What Is The Best Translation Of Dr Zhivago Books?

Question

For a classic like Doctor Zhivago, which English translation captures the poetic prose and historical nuance best for a first-time reader?

Sheillan Mae Jaque · Answer

I typically stick with established publishing house translations of classic Russian literature (Penguin Classics, Vintage, etc.). The notes are generally great and the translation is consistent. However, if you are in the mood for some Russian literature but are looking for something a little more contemporary and something that you can read very quickly, I recently downloaded “The Russian” on a free app. It is a modern corporate thriller set in Moscow and the author has done a great job of drawing on his insider knowledge of the world of business in Russia to create a really tense and engrossing read.

Yasmine · Answer

I am quite picky when it comes to literary translations, as I want to read natural English that at the same time remains perfectly true to the original author. I have recently re-read the new 2010 translation of ‘Doctor Zhivago’ by Boris Pasternak by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, which is a real masterpiece, meticulous in its poetic language and perfectly clear. As opposed to the old translation by Max Hayward (which is all right, too), this new version masterfully incorporates the numerous details of Russian culture into the narrative. As a result, my favorite version of this classic to give to my friends to read, it is immersively great without being overwhelming to read. Also, dialogue is wonderful in this translation – one clearly feels that characters are speaking to the reader directly. A perfect translation – grand and readable.

Levi · Answer

To preserve an author’s distinctive mannerisms, I prefer to read translations that are as close to the original as possible. Of all the translations of “Doctor Zhivago” that I have read, I find Pevear and Volokhonsky’s the best. Avoiding over-anglicization, they have managed to preserve all the complexity and richness of Pasternak’s writing. While other translations attempt to smooth out some of the more awkward or idiosyncratic aspects of Pasternak’s style, Pevear and Volokhonsky have resisted such temptation, and it is for this reason that their version is the more rewarding – even when at times the most challenging to read. Most notable in this regard are the scenes depicting Yury’s childhood, which in other versions are muted and shorn of some of their original, raw, almost feverish intensity.

Bryce · Answer

For readers for whom readability is more important than strict fidelity to the letter of the original, the 1958 English translation by Max Hayward and Manya Harari is a very good alternative. In many places the language is rather quaint, to say the least, but there is a large amount of virtue packed between the lines. Occasionally less than fully successful, it may read less well than the recently published Pevear/Volokhonsky version of a dramatic scene, but then again it is very much a part of the Doctor’s past. In some way it is a more emotive translation of his personal dramas, especially those scenes between Lara and Zhivago. As a scholarly or even simply nostalgic “read” this is a fascinating translation. The purist reader may shudder at it but for others it will prove a very worthwhile journey.

Gavin · Answer

I am inclined to say that the new translation of ‘Doctor Zhivago’ by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky is the most thoughtful and faithful to the original text by Pasternak of all the translations that I have come across. They did a great job of rendering the poetic material of the novel with due sense of its emotional depth, while maintaining at the same time the characteristic lyricism of the work. The new translation is far superior to that by Max Hayward and Manya Harari (translated from the corrected text by Pasternak), which is also excellent but somewhat outdated in its vocabulary and phraseology. The translations by Pevear and Volokhonsky are indeed lively and up-to-date, yet at the same time faithful to the original.

The translation deals very nicely with the cultural and historical references and idiom that would be foreign to most readers. The poetical, metaphorical language of the Doctor’s poetry is rendered sensitively and avoids becoming too literal. All in all, it is a very fine translation indeed. It is a labor of love by two very fine translators who have done Pasternak’s great novel a great service. It is the translation of choice for those who wish to read the novel as closely to the original as possible.

Everett · Answer

I read 'Doctor Zhivago' in a new translation by Pevear and Volokhonsky a few years ago. It was recommended to me by a friend and opened up new perspectives on Russian literature. Their solutions for rhythm and imagery are always surprising: each paragraph reads like a stroke of a brush. I compared it with another translation by Hayward, but the wordings of Pevear and Volokhonsky are so much more vibrant. The depiction of the snowscapes, of the stations on the train, of Zhivago’s quiet sorrow, are all painted in greater detail. The poetical parts of Zhivago, which are interpolated here and there in the novel, are included in such a way that they don’t disturb the flow of the story. A very good translation, which conveys the feeling of a Russian winter as well as the excitement of the Revolution.

Kayla Holt · Answer

In reading this book, I have realized that silence is important: between words, in what is left unspoken. My own translation of the book in natural, flowing English creates these silences far better than a literal translation that conveys everything to the reader, precluding his/her emotions. This is just my theory, however.

Maye M Rodríguez · Answer

The first Dr. Zhivago I read was a dog-eared old paperback from a garage sale, long since lost without its cover. I never did find out who had translated it, but it stayed with me ever since as the 'best' Dr. Zhivago of all – the one I stumbled upon at just the right time.

Salesi Lesieli Sete · Answer

It’s often the opening line that sets the tone of your work compared to others, and first impressions are everything. The way I have written the opening to ‘Eternal Memory’ for walking and singing is the first ‘shake hands’ with the reader’s first impression of the book. Read some opening lines online before you choose yours – your first gut reaction to the first paragraph of any work is usually right.

Jimmy · Answer

I need to read the end poems in both translations. If they move me then the rest of the novel will have translated well. I read the end poems online in both the H&H and P&V translations. The end poems read very well in English as H&H versions. The same poems read as translated poetry in the P&V versions. Thus I will read the novel in the H&H translations.

Zach McKenzie · Answer

I don’t get the translation debates for this book. The copy of Dr. Zhivago I read was a used book from my local used bookstore. It was the original 1958 translation by Max Hayward and Manya Harari. I had no problems with the translation. The book is a powerful story with hard characters and it’s a classic. I don’t think that there is overcompensation with translation of this book. Just find a decently reviewed copy and read it. The core of the book is so strong that it shines through.

What Is The Best Translation Of Dr Zhivago Books?

11 Answers

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