Which translation of Doctor Zhivago would you recommend?

October 25, 2018 5:03 PM

Would you recommend the Hayward Harari translation or the more recent and more literal Pevear and Volkonsky one?

I’ve read P&V for both Tolstoy and Dostoevsky and loved their stuff but I’ve heard not so great things about their Pasternak translation (too literal, awkward sentence construction, over-translated!)

Having said that, while the H&H translation flows better (I read it ages ago and loved it), apparently they’ve taken a lot of liberties and it’s not a complete translation so to speak.

I’m rereading Doctor Zhivago with a reading group soon and I’m not entirely sure what to do and would welcome advice! Should I go for a translation that apparently reads better but omits random sections of should I go for something more literal that might just not adequately translate the beauty of Pasternak’s lyrical prose.

I’m probably overthinking this ha.

posted by dostoevskygirl to Writing & Language (1 answer total)

The HH translation is excellent. I have not read the PV translation, but as you say, it has not been received well by many.

HH moves right along and I found it quite readable once I got going. There were definitely parts of the book where Pasternak's description of Zhivago's feelings on this or that situation or this or that nature scene, etc. where the book was in danger of bogging down, but HH nicely kept things on track. I can't imagine reading PV and having to read a book twice as long as HH.
posted by Fukiyama at 6:12 PM on October 25, 2018