The Translator in the Text: On Reading Russian Literature in English

by Rachel May

What does it mean to read one nation's literature in another language? The considerable popularity of Russian literature in the English-speaking world rests almost entirely upon translations. In The Translator and the Text, Rachel May analyzes Russian literature in English translation, seeing it less as a substitute for the original works than as a subset of English literature, with its own cultural, stylistic, and narrative traditions.

Genres: Russia

209 pages, Hardcover

First published November 23, 1994

Reviews

[Andrew Weatherly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent overview of translation and, specifically, the changes that Russian undergoes both in form and style when translated to English.

This is not a book for anyone but those who are already extremely interested in the subject. It is demanding and academic, and not at all a page turner. If you know Russian and are interested in this topic, I would recommend it. For everyone else, probably a skip.

[Raul Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only read the parts that were of interest to me (the introduction and the first section, which provided a history of English translations of Russian literature and how these works were received in England and America). The rest looked like in-depth academic essays about translating Russian literature to English.