Alexander Griboedov (1795-1829), described by Pushkin as the
"cleverest man of his generation," is best known as the author of
Woe from Wit. While serving on a diplomatic mission to
Persia in the aftermath of the 1826-1828 Russo-Persian War, he was
brutally murdered when a mob assaulted the Russian embassy in
Tehran.
Betsy Hulick has translated Russian poets and playwrights,
including Pushkin and Chekhov, and her translation of Gogol's
Inspector General was produced on Broadway.
Enjoyable, clever, and very amusing, Woe from Wit deserves
to be better-known and more widely performed beyond Russia. -- M.
A. Orthofer * The Complete Review *
For those of you who feel the urge to broaden your horizon of the
Russian classics, Woe from Wit offers a few hours of light
and satisfying entertainment that I highly recommend. * Lossi36
*
A wonderfully entertaining read, with laugh-out-loud lines and
memorable set pieces. * Kaggsy's Bookish Ramblings *
Certain masterpieces seem to defy translation. Griboedov's
scintillating verse comedy of manners, Woe from Wit, is
thought to be one of them. Betsy Hulick's translation comes as
close to nullifying that notion as any. It is accurate, sprightly,
inventive, and eminently playable. She has captured the sharp
characterizations and aphoristic dialogue of the original. Her
version deserves to be on the same shelf as Richard Wilbur's
Tartuffe and the Cyrano of Anthony Burgess. --
Laurence Senelick, Tufts University
The picture of Russia reflected in Griboedov's great play in the
nineteenth century has been brilliantly realized in Betsy Hulick's
twenty-first century translation. This paradoxically contemporary
classic, with its far-seeing themes, will be a welcome contribution
to the English speaking stage. -- Sergei Kakovkin, Honored Artist
of the Russian Federation, playwright, director, actor
Finally: an eminently stageable translation of Griboedov's Woe
from Wit! The play truly comes to life in English and the
dialogue that created so many Russian catchphrases comes through as
lively, effortlessly colloquial, and often hilariously funny. --
Julia Trubikhina, City University of New York
Betsy Hulick's recent translation is, like the original,
rhymed and intended for the stage. . . the fluidity of the text has
been preserved with minimal losses. -- Anna Aslanyan * Los Angeles
Review Books *
Those who know and love the original might have wished to see more
of their favourite maxims recreated, but this buoyant English
version wasn't prepared with them in mind. It stands, and often
takes to the air, on its own. -- Boris Dralyuk * Times Literary
Supplement *
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