The Plague: A new translation by Laura Marris
Product ID: 466012346
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“We can finally read the work as Camus meant it to be read. Laura Marris’s new translation of The Plague is, quite simply, the translation we need to have.” — Los Angeles Review of Books The first new translation of The Plague to be published in the United States in more than seventy years, bringing the Nobel Prize winner's iconic novel to a new generation of readers. • "A redemptive book, one that wills the reader to believe, even in a time of despair ." —The Washington Post The townspeople of Oran are in the grip of a deadly plague, which condemns its victims to a swift and horrifying death. Fear, isolation, and claustrophobia follow as they are forced into quarantine. Each person responds in their own way to the lethal disease: some resign themselves to fate, some seek blame, and a few, like Dr. Rieux, resist the terror. An immediate triumph when it was published in 1947, The Plague is in part an allegory of France's suffering under the Nazi occupation, as well as a timeless story of bravery and determination against the precariousness of human existence. In this fresh yet careful translation, award-winning translator Laura Marris breathes new life into Albert Camus's ever-resonant tale. Restoring the restrained lyricism of the original French text, and liberating it from the archaisms and assumptions of the previous English translation, Marris grants English readers the closest access we have ever had to the meaning and searing beauty of The Plague . This updated edition promises to add relevance and urgency to a classic novel of twentieth-century literature. Review: this new American translation shines light where the older British translation cast only shadows - Recent pandemic events inspired by the “novel” coronavirus cried out to me to reread my half-century-old Modern Library edition of The Plague, its black hardbound covers now faded a lusterless gray. By rereading the dog-eared pages of my copy, I hoped also to revisit the torturous thoughts of my lost youth. . I cherished this novel when I first read it 50 years ago, and upon rereading it two years ago I cherished it yet again. Alas, I did find tedious the subplots of the human melodramas enjoyed or endured by the diverse cast of minor characters, notably all male, found quarantined within the walls of this imaginary coastal city of French Algiers. In contrast, the passages about the unifying and ever-present main character, Mademoiselle (notably feminine noun) La Peste, remain brilliant distillations of the literature of existentialism for which the name “Camus” has become synonymous. But here comes a big But. Upon my 2nd reading, I found objectionable the outdated 1948 British translation marred by words and expressions whose meanings now are obscure, especially to Americans. I judged the novel as overdue for an updated American edition. This new American translation published in 2021 is precisely that overdue revision. This new translation prompted me to read the novel a 3rd time. Truly a book for our time, this new translation shines light where the older translation only cast shadows. . Nobly translated by Laura Marris, a poet and writer in her own right, Camus’ prescient novel has been accorded its definitive translation. Appropriately, Ms Marris was translating the novel when she was experiencing our covid lockdown herself. Well worth your pursuit, search online for her own literary criticism of “The Plague” published in 2022 in “The Paris Review.” She duly draws parallels to Camus’ plague and to our own decade’s so-called plague. Future editions of her translation may well include her updated essay as its Foreword. Review: Can’t recommend - Drab at times, average writing. I read it for the philosophical content but it definitely wasn’t a page turner.
| Best Sellers Rank | #24,647 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #429 in Psychological Fiction (Books) #608 in Classic Literature & Fiction #1,484 in Literary Fiction (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 453 Reviews |
M**N
this new American translation shines light where the older British translation cast only shadows
Recent pandemic events inspired by the “novel” coronavirus cried out to me to reread my half-century-old Modern Library edition of The Plague, its black hardbound covers now faded a lusterless gray. By rereading the dog-eared pages of my copy, I hoped also to revisit the torturous thoughts of my lost youth. . I cherished this novel when I first read it 50 years ago, and upon rereading it two years ago I cherished it yet again. Alas, I did find tedious the subplots of the human melodramas enjoyed or endured by the diverse cast of minor characters, notably all male, found quarantined within the walls of this imaginary coastal city of French Algiers. In contrast, the passages about the unifying and ever-present main character, Mademoiselle (notably feminine noun) La Peste, remain brilliant distillations of the literature of existentialism for which the name “Camus” has become synonymous. But here comes a big But. Upon my 2nd reading, I found objectionable the outdated 1948 British translation marred by words and expressions whose meanings now are obscure, especially to Americans. I judged the novel as overdue for an updated American edition. This new American translation published in 2021 is precisely that overdue revision. This new translation prompted me to read the novel a 3rd time. Truly a book for our time, this new translation shines light where the older translation only cast shadows. . Nobly translated by Laura Marris, a poet and writer in her own right, Camus’ prescient novel has been accorded its definitive translation. Appropriately, Ms Marris was translating the novel when she was experiencing our covid lockdown herself. Well worth your pursuit, search online for her own literary criticism of “The Plague” published in 2022 in “The Paris Review.” She duly draws parallels to Camus’ plague and to our own decade’s so-called plague. Future editions of her translation may well include her updated essay as its Foreword.
J**F
Can’t recommend
Drab at times, average writing. I read it for the philosophical content but it definitely wasn’t a page turner.
L**J
On the heels of COVID, this hits home
After being inconvenienced, threatened, and restricted by COVID, the Plague will take you to another level.
M**Y
Great writing from 1947
The plague has taken over the town of Oran, and members of the town are taking it differently. A doctor is on the front lines and comes across various people from different walks of life. Each offers a unique perspective on the plague with how they deal with it. There are a fair number of characters to keep track of, but I never had any issue keeping up. I'm sure many people will compare this with the COVID epidemic, and I can understand why they would. But the book is much more than that. The narrator purposely tries to give different points of view, how different people reacted to the situation and how they coped. It gets philosophical at some points and religious at others. I can't believe this book was written in 1947. It is written so well and the emotions portrayed are relatable today. Characters in this book do not have plot armor, but it's incredibly appropriate for the devastating disease the city is dealing with. Also, this particular translation addressed some liberties taken with a previous one. The changes are mentioned in an afterword, and I feel they were warranted. A good book that still holds up after many years.
H**S
Too detailed
Didnt care for it
J**R
Nicely Translated and Nicely Bound Classic
This is the fifth book by Albert Camus that I have read and my favorite. It is an easier read than some of his other works. As others have written elsewhere, it is a timely read during the COVID-19 pandemic. But Camus' writing about life and how human beings respond to its challenges is also highly applicable to other experiences. This is especially true for the kind of events that are isolating and thereby difficult for others without those experiences to understand as well as circumstances that are overwhelmingly life-changing and unending such that family, friends, and society are unwilling to provide accommodations or other supports. This version includes nice translator's notes at the end that explain an effort to more faithfully represent the exact wording of the original work. The hardback book is nicely printed and bound on thick paper of nice quality. Highly recommended.
S**S
Good
Good book.
A**T
Excellent to read in parallel with the French original
I used this English edition to help me read the French original, "La Peste", which I had bought in France a while ago. This English translation is very close to the original French text, to the point where expressions that are uncommon in French have been translated into expressions that are uncommon in English too. But on the other hand, this is really an easy-to-read novel, so there aren't too many uncommon expressions in it. The story itself is written through the perspective of the main characters while they lived through the fictional plague epidemic in their quarantined city, so it is very easy to follow.
C**Z
Parece falso
Mala calidad en general, eviten comprarlo
M**.
arrived a bit damaged, but an excellent book
arrived a bit damaged. an excellent book though
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