Brown, in explaining the chequered history of 'We', its various renditions, and the need for his new translation, says that Zamyatin regarded the book — which some might describe as a mere "novella" alongside the hefty, often multi-volume tomes of contemporary science fiction — as his most light-hearted and most serious work.
It's a light and swift read, that's for sure. But it delivers a subtle and serious message of the kind you could be thinking about for months.
________
(The 1993 translation of 'We' reviewed here and at my place stands alongside another recent one by Mirra Ginsburg, also listed below. The latter is said to be easier to obtain in the United States, but one Amazon reviewer notes that it may not be the best. Not having seen it, I couldn't say.)
Article comments