Lost in Translation?

Apparently not so much.

 Milan Kundera states, "Do I mean that to judge a novel one can do without a knowledge of its original language? Indeed, I do mean exactly that!" We were talking in class not too long ago about how the meaning of novels, stories, anecdotes can get lost in translation, but this author feels otherwise. Kundera later asks, "Is it not their very natural mission to study works in the context of world literature? Not a chance... They make a great point of identifying with the small--national--context of whichever literature they teach." 

Does this mean we should read through the perspective of citizenry? I mean, are we supposed to read it as is we were part of the society that the story takes place? It might give us different insight of the novel, but it changes our own perspective of it. 

~kd.