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Ive been holding out on reading this for awhile since ive been hoping for a translation by Pevear and Volokhonsky but I dont know if thats ever going to happen =(. Has anyone ever read Ignat Avsey's translation of this novel? What did you think about it?
Sorry, haven't read the book at all. Sometimes when I am trying to find the best translation, I'll look at reviews on Amazon.com. People sometimes comment on the particular translation.
P.S. I have also heard of The Oxford Guide to Literature in English Translation, which apparently evaluates available translations.
but I haven't got to this one yet. I'm not familiar with the translators you mentioned? Are they modern translations? I am of the opinion that translations as close to when the author lived are the best in that they come closer to his/her writing. The Constance Garnett translations were held in high esteem for years. Now there are many more translations availlable, but the Garnett translations are the closest to when Dostoevsky lived.
An example is The Iliad. There are a plethora of modern translations available, but I have found none better than the Alexander Pope translation of the eighteenth century. The translations into modern English free verse turn me off.