PEN Translation Prize
2 appearances
-
Edition 31 (1991) Winner
-
Edition 42 (2002) Winner
Larissa Volokhonsky
ラリッサ・ヴォロホンスカヤ
Larissa Volokhonskaya
Aliases:
Лариса Волохонская
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1945-10-01 （Leningrad (now St. Petersburg)）
- Nationality
- Russian
- Languages
- Russian, English
- Religion
- Orthodox Christianity
- Residence History
- Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) → Vladivostok, Sakhalin Island, Kamchatka → Israel → United States → Paris (France)
Career
- Occupations
- Literary translator, Mathematical linguist
- Active Years
- 1985-
- Affiliations
- Institute of Marine Biology (Vladivostok)
- Influenced By
- Alexander Schmemann, John Meyendorff, Anri Volokhonsky
- Influenced
- Harold Bloom
- Nominations
- PEN/Book-of-the-Month Club Translation Prize (nominated three times)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leningrad State University | — | Mathematical linguistics | — | — | Soviet Union |
| Yale Divinity School | — | — | Master of Divinity | 1977-1979 | United States |
| St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary | — | — | — | 1979-1981 | United States |
Leningrad State University
Mathematical linguistics
Year of Graduation:
1967
Country:
Soviet Union
Yale Divinity School
Degree:
Master of Divinity
Period:
1977-1979
Year of Graduation:
1981
Country:
United States
Theological studies
St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary
Period:
1979-1981
Country:
United States
Studied under Alexander Schmemann and John Meyendorff
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | PEN/Book-of-the-Month Club Translation Prize | The Brothers Karamazov | — | PEN American Center | won |
| 2002 | PEN/Book-of-the-Month Club Translation Prize | Anna Karenina | — | PEN American Center | won |
| 2003 | Efim Etkind Translation Prize | The Idiot | — | European University at St. Petersburg | won |
PEN/Book-of-the-Month Club Translation Prize
1991
Work:
The Brothers Karamazov
Organization:
PEN American Center
Result:
won
PEN/Book-of-the-Month Club Translation Prize
2002
Work:
Anna Karenina
Organization:
PEN American Center
Result:
won
Efim Etkind Translation Prize
2003
Work:
The Idiot
Organization:
European University at St. Petersburg
Result:
won
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Brothers Karamazov
1880 NovelDostoevsky's masterpiece about brothers' conflicts and faith.
FaithSinRedemption
Anna Karenina
1877 NovelTolstoy's novel on adultery and society.
LoveMarriageSociety
War and Peace
1869 NovelEpic of Russian nobility during Napoleonic wars.
WarPeaceHistory
The Idiot
1869 NovelTragedy of the pure Prince Myshkin.
PuritySocietyLove
Bibliography
- The Brothers Karamazov
- Crime and Punishment
- Notes from Underground
- Demons
- The Eternal Husband
- The Idiot
- Anna Karenina
- War and Peace
- The Master and Margarita
- Dead Souls
Translations by Author
- Alexander Schmemann 'For the Life of the World' (to Russian)
- John Meyendorff 'Introduction to Patristic Theology' (to Russian)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Literal translation preserving Russian syntax and styleTwo-step collaboration: Volokhonsky's literal draft, Pevear polishes
Legacy
With Richard Pevear, revolutionized English translations of Russian classics. Praised for Dostoevsky and Tolstoy, but criticized for literal awkwardness. Oprah Book Club boosted fame.
In Popular Culture
- Oprah Winfrey's Book Club selection of Anna Karenina led to massive sales
Quotes
-
Larissa goes over it, raising questions. And then we go over it again. I produce another version, which she reads against the original. We go over it one more time, and then we read it twice more in proof.
Source: Interview (2007) -
We work separately at first. Larissa produces a complete draft, following the original as closely as possible, with many marginal comments and observations. From that, plus the original Russian, I make my own complete draft. Then we work closely together to arrive at a third draft.
Source: Richard Pevear (2007)
Trivia
- Born to a Jewish family in Leningrad but studied Orthodox theology.
- Met husband Richard Pevear in 1976, married in 1982; they have two trilingual children.
- Majored in mathematical linguistics, worked at marine biology institute, emigrated to Israel in 1973, to US in 1975.