Can you always tell if a novel has been translated?

[BooteusMaximus]

Afternoon all
I cannot work out if I am overthinking. I am reading a sample of
The silence of the white city and cannot work out if it is the writing that is stilted or because I know it was originally written in Spanish.
It was a big hit there four years ago and I want to buy it for someone but they once complained about The Girl with the dragon tattoo because it was poorly translated. Can you always tell or am I being hypersensitive?
Anyone who fancies looking at the sample on Amazon (Eve Garcia Saenz) and letting me know if it's me or not would be appreciated
This is not a diss on translators either...it's a thankless task and requires a skillset I admire and don't have.

It can really depend

I read the first few Harry Potter books in portuguese (my first language) and they were as exciting as reading in english.

Also my absolute favourite passage in the Alchemist is mistranslated in english didn't read the whole book but checked that particular text and was super disappointed

I did know that Ishiguro writes in English. Must have forgotten-drink had been taken! So there's clearly a cultural aspect to style of writing.

@Pluckedpencil thanks - your versions certainly show how something can be differently translated with similar outcome but a totally different feel to the text. I'd be more likely to read the former but can see that your translation might be more mainstream.

Jay Rubin & Philip? Gabriel have both translated Murakami & do so with an almost poetic flourish. I remember reading the wind up bird chronicle & being fascinated at how good it was. Sadly I doubt if I'll ever be fluent enough in another language to investigate this more fully.

I loved the Neapolitan novels but the dynamics of the main characters & their relationships aren't supposed to be normal so not sure what possibly gets lost in translation!

@BooteusMaximus hope you enjoy it. It's up for the International Booker this year (because it has only just been translated into English).

DH had a student from Japan as trainee who wanted to translate a few short pieces of his author into Japanese.
It was fascinating to hear them talk about the transaltion of aspects of a gone culture (pre war Vienna) and also about simple things like the translation of certain words - took a while to find a fitting translation for 'knistern'

If it is a good translation, then no, you shouldn't be able to tell.