Bely's Petersburg

I'm hoping to immerse myself in this work soon, but am struggling to decide which version to read. Not only is there the decision between the 1916 and 1922 versions, but the different translations. Does anyone have any advice please? :)

On my TBR pile. Or list--haven't yet actually acquired a copy. But you have Cournos, Maguire/Malmstad, MacDuff and most recently, Elsworth. I hear the Maguire/Malmstad is the best but there was some postive feedback for the Elsworth.

But the '22 is shorter, right? I would think that would further indicate the author's intent. If it was a work that became longer with the years through various revisions then it might be more difficult to decide especially if the shorter, earlier one was better. But you could read a couple, read the available criticism, learn Russian and then make a choice. If only we had the time (and money) to do so...

I've had the Elsworth version on my TBR for 5 years or so . . . maybe I'll get to it this year . . .

I read the '22 version as a text during my semester abroad in St. Petersburg. The professor claimed that this was Bely's preferred version for readers' consumption. It's a dense work but definitely worth reading. It holds a very special place in my heart given that I read it while there, able to see many of the places he mentions.

"But you could read a couple, read the available criticism, learn Russian and then make a choice. If only we had the time (and money) to do so.."

:) Well, exactly! And the problem is compounded by the fact I have all 4 versions on Mount TBR. However, I'm not inclined to spend time on the Cournos as I've read not so good things about it. I would have gone for the Elsworth but there are no notes which I find odd. So I'm tossing up between MacDuff and Maguire/Malmstad which are a short or a long one - so it will probably be one of them!

If I win the Powerball I will make anonymous cash donations to LT readers and thereby advance my agenda of reading literature behind the scenes and Koch-like, but until then I think those are very good choices...

That sounds like a nice TBR pile.

:) It's a very nice TBR pile, with many many Russians on it. I have started the MacDuff translation and am so far finding it very pleasing and easier to read than I expected - somewhat hypnotic, in a strange way, with a very dreamy quality and very clever. Glad I've gone for the longer one!

It's funny rereading the beginning has reminded me of the jocular, sometimes schematic technique Flann O'Brien sometimes uses. Haven't read Petersburg more than two chapters so I'm not sure if the comparison is accurate but the sharpening of the pencil, the dialogue, etc. seem that way...

John Elsworth won Rossica Translation Prize in 2012 for his translation of Petersburg.

http://academia-rossica.org/en/literature/rossica-prize-2012

I'm past the 2 chapters mark and loving the book very much. I've not read any Flann O'Brien so I can't compare but this is certainly a remarkable and wonderful piece of art. The McDuff translation is working for me - and the notes are at the right level for me too. Macguire/Malmstad seem a little too over the top with their notes and Elsworth has none - I can see how he's got round this in places (e.g. translating the word "downgraded" - status of a town - as "a town of no administrative importance") - but I personally would rather have the accurate word and a note myself!

Thanks for the warning about Elsworth --- I may have to buy a different edition before I read it. I do love notes.

I've finished Petersburg and my review is here:

http://kaggsysbookishramblings.wordpress.com/2014/03/11/recent-reads-petersburg-...

I think this will definitely be one of my reads of the year - and I'm so glad I read the McDuff Penguin version as it was just the right translation for me!

I'm coming late to the thread, but if anybody's interested I wrote about the novel here.

And I wrote about the fine new A Reader’s Guide to Andrei Bely’s Petersburg here:
http://languagehat.com/a-readers-guide-to-petersburg/

>14 languagehat: Ooh ta - off to check this out!