OT: À la recherche du temps perdu—preferred English translations

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OT: À la recherche du temps perdu—preferred English translations

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1nyrbclassics
Lug 6, 2008, 1:25 pm

I know this is off topic, but since members of this group are knowledgeable, I wonder if any of you have recommendations about which translation(s) of In Search of Lost Time you would recommend. I'm particularly curious about the new Mark Treharne translation of The Guermantes Way. I tend to be conservative about translations, biased towards the tried and true—esp. for ones as celebrated as the C.K. Scott Moncrieff ones. In the end, my choice may be limited to what my local bookstore has.

2christiguc
Lug 6, 2008, 1:56 pm

The only translation I have read is the Moncrieff/Kilmartin/Enright version. Having nothing to compare it to, I cannot say it is the best; however, it was quite good. (In the LT Proust group, there is a bit of a conversation here about different translations).

I'll be interested to see what other people in this group recommend.

3DieFledermaus
Lug 6, 2008, 8:51 pm

I'm in the same boat as christiguc - have only read the Kilmartin/Enright series. I was interested in the new Penguin series, but it won't be completed for several more years. Also, since they're using different translators for different books, one has to wonder how cohesive it will be. It would be nice to hear from anyone who has read multiple translations - or if you've read it in the original and also a translation.

Another random topic - has anyone read Jean Santeuil and is it worth reading?

4rebeccanyc
Lug 7, 2008, 8:48 am

I read the new series, with different translators for each volume, and I really enjoyed it, although the translations varied in quality (I'm not an expert -- some just flowed better). While this is the only translation I've read, so I can't compare, I started other translations several times and never could get through them (not because of the quality of the translations, though).

DieFledermaus, the series is completed, but you have to order the last several volumes from Amazon.uk, because they can't be published in the US for many years due to some complex copyright issues.

5urania1
Lug 8, 2008, 6:02 pm

I've been directing a reading group that has been working through In Search of Lost Time. We have used the new Penguin series. Most of us had read Proust once already using the revised Moncrieff version. In general, we voted two thumbs up for the Penguin multiple translator series. We finish the whole work next month and then will be moving on to an intensive study of Dostoevesky (with comic interludes scheduled).

6DieFledermaus
Lug 10, 2008, 7:27 pm

5 - urania - That's pretty impressive - it's hard enough to convince just one person to read Proust! Was there one volume in the Penguin series that was especially good or that you thought improved on the Kilmartin/Enright translation?