Top ten English translations

Adam Thorpe is a poet, playwright and novelist...and a translator of Madame Bovary.

One of his top ten English translations, as told to the Guardian:

Russian Short Stories, translated by Robert Chandler and others

The indefatigable Robert Chandler is now best known for his masterly translation of Grossman's marathon Life and Fate, but this volume is a superb introduction to the Russian genius for the literary sprint – in all its variation of subject, style and mood. From Gogol and Chekhov to lesser-known figures such as Platonov or the tragic Shalamov, there is always a streak of pain.

Read about another book on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue