Ancient, Classical & Medieval

Aeneid (Dover Thrift Editions)
Aeneid (Dover Thrift Editions)

Review:Any translation of The Aeneid is an epic undertaking, so our response to it, given the tradeoffs inherent in converting Virgil's high Latin into another language, ought to be at least respectful, and moreover measured by appropriate sensitivity to the translator's purpose. And here, Robert Fagles has set out to convey the material to a modern, English-speaking audience, and he succeeds with a highly readable combination of fidelity and verve.

That's the good news. The bad news is that Fa... Read more

The Aeneid (Vintage Classics)
The Aeneid (Vintage Classics)

Review:Any translation of The Aeneid is an epic undertaking, so our response to it, given the tradeoffs inherent in converting Virgil's high Latin into another language, ought to be at least respectful, and moreover measured by appropriate sensitivity to the translator's purpose. And here, Robert Fagles has set out to convey the material to a modern, English-speaking audience, and he succeeds with a highly readable combination of fidelity and verve.

That's the good news. The bad news is that Fa... Read more

The Aeneid
The Aeneid

Review:Any translation of The Aeneid is an epic undertaking, so our response to it, given the tradeoffs inherent in converting Virgil's high Latin into another language, ought to be at least respectful, and moreover measured by appropriate sensitivity to the translator's purpose. And here, Robert Fagles has set out to convey the material to a modern, English-speaking audience, and he succeeds with a highly readable combination of fidelity and verve.

That's the good news. The bad news is that Fa... Read more

The Aeneid of Virgil (Bantam Classics)
The Aeneid of Virgil (Bantam Classics)

Review:The recording offered here by Blackstone Audiobooks is an astonishing bargain. Frederick Davidson's unabridged (13-hour 11-CD) rendition of Jackson-Knight's classic prose translation of the Aeneid is well done and at a price that beggers belief. The only reason I hesitated before giving it a well-deserved five stars is that I personally found Davidson's delivery to be rather camp to my English ear, which did mean I had to listen for a while to tune into the words. Then it was wonderful. Read more

The Aeneid (Penguin Classics)
The Aeneid (Penguin Classics)

Review:The recording offered here by Blackstone Audiobooks is an astonishing bargain. Frederick Davidson's unabridged (13-hour 11-CD) rendition of Jackson-Knight's classic prose translation of the Aeneid is well done and at a price that beggers belief. The only reason I hesitated before giving it a well-deserved five stars is that I personally found Davidson's delivery to be rather camp to my English ear, which did mean I had to listen for a while to tune into the words. Then it was wonderful. Read more

The Aeneid (Everyman's Library)
The Aeneid (Everyman's Library)

Review:The recording offered here by Blackstone Audiobooks is an astonishing bargain. Frederick Davidson's unabridged (13-hour 11-CD) rendition of Jackson-Knight's classic prose translation of the Aeneid is well done and at a price that beggers belief. The only reason I hesitated before giving it a well-deserved five stars is that I personally found Davidson's delivery to be rather camp to my English ear, which did mean I had to listen for a while to tune into the words. Then it was wonderful. Read more

The Inferno
The Inferno

Review:There have been several excellent translations of Dante in the past few years, all worth reading in their own right. But I retain a special affection for John Ciardi's version, as it's the first one I ever read, at the unprepared & overwhelmed age of 15. I knew of its reputation as a major classic & I was ignorant enough to be unfazed by the prospect of reading it.

Well, to say that I was soon in over my head is an understatement! But Ciardi's fine, lyrical translation, as well as... Read more

The Epic of Gilgamesh
The Epic of Gilgamesh

Review:One of the stories that defined what a "classic" is. This is a very readable translation. Gilagamesh is one of the earliest recorded mythologies. The Epic is a must read for the history/literature buff. Read more

The Epic of Gilgamesh (Penguin Classics)
The Epic of Gilgamesh (Penguin Classics)

Review:One of the stories that defined what a "classic" is. This is a very readable translation. Gilagamesh is one of the earliest recorded mythologies. The Epic is a must read for the history/literature buff. Read more

Inferno (Hackett Classics)
Inferno (Hackett Classics)

Review:There have been several excellent translations of Dante in the past few years, all worth reading in their own right. But I retain a special affection for John Ciardi's version, as it's the first one I ever read, at the unprepared & overwhelmed age of 15. I knew of its reputation as a major classic & I was ignorant enough to be unfazed by the prospect of reading it.

Well, to say that I was soon in over my head is an understatement! But Ciardi's fine, lyrical translation, as well as... Read more

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