Anna Karenina

内容は言うまでもなく、英訳（Bartlett）も編集も、★5ですが、残念ながら造本で減点です。 800ページもの大冊なので、弁当箱のようなペーパーバックよりもハードカバーのほうが手に馴染むと考えて、あえて値段の高いほうを選びました。それはそれでよかったのですが、本文用紙に横目の紙が使われているため、違和感があってページがはなはだめくりにくい（2017年改訂版の第13刷）。 ボリュームの関係で束の出ない紙を使うのは当然としても、あえて横目の紙に印刷して薄い紙の腰の弱さを補おうとするのは、いささか邪道ではないでしょうか。電子書籍を選べってか？

masterpiece and great paper quality

Bartlett’s translation is extremely faithful to Tolstoy’s original prose. She maintained the structure and rhythm of Russian without oversimplifying or modernising. She also avoided embellishing or over-interpreting the original text, and maintained the same simplicity and directness that is the hallmark of Tolstoy’s writing, especially in conversations and inner monologues. This is what those who know Russian have said about her translation. I don’t speak Russian. Hence I cannot attest to that. But having read four translations of AK (Garnett, Maude, P&V being the others), what I could definitely say is that besides being the most easy read, Bartlett’s translation has a great level of sophistication and nuance. It feels the most smooth and accessible among all translations I have read. It doesn’t appear too literal or too liberal, and maintains a balance between readability and fidelity (I can say this by comparing it with the P&V translation which is said to be word-by-word). Most importantly, it seems to have rendered Russian idiomatic expressions and cultural references in a way that is understandable in English without compromising the text. That is why it reads more like a modern mix of Garnett and Maude translation, but without the Victorian embellishments. Also, all the philosophy that Tolstoy inserted into this book is more palatable in Bartlett’s translation than in any other. Unless you are studying Russian, you are mostly a casual reader of Anna Karenina. This novel is really long and has longer sentences that meander for several lines with a lot of repeating phrases after every fourth word. So, pick a translation that is less confusing and easy to read. For an academic translation, Bartlett’s feels very simple, yet it is very elegantly written. You won’t regret choosing this one if you can afford it. Or else, Garnett or Maudes float freely online. This book is a hardcover from Oxford University Press. The text is printed in sufficiently large letters and used the most lovely fonts I have come across in a book. I like it so much.

A fine translation of a significant literary work presented in a very nice manner at a very attractive price.

Nicely organized with helpful notes which clarify terms in text. I like that the translator allowed single Russian words to appear in text. Overall, a delightful read about family life in Russia in the 19th century and a good escape from our daily pandemic worries.