"He was enormously embarrassed at the thought of being publicly associated with the donation, and insisted on complete anonymity. Mike had a visceral horror of money, which he associated with excess. He explained that the money was the death benefit that his mother received in 1945."

We owe thanks to the literary translators. Through meticulous and exacting work, carried out in obscurity and often in utter anonymity, these magicians of language open the door to whole new book stacks of wonder.

Who wrote the Milan Kundera you love? Answer: Michael Henry Heim. And what about the Orhan Pamuk you think is so smart? Maureen Freely. Or the imagina...

NEW YORK — If you're a fan of Gabriel Garcia Marquez or have purchased the latest edition of "Don Quixote," you might know the name Edith Grossm...