Which Translation of Proust is Right for you? (Lydia Davis vs Moncrieff-Kilmartin-Enright) (Patreon)

I've personally recommended the Moncrieff-Kilmartin-Enright translation of In Search of Lost Time for the book club.

But the other dominant translation by Lydia Davis (part of a project involving multiple translators and edited by Christopher Prendergast) is still a very valid choice - one that I think is smooth, poetic, and evocative.

My personal take on choosing translations is that one should cultivate their own ability to judge based on their unique personal tastes.

So let's do a blind Proust taste-test.

Clicking these links will reveal which translation is which, so it might be best to do that after you've heard them (of course, as we're sampling the opening, there is a chance you will already know who is who):

• First translation 
• Second translation 

And here are timestamps for the video, with some reading assignments below:

• 0:00 my recommendation for Proust  
• 0:30 learning to discern personal taste 
• 1:00 instructions for this blind taste test 
• 2:38 first translation 
• 5:20 second translation 
• 7:45 reading assignments

And here's a lovely reading of the French original. Regardless of whether you can understand French or not, why not sample the first minute or so? Treat it like music and appreciate the rhythm.

Reading Assignments:

1) Which translation did you prefer?

2) Why you do you think you might have preferred it?

3) Did you expect this result?

Happy Prousting, everybody! More fun stuff on the way!

Edit: On a funny note, YouTube has designated the above video unfit for those under the age of 18. This is the first time I've ever had an "adult" designation on any of my videos. I've uploaded twice and same result. Hopefully no one will be disappointed that the video is the farthest thing from adult imaginable.