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Nick Crider
Everyone and their second cousin is going to say P/V. This likely is more on the basis of their publishers and PR team than their actual translation work. It generally is thrilling to read, but some think at a cost. It's like the other end of the Garnett coin. Depends on what you want though. The sad fact is, dozens of good translators have tried to tackle Dostoyevsky but it's not an easy thing to do. You won't find a translation that does not sacrifice some things, that does not do some things poorly. If you want the joy of Russian prose, learn Russian. Otherwise, pick up 3 or so translations in a book stoor and compare passages, pick the one that reads best to you.
If you are solely interested in the plot and characters, you can't lose with Garnett, infinitely readable and comfortable. Be warned though, you are not getting near the prose of Dostoyevsky, you are getting the prose of Garnett. For something in the middle, Katz or Mcduff are very respectable. P/V is a lively read, sometimes overly so. This is them trying to capture the unique gate of Dostoyevsky but they don't do it well, none could; it ends up coloring the translation a bit too much after their own images.
If you are solely interested in the plot and characters, you can't lose with Garnett, infinitely readable and comfortable. Be warned though, you are not getting near the prose of Dostoyevsky, you are getting the prose of Garnett. For something in the middle, Katz or Mcduff are very respectable. P/V is a lively read, sometimes overly so. This is them trying to capture the unique gate of Dostoyevsky but they don't do it well, none could; it ends up coloring the translation a bit too much after their own images.
Lucy Day Werts
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Like Nick said, there's an ongoing debate about whether the trendy Pevear and Volokhonsky translations are better than the original Garnett translations, but in the end it's at least partly a matter of personal taste.
There are currently 5 in-print translations, 7 total. Counting them is a little harder than it would be if the translators all used the same title... The novel is known as The Possessed, The Devils, Devils, and Demons.
Garnett - 1914 - various publishers
Magarshack - 1953 (out of print) - Penguin
MacAndrew - 1962 (out of print) - Signet
Katz - 1992 - Oxford
Pevear & Volokhonsky - 1994 - Vintage
Maguire - 2008 - Penguin
Cockrell - 2018 - Alma
Which is the best from the standpoint of extra materials? Hard to say. All four of the more recent translations include various reader's aids.
To find out more specifically what's included, visit We Love Translations: World Literature in English. The site lists covers, ISBNs, pagecounts, extra features, extracts, and links to relevant articles so you can compare.
» What's the Best Translation of Demons (aka Devils aka The Possessed)?
.
.
Like Nick said, there's an ongoing debate about whether the trendy Pevear and Volokhonsky translations are better than the original Garnett translations, but in the end it's at least partly a matter of personal taste.
There are currently 5 in-print translations, 7 total. Counting them is a little harder than it would be if the translators all used the same title... The novel is known as The Possessed, The Devils, Devils, and Demons.
Garnett - 1914 - various publishers
Magarshack - 1953 (out of print) - Penguin
MacAndrew - 1962 (out of print) - Signet
Katz - 1992 - Oxford
Pevear & Volokhonsky - 1994 - Vintage
Maguire - 2008 - Penguin
Cockrell - 2018 - Alma
Which is the best from the standpoint of extra materials? Hard to say. All four of the more recent translations include various reader's aids.
To find out more specifically what's included, visit We Love Translations: World Literature in English. The site lists covers, ISBNs, pagecounts, extra features, extracts, and links to relevant articles so you can compare.
» What's the Best Translation of Demons (aka Devils aka The Possessed)?
.
Paloma San Basilio
The David Magarshack translation is also very good. The problem with Constance Garnett's translations is she softens the language to the point she eliminates the gravity and true intent of it. The bigger problem with Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky (P&V) translations is, aside from being poor translators, they actually remove or dramatically alter anything from Dostoevsky's text that THEY don't like, basically re-writing the classics. P&V are EXACTLY the people Dostoevsky was warning us about, ironically.
To sum it up:
THE BEST translation is McAndrew's, Magarshack is very good, Garnett's is fair, P&V is awful/ the worst.
To sum it up:
THE BEST translation is McAndrew's, Magarshack is very good, Garnett's is fair, P&V is awful/ the worst.
Amyjzed
I have the David Magarshack Penguin Classics translation from 2004; while I believe the translation itself is fine it does not have any footnotes or end notes-- mainly an inconvenience to those of us who don't know many basic French phrases. In comparison, the P&V Vintage edition seems to be pretty exhaustive with notes and comments.
Rebecca
P+V translate everything really literally. To the point where things make no sense in English sometimes, which is fine. Any translation except Garnett is fine.
Tristan
choose the earlier translation, also it free on kindle and iBooks.
https://www.amazon.com/Possessed-Devi...
https://www.amazon.com/Possessed-Devi...
Dean
I 'm also interested in the Katz translation in the Oxford World's Classics series ( " Devils " ) ...
Stephen
Pevear and Vokhonsky
Tim Chiew
I read the Penguin Classics Maguire translation and I was very happy with it. I’m a Magarshack fan so I think I must have a look at his version some day too.
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