You should definitely read the Pevear/Volokhonsky translation. A British husband and Russian wife team.
She’d read the Russians in English translation and was always disappointed because they were so far from the books she loved in the Russian. So they worked together. She’d start with a literal translation that included notes about the prose. He’d turn it into English that included the tone and puns, etc. They went back and forth until it was right.
So much better than Garnett, who would make up things if she didn’t understand the Russian words, phrases, or idioms.
There were several scenes that I couldn’t make heads or tails of in the Garnett that came to life in the Pevear/Volokhonsky.
I had just picked Anna off my bookshelf and started reading earlier today. It’s been sitting on my shelf for years, haunting me. I have the Pevear/Volokhinsky translation. So far, it has been great.
Stepa has just been confirmed as an adulterer then we find out his preferred newspaper is the liberal , modernist one as it panders to his sins and tells him what he wants to here just as satan does. This theme of modernism and liberalism being the synthesis of all heresies pops up regularly throughout the book.
Coming towards the end of it. Wow - what a book. Trains seem to play an important function throughout- just read the bit where the boy is playing on a train set and Oblonsky is trying to get a job with a train company. Are the comings and goings of trains foreshadowing the coming revolution??
Alright you talked me into it.
You should definitely read the Pevear/Volokhonsky translation. A British husband and Russian wife team.
She’d read the Russians in English translation and was always disappointed because they were so far from the books she loved in the Russian. So they worked together. She’d start with a literal translation that included notes about the prose. He’d turn it into English that included the tone and puns, etc. They went back and forth until it was right.
So much better than Garnett, who would make up things if she didn’t understand the Russian words, phrases, or idioms.
There were several scenes that I couldn’t make heads or tails of in the Garnett that came to life in the Pevear/Volokhonsky.
That's the translation I purchased halfway through my first read.
The copy I had also didn't give me translations of the periodic French phrases, but that still didn't prevent my enjoyment, which says a lot.
As it happens, it's already on my TBR shelf for this year. You just bumped it up to the top of the stack. Excited to engage with it! Thanks!
Awesome.
Great novel, especially the character Levin.
So many good characters. Even the so-called side characters
Oh I’m going to add this to my list!! Thank you for the recommendation!
I had just picked Anna off my bookshelf and started reading earlier today. It’s been sitting on my shelf for years, haunting me. I have the Pevear/Volokhinsky translation. So far, it has been great.
Stepa has just been confirmed as an adulterer then we find out his preferred newspaper is the liberal , modernist one as it panders to his sins and tells him what he wants to here just as satan does. This theme of modernism and liberalism being the synthesis of all heresies pops up regularly throughout the book.
So many angles to view this book from. I can't wait to read it again someday.
Coming towards the end of it. Wow - what a book. Trains seem to play an important function throughout- just read the bit where the boy is playing on a train set and Oblonsky is trying to get a job with a train company. Are the comings and goings of trains foreshadowing the coming revolution??