I can't comment Kobo's version of War and Peace myself, so just generally speaking:
Quote:
Originally Posted by kiwipippa
Is it a reasonable translation with minimal errors, or am I better to buy one or source a better version?
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How important is the fit of the translation to you? Do you favour more modern styles in your translation, in which case it might be worth spending money? The public domain ones tend to be older or more 'Victorian', but this doesn't always mean they're worse.
I
think the Kobo version is from Project Gutenberg, which appears to be the Maude translation. There are various other translations available (some for purchase), including Garnett, Briggs, Bromfield, and Pevear-Volokhonsky. The newest and most modern translation is by apparently the tour de force Pevear-Volokhonsky, whose translation of Anna Karenina made the Oprah Book Club and seems to have made their efforts flavour of the month. Bromfield's is a controversial translation that purports to be based on the 'original' (there are apparently a few different versions of W&P). Garnett's is seen as rustically Victorian but with an easy style. The Maudes apparently knew Tolstoy and were fervent promoters of his works. Unfortunately, most ebooks available for purchase don't seem to specify the translator.
Of course, if you don't care for translations that much, just try the public domain one and see if it reads naturally for you. In any case, sorry for the info dump... I've been wanting to read War and Peace myself, and since the translation is fairly important to me, am having trouble deciding on one.
