as found in Tangente vers l'est, Jessica Moore has also been recognized for crafting an English-language transition which maintains the evocative stylistic qualities of the prose that is so essential to the telling the story. The author’s long, deliberate sentence construction which reflects the tone and atmosphere of a cross-country trip by rail has been seamlessly kept intact courtesy of Moore’s highly regarded translation.
