In recent years, I’ve been working on my own translation of The Brothers Karamazov into Swedish when time and energy permitted – a project that has been both challenging and incredibly rewarding. Next year marks 40 years since the last Swedish translation was published, and while Staffan Dahl and Ellen Rydelius created magnificent treasures, the language has evolved. Manwhile, in England and the US, one translation after another has been published (Avsey, MacAndrews, Katz, McDuff, Matlaw, and more), so I thought: why not?
Unlike previous Swedish translations, I’ve also included a vast number of notes to guide the reader through Dostoevsky’s rich and complex world. In Book 1 alone, I have 46 notes, and overall there are more than 600. The notes draw insights from experts like Victor Terras, Robin Feuer Miller, Hubert Dreyfus (Berkeley), Robert L. Belknap (Columbia University), Erland Lagerroth, and, of course, the Bible. The Brothers Karamazov is bursting with biblical references, while also offering burlesque humor – a combination I want to bring out in my translation. It’s actually a much funnier book than many might imagine, and I hope that humor shines through in my version.
I’ve already translated the entire book, but here I’m presenting an example from Book 1 of 12. No editor has reviewed the text yet, so you’re seeing it exactly as I’ve translated it. This gives you a glimpse into my work, and hopefully, you’ll get a sense of how I’ve approached Dostoevsky’s masterpiece.
Although I don’t speak Russian, except for a few typical expressions often encountered in Dostoevsky’s works, I’ve relied on the excellent English translations available, Victor Terras’ detailed commentary on the Russian language, and, of course, modern language models to understand Russian – both word for word and in its cultural context. This has helped me try to capture not only the meaning but also the tone and humor of the book. I’ve also based my understanding on the extensive courses I’ve produced for my YouTube channel. Along the way, I’ve cross-referenced my work with Staffan Dahl and Ellen Rydelius. Perhaps this is blasphemous in the world of translation, etc., etc., but that’s how I’ve done it.
If the translation were to be published in the future, it would benefit not only from the review of a Swedish editor but also from someone knowledgeable in Russian and Dostoevsky to ensure that all nuances are fully conveyed.
Take this for what it is: a starting point and a direction of intent.
Här kan du läsa min första version av Bok 1 (pdf, of course in Swedish).
