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War and Peace Translation

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  • 22-03-2012 10:11am
    #1
    ntlbell
    Registered Users Posts: 16,288 ✭✭✭✭


    Hey,

    I was looking to purchase this book but there's so many versions I'm a bit confused.

    Can anyone recommend a good translation of the book for someone who doesn't read a lot normally?


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    #2
    Kinski
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,555 ✭✭✭Kinski


    This question seems to come up every few months. The Maude translation is probably the most well-regarded. It's in the public domain, so it's used for cheap editions such as Wordsworth Classics, and is available free via download.

    War and Peace is not hard to read, btw - apart from it's length and large cast of characters there's nothing difficult about it. Enjoy!


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    #3
    Permabear
    Closed Accounts Posts: 39,022 ✭✭✭✭Permabear


    This post has been deleted.


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    #4
    Sindri
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,059 ✭✭✭Sindri


    My copy is the Penguin Classics edition translated by Anthony Briggs and in the preface it actually mentions the tribulations of a translator. Some, it says, attempt a pure translation with literal translations of the original Russian. An example it gives is, when asked if one studied in Kiev the appropriate response, if replying in the affirmative would be, 'In Kiev'.

    Some of the older translations would be much more orthodox I'd imagine.

    Here's a link to a review of his translation: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2005/oct/08/classics.leonikolaevichtolstoy


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