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Aoteaurora t1_iu2hsqi wrote

Penguin Classics' version is translated by Robin Buss and it's seen as the best version there is.

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Indotex OP t1_iu2ikmc wrote

I’ll look into it, thanks!

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ZeMastor t1_iu3esj7 wrote

Yep. Going from the Lowell Bair abridgement to Robin Buss' unabridged is a natural step up. I have them both (as well as several other versions).

If you read them side by side, you will notice that there is a greater level of detail in Buss. For example, when Albert shows his paintings to the Count in Paris on his first visit, Buss details exactly what the paintings looked like and what the subjects were and who painted them. Bair simply says that Albert showed the Count his paintings and that they were modern works and the Count knew something about them already.

Not everybody wants that level of detail, so Bair is always a comfortable fall-back if Buss gets to be too much.

Both editions are excellent, very modern and have a lot to offer to their different audiences.

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Erebus172 t1_iu3h8ua wrote

The Robin Buss translation is so good. I ended up reading The Stranger just because Robin translated it as well.

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Indotex OP t1_iu4tifr wrote

Thanks for all the replies! I’m going to finish rereading the Blair version this time around but I will definitely be looking for the Buss version!

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jefrye t1_iu3d052 wrote

Reddit user u/ZeMastor put together this website comparing the various abridgments (that page includes spoilers, but he also put together this spoiler-free page). The bottom line is that the best widely available abridgement is by Lowell Blair and published by Bantam.

However, if you're willing to read the unabridged version (which I'd highly recommend), the gold standard is the Robin Buss translation published by Penguin.

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satanspanties t1_iu3ncld wrote

Please post recommendation requests in /r/suggestmeabook or the weekly thread.

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