I would recommend the Max Hayward/Manya Harari translation.
Tom Send a noteboard - 14/02/2010 04:55:05 PM
I looked into the way that they translated the poems of Yuri Zhivago and they seemed pretty good (and I saw something in the Toronto Slavic Review that was ABYSMAL of the same poems). I then went and read the first few pages at amazon via the "Look Inside" feature and feel that the poetic tone of the novel was retained as much as possible.
If someone has a different translation and wonders if it is good, I will take a look if you supply me with a link and let you know what I think.
Coincidentally, after reading the reviews at amazon I get the impression that the people who review these books haven't read them, but rather, just watched the 1965 David Lean movie with Omar Sharif. The book isn't meant to be a "love story". It's an allegorical anti-utopian novel about Christianity, totalitarianism, the value of the individual and the struggle of mankind against death. There is a love story, but that's not the major idea and people who talk about that have obviously not read the 2/3 of the book that has little to do with the love story.
If someone has a different translation and wonders if it is good, I will take a look if you supply me with a link and let you know what I think.
Coincidentally, after reading the reviews at amazon I get the impression that the people who review these books haven't read them, but rather, just watched the 1965 David Lean movie with Omar Sharif. The book isn't meant to be a "love story". It's an allegorical anti-utopian novel about Christianity, totalitarianism, the value of the individual and the struggle of mankind against death. There is a love story, but that's not the major idea and people who talk about that have obviously not read the 2/3 of the book that has little to do with the love story.
Political correctness is the pettiest form of casuistry.
ἡ δὲ κἀκ τριῶν τρυπημάτων ἐργαζομένη ἐνεκάλει τῇ φύσει, δυσφορουμένη, ὅτι δὴ μὴ καὶ τοὺς τιτθοὺς αὐτῇ εὐρύτερον ἢ νῦν εἰσι τρυπώη, ὅπως καὶ ἄλλην ἐνταῦθα μίξιν ἐπιτεχνᾶσθαι δυνατὴ εἴη. – Procopius
Ummaka qinnassa nīk!
*MySmiley*
ἡ δὲ κἀκ τριῶν τρυπημάτων ἐργαζομένη ἐνεκάλει τῇ φύσει, δυσφορουμένη, ὅτι δὴ μὴ καὶ τοὺς τιτθοὺς αὐτῇ εὐρύτερον ἢ νῦν εἰσι τρυπώη, ὅπως καὶ ἄλλην ἐνταῦθα μίξιν ἐπιτεχνᾶσθαι δυνατὴ εἴη. – Procopius
Ummaka qinnassa nīk!
*MySmiley*
So...what is the decision on the main book club?
- 13/02/2010 03:17:16 AM
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There are two official book clubs. 
- 13/02/2010 09:50:15 AM
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- 13/02/2010 09:50:15 AM
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By which I mean to say that your order should stand. *NM*
- 13/02/2010 10:29:50 AM
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*NM*
- 13/02/2010 10:29:50 AM
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We're happy with that...I was trying to make sure we didn't fracture things too much.
- 13/02/2010 02:29:15 PM
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So are we a go for Doctor Zhivago for March 15?
- 13/02/2010 07:34:21 PM
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I was considering reading it, too.
- 14/02/2010 10:37:14 PM
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Yeah, I know.
- 14/02/2010 11:26:45 PM
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Nope.
- 14/02/2010 11:31:14 PM
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Out of curiosity, why not the library?
- 15/02/2010 06:33:07 AM
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Are you guys going to recommend a particular translation of each book for us non-Russophones?
- 14/02/2010 01:27:24 PM
641 Views
Uh...I hadn't thought about that. I will try to find out which translations are better.
- 14/02/2010 03:08:08 PM
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That's why I thought it might be good to remind you that the rest of us will have to 
. *NM*
- 14/02/2010 03:37:21 PM
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. *NM*
- 14/02/2010 03:37:21 PM
233 Views
I would recommend the Max Hayward/Manya Harari translation.
- 14/02/2010 04:55:05 PM
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Good thing that translation is the main one available in the US (the tradeback form)
- 14/02/2010 05:01:33 PM
626 Views
Interesting. I have a Hayward/Harari translation
- 15/02/2010 04:38:36 PM
663 Views
I have seen a lot of very irresponsible things said about this novel.
- 15/02/2010 06:08:27 PM
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I bet
- 16/02/2010 10:32:46 AM
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No, actually the plot in the movie and plot in the book are quite different.
- 16/02/2010 01:39:12 PM
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Hmmm. Since the majority are reading it in English, I suppose I should too.
- 14/02/2010 11:34:20 PM
650 Views
Regarding M&M
- 15/02/2010 02:22:14 AM
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Rebekah says there's a good reason for it to be in December. So I'll just go with the plan. *NM*
- 15/02/2010 08:48:04 AM
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Actually, I'm not sure what the reasoning would be, other than to space things out.
- 15/02/2010 07:00:29 PM
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Doesn't seem to be an Audible for Pasternak. *NM*
- 14/02/2010 03:36:33 PM
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Maybe. I've never been interested in finding out what an Audible is.
- 14/02/2010 04:56:21 PM
559 Views
I just noticed one glaring omission
- 15/02/2010 08:06:32 PM
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All of Nabokov's significant work was written in English while he was living abroad.
- 15/02/2010 10:37:20 PM
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