How does the Penguin translation stack up? It's the only one I can easily find.

TylerE · on Dec 20, 2022

Assuming it's the Robin Buss translation - that's the one you want! Only version that was fully translated in the modern era. The earlier ones were all based off the problematic 19th century translations with various amounts of the "scandalous" stuff added back in.

Samples:

19th PD: https://welovetranslations.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/st...

Buss: https://welovetranslations.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/bu...

(Not any spoilers really...these are both the 1st page).

Even here, notice the heavy abridgement...two whole sentences axed from the first 3 paragraphs alone!

The Buss just reads so much better and more idiomatically, even ignoring the censorship issues.

peatfreak · on Dec 21, 2022

Thanks for the information!! I just checked my copy, and it is indeed the Buss translation. I was reading it for several week a few months ago, and I ended up putting it down, just because it just wasn't happening for me and I couldn't figure out why.

Very recently I discovered that I need glasses (for the first time in my life). My eyes went from perfect to downhill very quickly. I'm now trying to get used to wearing reading glasses. This is especially important with a book like this, which has a tiny font. Now I know why I was feeling uncomfortable and getting headaches :-)