I have always enjoyed reading and recently started buying and reading books again after a break. I purchased books in both English and my native language (translated versions), but I am feeling somewhat conflicted about it. On one hand, I want my library to be consistent, and I think buying and reading books only in their original language would achieve that. On the other hand, I sometimes think, “Who cares? It doesn’t matter in what language I read books, as long as they are true to the original, and I enjoy the process.” Nevertheless, I need some opinions. What languages do you prefer? The original or the translated versions? Do you have books in multiple languages? Does the language in which you read a book make a difference?
I am literate in Japanese (L2) and English (Native), and I will almost always read a Japanese book in Japanese even if there is an English translation. The only exceptions are for translations that have significant scholarship/discourse around them.
On the other hand, I do like to read Japanese translations of works that were originally written in English, but not for first-reads. It’s super-interesting to me to see what kinds of choices the Japanese translators made.
Ultimately, read whatever and in whatever language you think is interesting!