Dead Souls
A revised translation of a classic Russian literary masterpiece
Nikolai Gogol author Bernard Guilbert Guerney translator Ms Susanne Fusso editor
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Yale University Press
Published:21st Feb '96
Should be back in stock very soon
This edition of Dead Souls features a renowned translation praised for its fidelity to Gogol's original work, enriched with insightful commentary.
This edition presents Gogol's comic novel Dead Souls, which revolves around a mysterious con man and his grotesque victims. The story, originally published in 1842, is a significant piece of Russian literature that explores themes of morality and society through satire. The new translation, first published in 1942 by Bernard Guilbert Guerney, has been praised for its fidelity to Gogol's original style, making it a preferred choice among scholars and readers alike.
The reissued text of Dead Souls has undergone careful revisions to enhance its authenticity, removing earlier drafts that were previously included. Accompanying the novel is an insightful introduction by Susanne Fusso, along with appendices that feature excerpts from Guerney's translations of other works by Gogol, as well as letters written by the author during the time he was crafting Dead Souls. This context enriches the reader's understanding of Gogol's intentions and the literary landscape of his time.
Scholars and enthusiasts alike have lauded this translation for its ability to capture Gogol's exuberant and erratic style. Critics highlight that Guerney's approach to translating Dead Souls is not merely about words but involves a poetic recreation of the text. This splendidly revised edition is a must-read for anyone interested in the complexities of Russian literature and the enduring impact of Gogol's work.
"Bernard Guilbert Guerney . . . created the first translation sufficiently precise to meet the approval of the exacting Vladimir Nabokov. This 1942 edition breathes vitality and humour and stood as the most accurate to date. For good reason, then, Susanne Fusso chose to revise this version. Guerney's philosophy of translation entailed capturing the spirit rather than the letter of the text. . . . This updated and admirable accurate translation is the more poetic and elevated version, with more consistently formal and complex English. The result is a refined and faithful rendition."—Zenon M. Feszczak, Slavic and East European Journal
"I am delighted that Guerney's translation of Dead Souls [is] available again. It is head and shoulders above all the others, for Guerney understands that to 'translate' Gogol is necessarily to undertake a poetic recreation, and he does so brilliantly."—Robert A. Maguire, Columbia University
"The Guerney translation of Dead Souls is the only translation I know of that makes any serious attempt to approximate the qualities of Gogol's style—exuberant, erratic, 'Baroque,' bizarre."—Hugh McLean, University of California, Berkeley
"A splendidly revised and edited edition of Bernard Guerney's classic English translation of Gogol's Dead Souls. The distinguished Gogol scholar Susanne Fusso may have brought us as close as the English reader may ever expect to come to Gogol's masterpiece. No student, scholar, or general reader will want to miss this updated, refined version of one of the most delightful and sublime works of Russian literature."—Robert Jackson, Yale University
ISBN: 9780300060997
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 318g
304 pages