COMPLETE A Confession by Leo Tolstoy-mas

[pokrovsky]

A Confession by Leo Tolstoy (1828 - 1910). Translated by Louise and Aylmer Maude (1855 - 1939)

This project is now complete. All audio files can be found on our catalog page here: https://librivox.org/a-confession-version-2-by-leo-tolstoy/

Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church. ( Paul Rizik)

1. Text source (only read from this text!): https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/008973972
2. Type of proof-listening required (Note: please read the PL FAQ): standard
   
   IMPORTANT - soloist, please note: in order to limit the amount of languishing projects (and hence the amount of files on our hard-pressed server), we ask that you post an update at least once a month in your project thread, even if you haven't managed to record anything. If we don't hear from you for three months, your project may be opened up to a group project if a Book Coordinator is found. Files you have completed will be used in this project. If you haven't recorded anything yet, your project will be removed from the forum (contact any admin to see if it can be re-instated).
   
   Please don't download or listen to files belonging to projects in process (unless you are the BC or PL). Our servers are not set up to handle the greater volume of traffic. Please wait until the project has been completed. Thanks!
   

   Magic Window:

   
   
   BC Admin
   ============================================
3. The reader will record the following at the beginning and end of each file:
   No more than 0.5 to 1 second of silence at the beginning of the recording!
   START of recording (Intro):
   • "Chapter [number] of A Confession. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information, or to volunteer, please visit: librivox DOT org"
   • If you wish, say:
     "Recording by [your name], [city, your blog, podcast, web address]"
   • Say:
     "A Confession, by Leo Tolstoy. Translated by Aylmer Maude. [Chapter]"
   
   
   For the second and all subsequent sections, you may optionally use the shortened form of this intro disclaimer:
   • "Chapter [number] of A Confession by Leo Tolstoy. Translated by Aylmer Maude. This LibriVox recording is in the Public Domain."
   • If you wish, say:
     "Recording by [your name], [city, your blog, podcast, web address]"
   • Only if applicable, say:
     "[Chapter title]"
   END of recording:
   • At the end of the section, say:
     "End of [Chapter]"
   • If you wish, say:
     "Recording by [your name], [city, your blog, podcast, web address]"
   • At the end of the book, say (in addition):
     "End of A Confession, by Leo Tolstoy. Translated by Aylmer Maude."
   
   There should be 5 seconds silence at the end of the recording, or 10 seconds for files longer than 30 minutes.
4. Example filename confession_##_tolstoy_128kb.mp3 (all lower-case) where ## is the section number (e.g. confession_01_tolstoy_128kb.mp3)
5. Transfer of files (completed recordings)
   Please always post in this forum thread when you've sent a file. Also, post the length of the recording (file duration: mm:ss) together with the link.
   • Upload your file with the LibriVox Uploader: https://librivox.org/login/uploader
     
     (If you have trouble reading the image above, please message an admin)
   • You'll need to select the MC, which for this project is: maryannspiegel
   • When your upload is complete, you will receive a link - please post it in this thread.
   • If this doesn't work, or you have questions, please check our How To Send Your Recording wiki page.
6. Any questions?
   Please post below

[MaryAnnSpiegel]

Paul,

I'd be happy to MC this for you.

Would you consider reading from this source: https://archive.org/details/myconfessionspir00tols (this translation is already in the LV catalog)
Or this source (a different translator): https://archive.org/details/myconfessionmyre00tols

Both of these are scans, so we can clearly verify the publication date was before 1923.

The site you referenced says the translation was Aylmer Maude. He lived until 1938. The one scan I can find of Maude's translation (https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/008973972) has no publication date, so there is a chance that this translation was published after 1923, even though the translator's intro was dated 1920. We'd like to have clear evidence of the publication date, not inferences.

MaryAnn

[pokrovsky]

Hi MaryAnn, thanks for agreeing to help me out. The Maude translation, I think, is much less stiff and more readable than the other translation; the only reason I want to read this work to begin with is because the previously recorded version is from (in my opinion) a bad translation that loses a lot of the power of the original. The Maude scan you linked says on the bar on the left that it's in the public domain, but if that's not good enough, then it seems redundant to read a translation that's already been recorded. So that's sort of where I'm at: if it's not possible for me to do the Maude translation, then I would not want to do it at all.

*Edit* The scan you linked lists the publication date as 1921, just above the table of contents.

[MaryAnnSpiegel]

I'm looking for the date and I don't see it. Are you looking at the scan from Princeton on Hathi Trust?

On the Hathi Trust catalog page, I see this: Published: London, New York [etc.] H. Milford, Oxford university press [1921]
I think they use brackets around the date when they are not sure, or when it does not appear in the document.

MaryAnn

[MaryAnnSpiegel]

Ah, I see the PD designation now when I link through to the Princeton scan.

But still, where are you seeing the 1921 date above the TOC? I am totally missing that.

We do trust Hathi trust PD determinations, so it would be OK to read from this source.

MaryAnn

[pokrovsky]

In the Princeton scan, https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101068609633;view=1up;seq=8

page vi:

'A Confession' was first circulated in Russia in 1882; ' What I believe in 1884. They were first printed in Geneva in 1888. In 'The World's Classics' Mr. Aylmer Maude's translation was first published in 1921

Page iii identifies the scanned work as "The World's Classics."

[StoryTeller]

Could I please DPL?

[MaryAnnSpiegel]

Thank you Paul!

I have set up the project using the Hathi source.

For a solo project, you are the Book Coordinator. That means you fill out the Magic Window and post your links and times in the window when you upload your files. I've started you off with an idea on how I would handle the section titles for a book like this. There is no one "right" way, so if you would like to approach it differently, that's fine.

You'll need to start by logging into the magic window. Instructions are in the BC How-to; and this is a more detailed version of the First Login instructions (with pictures!) Please be sure to read all of the BC How To document, as that will give you more information on your role as a BC.

If you have questions, or if you have any trouble with the instructions in the BC how to, please post and we'll work through it together. There is quite a learning curve when you do your first solo. You've picked a nice size book - not too long and something that you are interested in, so it should be a manageable and enjoyable process for you.

MaryAnn

[MaryAnnSpiegel]

Could I please DPL?

Georgina,

I have added you as DPL. You also will need to start by logging into the Magic Window. See the links in the previous post.

As DPL, you will need to change the status of each section . . . from "ready for PL" to "see PL comments" or "PL OK" as appropriate. Post any PL comments in the thread.

We have proof listening resources here: http://wiki.librivox.org/index.php/Guide_for_Proof-listeners
There's even a quiz here: http://wiki.librivox.org/index.php/ProofListening_tips_and_quiz

Paul has asked for Standard PLing. Our wiki page says this on "standard" pling:

Always check the first post for the level of proof-listening requested, or post in the thread to ask. Please do not offer feedback beyond the level requested.

In general, we ask for standard listening -- repeats and gaps:
Listen for repeated words or passages that the reader likely intended to edit out.
Note any long pauses or bad background noises that disrupt the flow of your listening pleasure.
Note that the intro and outro has the correct wording as noted in the first post of the project thread, and 5 seconds of silence at the end (or 10 seconds if the recording is over 30 minutes).
If the recording seems too loud or too quiet, please note that as well.
It is NOT necessary for you to follow along with the text; just listen as you would normally.

I generally paraphrase this as the "huh?" test. When I am listening, I do not follow along with the text and will comment on anything that makes me go "huh? did that make sense?".

If you have any trouble logging into the MW or questions about PLing, please reach out.

Hope that you both enjoy this project very much!

MaryAnn

[StoryTeller]

Thank you, MaryAnn!

[pokrovsky]

Thanks for the help MaryAnn and thanks for volunteering Georgina!

Parts 1 and 2 are up.

Please excuse my terrible French in part 2

[MaryAnnSpiegel]

Paul,
You'll need to fill in the section titles in the "title" column. Please also post the duration mm:ss in the "notes" column.
MaryAnn

[StoryTeller]

Hi, Paul! You're very welcome and I'm looking forward to this.

Couple of quick queries on the translator details:

- We name both Louise and Aylmer yet give only one death date.
- I notice the Hathi Trust file only names Aylmer.
- I'm wondering if we need to state the translator's death date at all.

[MaryAnnSpiegel]

Thanks for pointing that out Georgina. Our template generator doesn't do so good with translators, so I've cleaned up the intro language in the first post.

MaryAnn

[pokrovsky]

I reuploaded chapter 2 with the correct translation schpeel and also added chapters 3 & 4