So I've been putting off reading certain books, because I'm totally unsure of what translation to go with. Usually I'm pretty good at narrowing down which translations would be most suited to my tastes, but there's a few editions I'm struggling to choose between, so maybe the learned folk around here could be of some help.
First up is Madame Bovary. I've heard decent (but different) things about the Steegmuller, Lydia Davis and Geoffrey Wall translations. I'm really struggling to decide which one to go with. If it helps, I'm not a stickler for complete accuracy; I don't mind a looser translation if it captures the original (or what I've heard praised about the original).
Next up is pretty much anything by Kafka. I've heard the Muir's can be a little unreliable, and I wasn't all that taken by the Penguin Classics 'Metamorphosis', though that may be a personal issue, not a translation or Kafka issue. I also know Oxford World's Classic have a 5-pack with different translation for each.
Thirdly, I'm tossing up which One Thousand one Nights edition to buy. All the main translations, Burton, Haddawy and the Penguin Classics Irwin translations all have their pros and cons. Any recommendations for a first time reader? Get multiple?
And last is the plays of Euripides and Aristophanes. I've been well-served in regards to Sophocles and Aeschylus, yet for some reason I just cannot decide on a translation for the two of these great playwrights.
Any help would be much appreciated.