Nick Crider answers “Best translation of Dostoyevsky 's Demons...”

Dean asked this question about Demons:

Best translation of Dostoyevsky 's Demons with critical apparatus , namely , notes and introduction ? Perhaps Volokhonsky/Pevear or Maquire/Meyer/Belknap (Penguin Classics) ? Thank you kindly in advance.

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 w…moreEveryone 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.(less)

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