Who is the best translator of Dostoevsky? Just unintentionally

>>9729582
I have David McDuff. He is pretty good. My brother has p&v, and he prefers them. Read one of them, and read a more acclaimed translator afterwards to see which one you prefer.

>>9729582
why do people keep asking this? it really doesn't matter that much.

English has some of the worst translations of Dostoyevsky's books. There are a few 'okay' ones, but none are outstanding. Like the anon above said, stick with p&v.

French, spanish and portuguese have the best translations that I know of, you're better off reading one of those or simply reading the original in russian.

>>9729582
How do you buy something unintentionally?

>>9729582
She good

Just learn Russian, it's not as difficult as they say. Reading translations is absolutely pathetic.

>>9730008
this

>>9729632
Could you (or anyone else) rec me some French translations?

>>9729632
What about German translations?
I'm sure they must have pretty good ones due to 100 years of German-Russian friendship.

>>9730008
Go fuck yourself

learn moon runes

>>9729582

Garnett is dated, try a more modern translator.

>>9730008
that's not even close to true

I like pevear and volokhonsky, don't know any of the garnetts only know that nabokov said she was gay and I don't know how to form opinions of my own yet

>>9730008
Obvious troll is obvious but I've been studying Russian for two years, including time spent in Russia, and the amount of time (largely pouring over dictionaries) it would take to read a Dostoevsky novel in the original language would be pointless, as the flow would be disrupted so heavily.

As far as my recommendation, I've read most of his novels translated by P&V. I've chosen this from the recommendation of actual Russians (who happen to be scholars and writers), so I think there is a sort of seal of approval there.

Garnett is not super great, but much better to read those editions if you can't get ahold of P&V translations for some reason. People seem to forget that Dostoevsky has been revered well before these new critically acclaimed translators were even speaking their first language. It doesn't mean that translations can't be objectively better than others, but it's a sort of waste of time to be a translation snob when there are multiple great translations out.

P.S.: Start with The Idiot, then go to BK or Demons as you choose.

>>9732088
I'm not the Anon you're replying to but I really wanted to try to learn Russian so I could read Russian literature in the original language. Is Dostoevsky really so impossible for a foreigner to read?

Garnett is mediocre but some trans are ok. TBK is alright, but Demons is pretty weak. The P&V dostoevsky i read was pretty solid, best dostoevsky i've read with regards to translation. Margashack is alright, a bit better than Garnett but not much.

>>9732228
obviously not. his main ideas are there in the translated text, but of course you're going to miss things if you aren't reading in the original Russian.