{"id":9613,"date":"2011-01-07T10:40:30","date_gmt":"2011-01-07T15:40:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theparisreview.org\/blog\/?p=9613"},"modified":"2018-12-03T13:58:28","modified_gmt":"2018-12-03T18:58:28","slug":"which-translation-of-proust-should-i-read","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theparisreview.org\/blog\/2011\/01\/07\/which-translation-of-proust-should-i-read\/","title":{"rendered":"Which Translation of Proust Should I Read?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

Boy Reading, Ned Anshutz, c. 1900.<\/p><\/div>\n

I am preparing to tackle Marcel Proust\u2019s mammoth, his tomb of involuntary memories and I cannot decide on a translation. Should it be the original English translation by Moncrieff? Or the revision of Moncrieff by Kilmartin? Or the revision of the revision by Enright? Or the new translation that begins with Davis and continuous with six different translators? I prefer a translation that is as close to the original as possible, without the translator attempting to \u201cupdate\u201d the language for modern readers, without inserting words that the writer would have never originally used. Which translation should be trusted when it comes time to read the mammoth?<\/em> \u2014Manuel Garcia<\/p>\n

For Swann\u2019s Way<\/em>, you can\u2019t really go wrong. All of those translations are wonderful. My favorite<\/a> is Lydia Davis\u2019s<\/a>. It sticks very close to the French, which I think you will like. And I think you will like Davis\u2019s sensibility: she is no vulgar updater. On the other hand, the Scott Moncrieff translation<\/a> may appeal to you because it\u2019s contemporary with the original. In fact, Proust\u2019s French is often more modern then Scott Moncrieff\u2019s English. The anachronisms are all in the other direction.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t vouch for the new translations of the later volumes. My advice is to read Swann\u2019s Way<\/a><\/em> in the Davis translation, then switch over to Enright<\/a>. It will also be fun for you to compare Davis to Enright every once in a while. You\u2019ll hear the difference right away.<\/p>\n

Someone recently yelled at my friend for not inviting another friend to his party. I say, it\u2019s right not a privilege. But my friend sucked it up, and apologized\u2014even though everyone agrees that that person was totally out of line. What would you have done?<\/em> \u2014Edie<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know, Edie. A soft answer turneth away wrath. The question is whether he apologized after<\/em> the party or before.<\/p>\n

Have a question for <\/em>The Paris Review? E-mail<\/a> us.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I am preparing to tackle Marcel Proust\u2019s mammoth, his tomb of involuntary memories and I cannot decide on a translation. Should it be the original English translation by Moncrieff? Or the revision of Moncrieff by Kilmartin? Or the revision of the revision by Enright? Or the new translation that begins with Davis and continuous with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[57,1621,456,576,575,725,426,530],"class_list":["post-9613","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ask-the-paris-review","tag-advice","tag-etiquette","tag-lorin-stein","tag-lydia-davis","tag-marcel-proust","tag-swanns-way","tag-the-paris-review","tag-translation"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhich Translation of Proust Should I Read? by Lorin Stein<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"January 7, 2011 \u2013 I am preparing to tackle Marcel Proust\u2019s mammoth, his tomb of involuntary memories and I cannot decide on a translation. 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