Kalliope’s Comments (group member since Jan 04, 2014)

Kalliope’s comments from the The Fyodor Dostoyevsky Group group.

Book Portrait wrote: "
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmtlX1...


http://www.arte.tv/guide/fr/048736-00...-..."

I would love to be able to watch this, and I agree, Russian sounds so nice.. I love listening to Russian operas.

Jan-Maat wrote: "Book Portrait wrote: "We know that Dostoevsky's time in Siberia deeply changed him... I'd like to know more about the man and the dramatic changes that Russia underwent in the XIX century, and in p..."

I added the Frank bio..

Book Portrait wrote: "The Orsay Museum held an exhibition on Russian Art in the second half of the nineteenth century but of course the calague ([book:L'Art russe : Dans la seconde moitié du XIXe siècle : en quête d'ide..."

Thank you...!!!

Book Portrait wrote: "

Do you..."


Actually, the one I was thinking of is this one, which is next door to the one above...That is why I could not recognize the name (which has changed owners nevertheless).

http://www.daru.fr

Supposedly the oldest in Paris.

Jan-Maat wrote: "

Joseph Frank's "Dostoevsky a writer in his time" is probably as definitive as and like..."

Yes, but I like Henri Troyat. He was originally Russian.

Book Portrait wrote: "Kalliope wrote: "I have read Russia: A History. On the cultual, I recommend Natasha's Dance: A Cultural History of Russia. I think the latter is in the group's bookshelf."

Thanks! Natasha's Dance ..."

You will enjoy Natasha's Dance even if there is so much controversy around Orlando Figes.

May I suggest you go for lunch to ..

http://www.alavilledepetrograd.com/in...

Even though it has changed owner... and it looks more pricey and fashionable than it used to be !!!... It is in front of the Orthodox Cathédrale St Alexandre-Nevski. Rue Daru).

That is just across from the Orthodox

Book Portrait wrote: "Kalliope wrote: "I have read Troyat's. Dostoievski

Thanks for the rec Kalliope! I just ordered Dostoïevski from Gallimard's new line of paperback biographies. Probably not as good..."

I have read Russia: A History. On the cultual, I recommend Natasha's Dance: A Cultural History of Russia. I think the latter is in the group's bookshelf.

Book Portrait wrote: "David wrote: "If I were able to have a conversation with Dostoevsky my question to him would be: how would this passage in The Brothers Karamazov apply to such criminals?"

I'd like to have Dostoev..."

I have read Troyat's. Dostoievski

These are great posts, BP.

Margaret wrote: "Garima wrote: "Margaret wrote: "Dustin wrote: "Yes, I am unabridged through and through, thank you so much for your wonderful input, Margaret! I really appreciate it and will certainly keep Crime &..."

Welcome, Margaret. Will you join in the TBK read?

Dustin wrote: "Yes, I am unabridged through and through, thank you so much for your wonderful input, Margaret! I really appreciate it and will certainly keep Crime & Punishment in mind. It's on my TBR, so win-win..."

May be starting with a shorter piece?, such as White Nights?

Book Portrait wrote: "Kalliope wrote: "Yes, I saw that one, with the Freud text... I think the translator it is Henri Mongault..."

Merci pour l'article de Libé!! Je comprends maintenant pourquoi Babel a sorti une nouve..."

That is my sense, that Dosto's writing is probably effective but rough. It must be very different from Tolstoy and especially Turgueniev.

Book Portrait wrote: "Sergei wrote: "Hi Book,
Here’s a free online version in Russian, on lib.ru
http://az.lib.ru/d/dostoewskij_f_m/te...
There you may discover what the words are and where..."

Thank you Serg..."

Yes, I saw that one, with the Freud text... I think the translator it is Henri Mongault.

People talk of André Markowicz. There is also Elisabeth Guertik.

I think I would go for Markowicz.

I have read Tolstoy in French, but do not have the books with me and do not remember the translator.

On Markowicz.

http://www.liberation.fr/portrait/199...

Book Portrait wrote: "I need help! I'm going to read The Brothers K in French and saw two translations this morning in the bookstore, which are surprisingly different.

I'd like to compare the opening lines with Dostoie..."

BP, let me know which one you go for. In my next read I may go for the French.

Dolors wrote: "Samadrita wrote: "I only like CG's sentence construction better. But I'll post my views here if I find anything. I'd say Garnett made the original text more elegant, perhaps."

I think that's a fan..."

Dolors, do you have full access to NYB?... see my message #51 above.

This is a fascinating, and frustrating topic....

I read the P&V and was happy with it. I think they became famous because the combination of a Russian and an American is a powerful unit for translating, since one needs knowledge of both languages. At issue may be that Pevear, in charge of the final language, comes up with a less melodic or flowing English... But so far their authenticity is not questioned and I think that was the issue with Garnett. Although the latter seems to have been edited now.

Here are a couple of articles from New York Books. One by Orlando Figes, but on War and Peace, and one preview (one needs to subscribe) by the Professor John Bayley (husband of Iris Murdoch).

Figes:

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archi...


Bayleys preview:

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archi...

I may renew my suscription to the NYB. If so, and you are interested, I could try and post more fragments from the article.

I am also interested in C&P and in The Idiot...

for later on..

Carol wrote: "Hi everyone,

I just picked up Dostoevsky: A Writer in His Time by Joseph Frank 932 pp.
I have [book:The Brothers..."

Thank you, Carol. I will add it to the Bookshelves.

Here is another article discussing the difficulties in translating Dostoyevsky. The article discusses Crime and Punishment.

http://www.nytimes.com/1992/04/26/boo...

The problem with judging translations is that one has to know both languages and do so very well. Otherwise one is only judging the style of the translator, not of the original author.

One has to rely then on the opinion of those who do master both.

I think the difficulty of translating a work testifies to the greatness of its author as well as to how different the original language is from the translated one. Unfortunately, I do not speak Russian. I only know that it is a heavily inflected language while English is not. It was also one which greatly developed during the nineteenth century in the pens of a long string of writers.

So, we have a tough cookie in our hands.

One just has to keep aware of one's limitations when reading a translated work.

It is great to have Sergei in the group.

HaHa, BP.

Good to see you here too.