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jefrye t1_iycnaeu wrote

The only translation I would recommend reading is the Robin Buss translation, which is widely acknowledged to be far and away the best unabridged version. The translation you have could be only slightly inferior, or it could be very bad and/or abridged and/or Bowdlerized.

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Parzzzzival OP t1_iyco1vy wrote

I just checked and there’s no mention about who translated it :(

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jefrye t1_iycodyn wrote

I can tell you it's definitely not Robin Buss—his translation was first published sometime in the 2000s.

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Parzzzzival OP t1_iyconub wrote

Well, only thing I could do now is to read it after finishing ‘House of leaves’ (my current read). And I hope this edition of Monte Cristo will sell for a lot after many years, lol

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lydiardbell t1_iycpoch wrote

Until Buss, most translations of Monte Cristo were anonymous (and a couple of named translators were actually only editing the first anonymous version).

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fromorphantohighflye t1_iyd7zqs wrote

I think I speak for many here when I say that picking the 'best' translation of an old/classic book out of the numerous translations that exist can be bloody irritating at times. There always seems to be 2/3 translations that different people recommend for different reasons.

I was in a bookshop last month and they stocked two different translations of the same book. One had over 100 pages more than the other.

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Of-Lily t1_iyeff92 wrote

I probably speak for many fewer, but I find it worthwhile to do a google-search-worth of due diligence. However the question that I’m trying to answer is not necessarily which translation is ‘best’ but rather whether I will have a preference. There isn’t always a ‘definitive’ translation (where opinion is fairly unanimous, as in this case). At which point an overview of competing opinions allows me to apply my own personal subjective criteria. For example, I tend to prefer the clarity of modern translations. Or, I may lean toward a fresh perspective like this Or, I may just want to confirm that the convenient option isn’t the edition that has universally panned. I admit…I am ‘worst’ adverse. 😉

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Of-Lily t1_iyczrfv wrote

Fair point. Translators matter. TCoMC is a masterpiece…and a decided time investment. IMHO worth picking up a newer edition for the reading.

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AuctorLibri t1_iydgwxj wrote

This! I thoroughly enjoyed my re-read of this version.

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