I have heard about a "translation style," though I'm not good enough to notice it yet. Basically my teachers have told me that foreign books have a certain style generally, and Japanese books another. It must be a stylistic-- not grammatical-- difference, and if you think about it, the average Japanese has so little overseas experience, they must go some distance explaining foreign customs.
I think Murakami Haruki has been criticized as writing like a foreigner, as he has had a second career as a translator of Raymond Carver etc. (This may have been by Oe, or another "pure literature" guy, so take w/a grain of salt.) Everyone still loves him, tho.
Your friend's suggestion is certainly well-meaning, but you'll do better with stuff you're motivated on. Why turn it into studying that's supposed to be good for you, when the fun stuff you're already doing is good for you? Right now I bet you can read 10 SF novels in the time it takes to read 1 "real Japanese" novel.
And I guess it's the compounds that aren't common? All the kanji in "eddy current" are pretty common... enough to infer pronouncination & meaning, if roughly.
I think Murakami Haruki has been criticized as writing like a foreigner, as he has had a second career as a translator of Raymond Carver etc. (This may have been by Oe, or another "pure literature" guy, so take w/a grain of salt.) Everyone still loves him, tho.
Your friend's suggestion is certainly well-meaning, but you'll do better with stuff you're motivated on. Why turn it into studying that's supposed to be good for you, when the fun stuff you're already doing is good for you? Right now I bet you can read 10 SF novels in the time it takes to read 1 "real Japanese" novel.
And I guess it's the compounds that aren't common? All the kanji in "eddy current" are pretty common... enough to infer pronouncination & meaning, if roughly.