OM BOOKS INTERNATIONAL The Devils

It's an amazing story filled with memorable and distinct characters who feel like actual real people.The story is just phenomenal, Dostoevsky brilliantly paints a picture of a society that is on the verge of abandoning its old values(Old Gods if you will) and embrace the new ones which no one quite understands.It deals with a lot of issues including and not just Nihilism, Socialism. It's a great insight into the minds of how an ideology can consume human beings to such an incredible extent that they can't even see the damage it's causing to not just them but also their loved ones.From Devils:"Nowadays no one has a mind of his own, and there are terribly few originals minds nowadays"The quality of the paperback is great, The pages are quite thick and don't feel rough. The spine is also well made. The extra materials including the Life of Fyodor Dostoevsky is a great plus and some lines on Dostoevsky's Life's Work is also great to have.

I will read this book sooner..... But I know it will again be the best book as is had been with the idiots, Crime and punishment, Brothers Karamzov. I love it.

A good introduction and list characters is given at the starting with complementary notesTranslation was good as compared to Constance GarnettText size is also good with thick pagesSo a perfect read

A must read to understand Communism

It was very good!

A lot of subtleties and nuances are lost in this translation, leaving it a bit dry and one-dimensional. Several word choices have been made that don't fully explicate Dostoevsky's true sentiments behind the text. My favorite translation is "Devils" by Michael R. Katz (available on Audible and in print, but not Kindle). On Kindle I would recommend the free edition "The Possessed (The Devils)," translated by Constance Garnett. It lacks a cohesive table of contents and many footnotes, but captures the heart and tone of the novel beautifully. For your comparison:Devils: New Translation (Alma Classics) [this listing] -Part II - Chapter One - Night - pg. 222:He was an old servant, who had been like a nurse to Nikolai Vsevolodovich when he was a baby and held him in his arms; he was a serious and austere man, who liked to read and listen to works of a devotional nature.“Don’t worry, Alexei Yegorovich.”“May God’s blessing go with you, sir, but only if you’re planning to do good.”“What did you say?” asked Nikolai Vsevolodovich, stopping as he stepped out into the lane.Alexei Yegorovich doggedly repeated what he’d just said; before, he would never have dared talk to his master in that way.In my opinion, the Alma Classics translation (this listing) uses adjectives/adverbs that don't quite fit the true sentiment of the original text - such as the use of "doggedly" in the last line (where other translations use "resolutely"); and the transitional word "before," which doesn't fit. It also tends to over-simplify other parts of the text, leaving the reader missing out on many of the finer nuances of character development and settings.Devils: A new translation by Michael R. Katz (Oxford World's Classics) [my favorite translation - available in print or on Audible] -Part II - Chapter One - Night - pg. 244:He was an old servant who'd taken care of Nikolai Vsevolodovich as a child and even bounced him on his knee; he was a stern and serious man who loved to listen to and read from devotional books.'Don't worry, Aleksei Yegorovich.''May God bless you, sir, but only if what you're doing is righteous.''What?' Nikolai Vsevolodovich stopped as he was about to step out into the lane.Aleksei Yegorovich repeated his wish resolutely; never before had he dared express himself aloud to his master in such words.I believe the Michael R. Katz translation to be the most concise and precise translation of Dostoevsky's novel, accurately depicting characters and situations.The Possessed (The Devils) - translation by Constance Garnett (A Public Domain Book) [my favorite available Kindle version] -Part II - Chapter One - Night - location 3367 in Kindle:He was an old servant, who had been like a nurse to Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch, and at one time used to dandle him in his arms; he was a grave and severe man who was fond of listening to religious discourse and reading books of devotion."Don't be uneasy, Alexey Yegorytch.""May God's blessing rest on you, sir, but only in your righteous undertakings.""What?" said Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch, stopping short in the lane.Alexey Yegorytch resolutely repeated his words. He had never before ventured to express himself in such language in his master's presence.Although the Constance Barrett translation tends to be a bit verbose in certain areas, it captures the true sentiments of the author well and in my view is the best available version on Kindle.