The Book Above All Books.
Looking at the title you might think I am talking about the Bible, but I am not. Yes yes yes, the Bible is truly THE book above all books...but there's another book that's just a nanometer below it: The Brothers Karamazov (fyi: the z in Karamazov is pronounced like in zoo, not in Mozart). The thing about this book is that not only is it truly amazing from a literary standpoint (not to mention just gripping and enjoyable), but I am convinced that there is something about reading this book that actually transforms the reader.
I am just beginning to read it for the third time, but in a translation I haven't read before. My roommate (who is a serious translation snob), as well as several major critics and literary folks, contend that the only translation worth reading is the Pevear/Volokhonsky translation. I read their translation of Crime and Punishment over the summer, and it was great. So we'll see how their translation of The Brothers Karamazov stacks up. Bottom line: I am looking forward to seeing how this book shapes me this read-through.
As I read, I might blog in some brief, little sentences that I like. We'll start with a couple lines that I enjoyed from the end of the very first chapter (after describing how Fyodor Pavlovich responded to his first wife's suicide):
In most cases, people, even wicked people, are far more naive and simple-hearted than one generally assumes. And so are we.
I am just beginning to read it for the third time, but in a translation I haven't read before. My roommate (who is a serious translation snob), as well as several major critics and literary folks, contend that the only translation worth reading is the Pevear/Volokhonsky translation. I read their translation of Crime and Punishment over the summer, and it was great. So we'll see how their translation of The Brothers Karamazov stacks up. Bottom line: I am looking forward to seeing how this book shapes me this read-through.
As I read, I might blog in some brief, little sentences that I like. We'll start with a couple lines that I enjoyed from the end of the very first chapter (after describing how Fyodor Pavlovich responded to his first wife's suicide):
In most cases, people, even wicked people, are far more naive and simple-hearted than one generally assumes. And so are we.
posted by bethany at 9:44 PM
2 Comments:
B - Chris and I are trying to read through it. First try for him. I don't remember who the translator is tho... will let u know...
This was exactly the same phrase that first caught me. I just finished reading it (same translation) a few days ago and now I'm re-reading it to find the depths I may have skimmed over before. People laugh at me, but I think it's one of the most thrilling and gripping books I've ever read.
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