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/lit/ - Literature

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2986069 No.2986069 [Reply] [Original]

I want to read Tolstoy (particularly War and Peace). I was wondering if anyone could offer some comments regarding their favourite translations (into English) of the book. Are there any particularly BAD efforts to watch out for and avoid?

Thanks !

>> No.2986080

Good luck man.

Good luck.

I can't really help you with your translation advice, I'm not english.
But reading that russian guy is, well...

>> No.2986084

OP,
I have a question. Why would you like to read Tolstoy's War and Peace?

>> No.2986092
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2986092

this: >>2986084

>> No.2986093

>>2986084
No great reason, simply that Russian literature is an area that I feel I have neglected for too long.

I read 'The Idiot' a few months ago, but that has been my only foray into Russian literature.

>> No.2986098

>>2986092
I'm
>>2986080
And The Death of ivan ilyich was beautiful.
But it was short.
I don't mind reading 1000 pages, but Tolstoj can be incredibily boring.
Anna Karenina?
War and Peace?
Nope nope nope.

And it's a shame. Probably, their time isn't now.

>> No.2986106
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2986106

>>2986098
i'm not OP
i was just recommending other books, like

Kreutzer sonata, tolstoj
Fathers and sons, turgenev
The master and margarita, bulgakov

>> No.2986115

I'm
>>2986084

The reason I asked was I've tried to tackle Tolstoy's fiction several times and have several times decided it wasn't for me.
This last year I ran into Tolstoy by studying anarchism and social theory--and that, my friend, is where he shines.

Try:
The Kingdom of God Is Within You
Letter to a Hindu
What Is To Be Done? (or What To Do?)

>> No.2986139

So are you guys saying Tolstoy is shit? I haven't ever read Tolstoy.

>> No.2986147
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2986147

>>2986139
not shit, just too 800esque

>> No.2986165

Do it OP. I just picked up the penguin classic version and read that and I didn't notice any bits which seemed too stilted. It remained readable (if that's a word one can use with Tolstoy).

If you don't get into it within the first perhaps 100 pages (the list of petty nobility and the various familial relations) then try to keep going. Eventually you do get a handle on who's who, but it's tough. After you've got that sorted out, you should be able to keep going.

His essays on the nature of history are interesting, but on the first reading at least, they seemed like stumbling blocks to me. Upon rereading, they were much more engaging, so be prepared for those.

>> No.2986173

Watch out for Constance Garnet or whatever. She's ultimate shit-tier, but her translations are public domain so a lot of publishers use them because they're cheaper.

>> No.2986193

>>2986173
>>2986165
Thanks for the advice folks. I'm looking forward to it (I just found and bought a Penguin Popular Classics copy of it (from Oxfam!)).

I can't figure out who translated it (no mention Whatsoever of translator names/profiles/introductory comments, which is peculiar), but following the ISBN, this is the copy which is now in my hands (published 1997): (http://www.amazon.co.uk/War-Peace-Penguin-Popular-Classics/dp/0140622691/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid
=1347892957&sr=8-1)

>> No.2986196

>>2986193
Looks like it's Maude. Pretty good.

>> No.2986209

>>2986196
>>2986193
Yeah Maude's a pretty good one, you'd be fine with that one. Enjoy it.

>> No.2986254
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2986254

I dig Volkohonsky's Dostoyevsky, so if/when I read W&P it'll be her translation.