Verses and Versions: Three Centuries of Russian Poetry

by Vladimir Nabokov (Translator), Brian Boyd (Editor), Stanislav Shvabrin (Editor)

Vladimir Nabokov was hailed by Salman Rushdie as the most important writer ever to cross the boundary between one language and another. A Russian emigre who began writing in English after his forties, Nabokov was a trilingual author, equally competent in Russian, English, and French. A gifted and tireless translator, he bridged the gap between languages nimbly and joyously. Here, collected for the first time in one volume as Nabokov always wished, are many of his English translations of Russian verse, presented next to the Russian originals. Here, also, are some of his notes on the dangers and thrills of translation. With an introduction by Brian Boyd, author of the prize-winning biography of Nabokov, Verses and Versions is a momentous and authoritative contribution to Nabokov's published works.

Genres: Poetry, Russia, Russian Literature, Anthologies, Literary Criticism

441 pages, Hardcover

First published November 28, 2007

About the author

Russian: Владимир Набоков .

Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov, also known by the pen name Vladimir Sirin, was a Russian-American novelist. Nabokov wrote his first nine novels in Russian, then rose to international prominence as a master English prose stylist. He also made significant contributions to lepidoptery, and had a big interest in chess problems.

Nabokov's Lolita (1955) is frequently cited as his most important novel, and is at any rate his most widely known one, exhibiting the love of intricate wordplay and descriptive detail that characterized all his works.

Lolita was ranked fourth in the list of the Modern Library 100 Best Novels; Pale Fire (1962) was ranked 53rd on the same list, and his memoir, Speak, Memory (1951), was listed eighth on the publisher's list of the 20th century's greatest nonfiction. He was also a finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction seven times.

Reviews

[Brent Legault · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to say that I liked Nabokov's introductions and essays much more than his translations. There was far too much poetry that I just didn't care about, try as I might. But it felt good to read and to hold. The dust jacket has a pleasant texture. And its pages smell as smart as I'd like to feel, at least while I had my hands on it. Problem is, when I set it down (and finally filed it on my bookshelf), I felt stupid again. Stupider, even, if that's a word and/or possibility.

[Kit · Rating 2 out of 5]

Of more interest to Nabokov scholars than to anyone looking for a representative anthology of readable translations of Russian classics. Worth reading for the occasional great Nabokovian sentence, such as this one, after a Robert Lowell "adaptation":

"Recently I have been so distressed by a well-known American poet's impossible travesty of Mandelshtam's logic and magic that I cast around for some Russian poem that I could still save from the enthusiastic paraphrast who strangles another man's muse with his own muse's strong hair."

[Benji Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

If my books were burning, and I could only save 5, this one would probably make the list. I've spent many hours translating the poems into English, and then comparing them to Nabakov's English version. I love it! My favorite poets in here by far are Pushkin and Lermontov.

[Iris · Rating 5 out of 5]

"What is translation? On a platter
A poet's pale and glaring head,
A parrot's screech, a monkey's chatter
And profanation of the dead." ---- all turned into literary gold in Nabokov's hands.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love russian literature and the russian language makes the MOST beautiful poetry.

[Klaus Gramann · Rating 3 out of 5]

That is definitively my favorite! Seems to me like the apotheosis of his own youth and a wonderful chronicle of vanishing childhood in aristocratic Russia...

[Tatyana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely great book of poems - with originals along with translations and Nabokov's comments about translating poetry.

[Eric Willeforde · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some brilliant translations, particularly the Lermontovs. The notes are a little sketchy; one would wish for more of Nabokov's idiosyncrasy.

[Alexa Oliphant · Rating 3 out of 5]

It had a solid introduction to some poets lesser known to western audiences, but not my favorite translation of more familiar work.

Unfortunately, the essays are fairly ladened with "I'm Vladimir Nabokov, and you're an idiot" tones. The man may have been a brilliant novelist, but not necessarily a supreme translator.

There are better collections of Russian poetry, ones not edited/translated by a total douchebag.

[landon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very fragmentary, as Nabokov had no part in its organization. More useful as a study of Nabokov's translating than as an anthology. Falsely advertised. He really makes Tyutchev and Fet sing, though. Important book.