What Translations Of Fyodor Dostoevsky The Idiot Are Best?

Question

For classics readers diving into 'The Idiot' this winter, which translator captures the novel's philosophical depth and Prince Myshkin's voice most authentically?

Caro To · Answer

I see what you mean about the translation of a book influencing the reader’s perception of its prose. Pevear and Volokhonsky’s translation of “The Idiot” is said to capture the original texture of the book well. Other translations of “The Idiot” by Magarshack and Garnett are also worth reading as they have their own literary merits. On the complete opposite end of the spectrum of “The Idiot” is a web novel “I’m Stuck in Another World with an Idiot”. This novel tells the story of a clever protagonist stuck in a fantasy world with a bumbling and chaotic companion and how they manage to survive in their journey together.

Noah · Answer

This work has been extensively translated, and over the years I have searched for the most authentic, interesting version of The Idiot. The Pevear and Volokhonsky translation is a tour-de-force in capturing the nuance of Dostoevsky’s writing, bringing to life the complex psychological inner lives of the characters as they struggle through the maelstrom of a chaotic world.

The classic Constance Garnett translation of The Idiot is another excellent choice. Its style is somewhat dated but has a certain charm and lyricism which many readers find extremely attractive. The more modern translation by Ignat Avsey is another good choice as it has been written in very smooth language but with as much intensity as the original novel. Again, the translations bring their own unique qualities to the novel and the reader must decide whether accuracy, elegance or modern readability is more important.

Yasmine · Answer

I adore Pevear and Volokhonsky’s precise translation of ‘The Idiot’. Their work reads as though one is reading Dostoevsky himself. Constance Garnett’s translation of the same work has a beautiful poetic rhythm that serves the dramatic scenes well. A first-time reader of Dostoevsky might find Avsey’s translation of greatest use, for it is written in the clearest and most engaging style. However, as has already been mentioned, each translation has its own unique flavor and it would be wise to read more than one in order to experience fully the richness of the novel.

Garrett · Answer

Dostoevsky is my favorite author and ‘The Idiot’ is my second favorite book after ‘Crime and Punishment’. For ‘The Idiot’ I prefer to read the Pevear and Volokhonsky translation because it is so very ‘alive’. Constance Garnett’s translation of ‘The Idiot’ has an old-world flavor that I find quite endearing too, albeit a bit stiff at times. Ignat Avsey’s translation is great too because it reads like modern fiction. It is very crisp and I deliberately avoid the overly formal language of older translations. It’s always worth reading a few pages of different translations to see how you like them best – the translation can make all the difference to how you enjoy a book.

Emily · Answer

I choose Pevear and Volokhonsky for The Idiot because it is so vibrantly written and stays completely true to the great author’s complex cast of characters. Although solid, Garnett’s translation reads a bit distantly. Avsey’s Idiot is excellent as well, read it if you want something more easily fluid. As always, the choice will depend upon one’s preference for depth, tradition, or ease of reading.

Mhyles Eser · Answer

In the end it’s all about the soul of the main character and the author’s perception of human nature with all its capacities of love, hate, faith and doubt and destructive tendencies. All that remains unchanged in translation. Whether the author used to write in Victorian style, or he is using in his translations modern language with all corresponding features, or even he is intentionally using a rough language – as long as the main theme of the tragedy of Prince Myshkin, of the unrelenting and ceaseless passion of Rogozhin, and of the insufferable torments of Nastasya Filippovna affects you in the same way after you finish reading the book, then the quality of the translation as a window to the view does not make any difference. Just choose one of four or five good translators of Dostoevsky’s works (Garnett, P&V, McDuff, Avsey) and enjoy the view. It will change you in spite of some minor distortions in the window-pane.

smvassallo1 · Answer

You know, I think we'd make a pretty good flowchart. First Question: Is this your first Dostoevsky? If so, go with the Penguin (McDuff) edition or the Oxford (Avsey) edition, both of which are highly readable. But if you've read him before, go with the P&V edition, which will provide a brand new take on the book. Second Question: Are you operating on a shoestring budget? If so, go with the free Garnett translation. (The others cost money.) If not, then... Third Question: Do you want the supplemental essays and notes? If so, Oxford. If not, are you looking for a particularly physical and beautiful edition of the book? If so, go with Everyman's (P&V edition). If not that, then... Penguin. Yes. Simple enough. But, as you'd expect, not quite how human beings function, or great literature for that matter. The advice above is all very messy and conflicted.

Chrissy Kit Coomer · Answer

Reading a much-loved book is always magic, and my Dostoevsky copy is a 1960s Modern Library edition translated by the great Constance Garnett. It was my dad’s book, and I have notes in the margins too – angry underlines, questions marks and exclamation marks beside the best parts of Myshkin’s long speeches. But I read it as if I were having a conversation with the book and with my dad. In fact, the ‘best’ translation was irrelevant – this was the only one. And often the greatest value of an edition is the personal history it holds above the technical merits of the translation. In many ways the very best translation would be one with its own story.

Stacey Di Maggio Putnam · Answer

My reading method is rather chaotic, but it works for me. I read the first chapter of P&V, which gave me a general idea of what the book is about, but I didn’t get much into it. Then I read the first chapter of McDuff, which was better. After that I continued to read McDuff for the main part of the novel, but for the more complex, philosophical parts (like Ippolit’s confession or Myshkin’s ending monologues) I read the corresponding chapters of P&V on my phone and compared them to the McDuff translation. It was a time-consuming but wonderful way of seeing all the different choices a translator makes in more detail. It would not be good for a first reading of Dostoevsky, but for a re-reading or getting stuck on a particular part, comparing two different translations side by side is very enlightening.

Tammy Smith · Answer

Just as there are different interpretations of a Beethoven symphony – period-instruments performance, lush orchestral recording from mid-20th century, piano transcription, etc. – all playing the same notes but with a different timbre, tempo and overall ‘feel’ to them, Garnett being the grand, romantic orchestral recording of Beethoven’s work from the mid-20th century, P&V a period-instruments version of Beethoven’s work often jarring but attempting to be historically accurate, McDuff a crisp and clear digital recording of Beethoven’s work, Avsey being a passionate live performance of Beethoven’s work, etc. – none of them are objectively better than the others; they’re all just different interpretations of the work, and which one to go for will depend on what you’re looking for in music and/or prose.

What Translations Of Fyodor Dostoevsky The Idiot Are Best?

10 Answers

Related Books

The Russian Don: A Dark Mafia Romance

The Idiot's Wedding

This Time, I'm the Fool

My Bride Swapped Herself for a Fool

Judged in the Court of Scumbags

How To Love A Murderer.

Topic

Related Questions

Which translations of fyodor dostoevsky books are best?

What is the best translation of Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky?

What translations of Dostoevsky's Demons are best?

Who publishes the best Dostoevsky book translations today?

What is the best translation of Dr Zhivago books?

What are the best translations for books written by Nietzsche?

Who holds the copyright for books by Fyodor Dostoevsky now?

Which edition of The Trial has the best translation?

What translations of beyond good and evil nietzsche are best?

How long is White Nights by Fyodor Dostoevsky?