Just then, Prince Andrei rocked up to Anna's joint. He was the pregnant sheila's hubby. Like his missus, he was pretty good looking himself. These lines are from a new translation of Leo Tolstoy's epic novel 'War & Peace', but with a quirky twist: it's written in 'bogan' slang by Ander Louis, a Melbourne IT worker who writes for fun.
With this unique adaptation, Tolstoy's 19th-century Russian society meets contemporary Australian lingo—turning Russian princesses into 'sheilas' and princes into 'drongos'. Louis, whose real name is Andrew Tesoriero, aimed to capture the humor of storytelling at a pub. What started as a light-hearted joke in 2018 has escalated into a potential book deal, as interest in Louis's adaptation surges.
It’s how you’d tell it down the pub, Louis explains, noting that the project began after he found the original intimidating with its hefty length. He eventually joined a community dedicated to reading this classic and found the humor in rewriting it in a more relatable tongue. Phrases like he's cactus denote the death of a character, while nobles reflect the informal vernacular as fair dinkum.
Initially intended just to bring laughter to himself and maybe a few friends, Louis’s bogan translation resonates widely with audiences, perhaps due to the recent popularity of Australian culture. His descriptive and irreverent style makes the intricate Russian epic accessible, showing anyone can enjoy literature, no matter their background.
And what would Tolstoy think? Louis muses, I actually think he would get a kick out of it. The realm of literature continues to evolve, and Ander Louis’s translation showcases how a cultural remix can breathe fresh life into classic works.
