/lit/, I need help/opinion regarding Dostoevsky.
A year back I bought some books without giving much thought to the translation.
I recently realized the importance of the translator and have this dreadful feeling of having screwed up.
Here's what I bought.
1. Notes from Underground (Bantam Classic): Finished it.
Translator: Mirra Ginsburg
Introduction: Donald Fanger
2. The Idiot (Penguin Classics): Yet to read
Translator: David McDuff
Introduction: William Mills Todd III
3. The Brothers Karamazov (Bantam Classic): Yet to read
Translator: Andrew R McAndrew
Introduction: Konstantin Mochulsky
How much did I mess up?
Should I sell these books and get good translations? I don't want to read a bad translation of such an acclaimed author. What translations would you recommend? Please help.
I got for P&V because Orthodox Christians go for that translation. The reason being the wife has long been a professional translator of theological works for the Russian Orthodox Church and she can catch theological nuance and use of theological terms.
>>7608831
The Idiot translation by McDuff is one of the best so don't worry about it. I have no idea about the other two but you should check the thread titled Translations as this is being discussed there and you could use that information.
Also >>7608833 is a bad meme and just copied the same he posted in the thread I talked about.
Back to /his/ and your shitty religious threads Constantine.
>>7608831
>1. Notes from Underground (Bantam Classic): Finished it.
>Translator: Mirra Ginsburg
>Introduction: Donald Fanger
I'm not familiar with her translation work, but from what I can see I wouldn't worry too much about the quality of her work.
>2. The Idiot (Penguin Classics): Yet to read
>Translator: David McDuff
>Introduction: William Mills Todd III
McDuff is widely praised for his translation of Dostoyevsky, and from what I've read/am reading of his work (Karamazov) I would agree.
>3. The Brothers Karamazov (Bantam Classic): Yet to read
>Translator: Andrew R McAndrew
>Introduction: Konstantin Mochulsky
I thought this was a very good translation, and the Introduction is excellent too, although looking over it I see a minor spoiler at the top of p. xvi, i.e., the crime at the center of the book,the murder of the father, and a big spoiler at the top of p. xvii, the solution of the mystery. The minor spoiler isn't that big a deal I think, so I think it's profitable to read up to maybe the bottom of p. xvi, or just read all of it after reading the book.
>>7608899
It's good to know that the translations are good, but is there a general consensus on which ones are the best?
I've heard so much about the brothers karamazov that I want to be completely sure that I read the best possible translation there is.
>>7608831
http://bookzz.org/g/Larissa%20Volokhonsky
I am not by any means someone who knows his shit on this, but there was a thread where a couple anons opined that Larissa Volokhonsky as Dostoevsky's best translator.
Here are her versions if you are interested.
>>7608933
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Pevear_and_Larissa_Volokhonsky
Although here is an article damning them, and it seems relevant to your interests:
http://www.webcitation.org/6a8P98OL2