The Idiot: New Translation

Having sampled several available English translations of this book, I have to say Ignat Avsey's is not only the most readable, but also has a rare tonal integrity and coherence for a translated book. Granted, while Russian was his mother tongue, Avsey was also British--hence occasionally Britishisms or anachronistic Anglo-slang creep into the sentences. But compared to his predecessors, such lapses are relatively few and far between. For what it's worth, here's a quick lowdown on the various translations I've looked at of this book:--Eva Martin (not bad, although her over-Anglicization is an issue)--Constance Garnett (she's my preferred translator for Chekhov's prose, but her translation of "the Idiot" is truly horrendous: over-simplified, unjustified and outright changes to the text as if she's remaking Dostoevesky's world not just linguistically, but also culturally into an unbelievable Victorian/Edwardian England)--Pevear-Volokhonsky (as you can see, one knows English, the other Russian and neither of the duo knows both languages at once: and hence theirs reads like a patchwork that approaches accuracy but seriously lacks flow; sometimes I preferred robotic google translate to PV's handiwork)--David McDuff (better than PV, but prose falls flat too often for me)--Ignat Avsey (as I've said above, a joy to read: occasional Britishisms apart, Avsey has an ear for the language and dialog that shows, making you feel like you're reading one book and author from beginning to end)

Great book to read ,and i find this translation is easy read compared to the other translations(so far i read different of Fyodor Dostoevsky with different translators) .The biggest problem with Fyodor Dostoevsky is his novels are never easy read.Once you complete any of his work you want to read his other work.Book delivered in good condition and delivered on time,

Interesting character. Story of aman whose appearance and coversation style defines himself an idiot in conventional sense. He had also received long treatment to overcome foolishness. His straightforwardness and friendly character have made him popular specially among women but his rationales were often missed.

Go for it, it's even got rubbery texture on its cover

The Alma Evergreens Classics is the best version.... translated by Ignat Avsey.I've read just 50 pages... and this book has sucked me in! It's beautifully written, and one sees why it's a classic.Great packaging and excellent condition.

A classical book, with an excellent translation. Timely delivered.

Very well delivered... Missed the bookmark though... :)

I needed this modern translation because I was struggling with the 99 pence version of the entire works of Dostoyevsky. That was full of annoying typos due to the cheap OCR process used to scan the original text. The 99p version is a direct translation, whereas this version is into idiomatically modern English, which was easier to read, and for such a long complicated dense novel, a necessity.

Daughter loves this item.

A very enjoyable translation.

Although I bought this book during Christmas time at around 4 Euro, after a lot of research and my dilemma to buy this edition, I would not recommend this book to anyone.I just read two pages and I felt difficulty in understanding already on the 3rd page. Like who is who and conversations are very awkward. Then I checked the Richard Pevear's version and OMG, its so easy to understand and smooth.Unfortunately, I passed the return window of my purchase and I could not return this book now. Hence, giving a review of this edition and translator. Stay away.However, the print and pages of the book are just wonderful. But if reading is not comfortable and hard to follow, what's the point of buying this translation? Hope my review helped.

It’s hard to review The Idiot without giving too much away. I’ve read some of Dostoevsky’s other works, like Crime and Punishment, but after finishing this book I find it to be my absolute favorite of all of them. The cast of characters are some of the best of any novel I’ve read, and each one is written with such care and detail that they could be individually analyzed almost endlessly. I was drawn to so many characters for different reasons as the story progressed, and the broad themes like self-destruction, salvation, obsession, fear, and hope shown so brilliantly in each of the characters’ actions.Aside from being so incredibly profound (I would often find myself rereading chapters in different translations and using different symbolic lenses to see if I’d gain some new insight from them), this is by far perhaps the funniest book that Dostoevsky ever wrote. The comedic moments can genuinely make you laugh, and their woven so seamlessly into the broader narrative of a very emotionally twisted story.It’s rare for me to say this, but this is one of the few “classic” novels that I really believe I will go back and reread time and time again. There are so many layers and intricate characters, that it feels as though you could read the story again with a completely separate focus each time. It’s a book that challenges you to constantly self-reflect and see where you stand on various issues like mortality, religious belief, and selfless action. I found myself drawn to many of the more religious aspects of Dostoevsky’s writing, especially the symbolism of the Prince, Rogozhin, and Nastasya, but this book can be read in so many completely different ways: philosophically, as a character study, or even as a romance. The list is nearly endless.I wish there was more I could say about this book, but in truth it’s left me with so much to think about that I feel I could not possibly do it any more justice without taking some more time thinking about it first.