Dostoyevsky's " Бесы"(The Possess ed)

[Olga Meerson]

Oops, Helena and all. No need to try to catch me on slips and points of idiocy: too easy a sport, if you are really dedicated to exposing my stupidity. I was hoping there was something I had to offer the world besides it, not that I was particularly smart and, in any other way, close to perfection :)

Bob Maguire is very careful but sometimes sounds a little like paraphrasing the neat points in Dostoevsky's characters' voices, the way a good philologist, apt at analyzing things, would (the way I would). This is useful and beautiful but reminds me a little of Nabokov's translations. Too long to look into examples. Bob had a perfect pitch for the correlation between poetic style and its functions. I taught out of the Pevear translation and used to like it even before they were "in", as you put it: knew them way before the years of their fame, or Bob Maguire's translation made public by Ron. All these endeavors, to be sure, are useful. I just LIKED the Pevear translations: they showed how Dostoevsky's "sloppinedd" was there for a purpose. Bob Maguire understood that well too but he explained things more than showing them, although I repeat, my respect for him, and gratitude for the multiple ways in which he opened MY eyes to text (as my former professor) is immense.
My affinity with the Pevear translation goes a long way--used to discuss the novel with them a lot, as well as we used to argue a lot about BK.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------