This article aims to use the approach of Genetic Translation Studies to make the work of literary translators visible. Drawing on two case studies on the French translations of novels by the Italian author Antonio Tabucchi, I show how translation archives can help retrace different phases of the translation process. The private archives of translators Lise Chapuis and Bernard Comment include annotated typescripts, notebooks and sheet notes. Analyzing them allows us to glimpse hidden aspects of the translation process that are related to how choices evolve to fit with a precise translation strategy, as well as the translator’s personal understanding and interpretation of a narrative.