Lucy Day Werts 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.

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 translat…more.
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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)?

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