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Title: The Aeneid (Penguin Classics) by Virgil, David West ISBN: 0-14-044457-2 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: August, 1991 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $10.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 (8 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: "Somewhere In Between Prose and Verse"
Comment: For individuals less inclined to reading verse, David West's prose translation will come as a long-awaited relief. David West does not discard those elements that make Virgil so pleasant to read, and suprisingly manages to convert and preserve the original song and eloquence that marks the beauty of Virgil's great classic, the Aenied. In contrast with other editions this is moderately recommended.
Rating: 5
Summary: Fortune favors the bold
Comment: David West renders this classical work accessible with a flare and sensibility that is truly rare. In so doing he brings this masterpiece from the realm of scholars into the hearts and minds of students worldwide. West captures the pure power and scale and grandeur of Virgil through his enormous talent for rendering epic poetry into prose. And for me the words ring true through the accessible prose style of West. He is worthy of great credit for opening this ancient, mystical tale of war and peace, adventure and love, quest and conquest to students who can benefit from its richness. In many ways Aeneas is an ideal man: smart, strong, bold and existentially insatiable. Because so much can be learned from this one epic work, West has done us a great favor in the boldness of his vivid prose. Purists and elitists may advocate looking elsewhere. But for my money, Virgil comes alive in the fortunately forged prose of West. His rendering of this astonishing tale has left an indelible mark for the better in my life. Personally, I feel that I am a richer man intellectually because of the talent with which West enabled me to connect with Virgil.
Rating: 3
Summary: A ho-hum translation of the incredible epic
Comment: I must first say to you that I really do love the Aeneid. There are some brilliant sections contained in that epic. Its poetry goes unsurpassed in spots, and the characterization would not be matched for another thousand and more years in the Western tradition. It's also the most sophisticated of all the classical epics; not only does it tell the tale of a brave hero with the attributes most dear to his race(just like all the other epics), but it also serves as propaganda for Augustus Caesar(fun to analyze), warns about the costs of fate(witness Dido!), and inflicts deep pathos upon the reader, along with articulating the purpose of the Roman Empire.
However, this translation is by no means adequate to convey the meaning behind this tale. I've read the Latin, which is of course superior, but it isn't that hard to find a better translation. Epics are supposed to be in high language...that's how they sounded even to the Romans! This new translation cuts out many poetic passages and renders them in dull, conversational English. Perhaps it is the easiest to understand, but using that argument would lead to the elevation of "See Spot Run" as highest art.
I suggest W F Jackson Knight's translation instead; Penguin, knowing that this new one would NOT be for everybody, and that the discerning would look for something better, still prints the other one too! The poetry, the faithfulness, and all the other important attributes of translation are much better taken care of in that one, so beware David West's travesty and get the good stuff instead.
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Title: Tacitus: The Annals of Imperial Rome by Cornelius Tacitus, Michael Grant ISBN: 0140440607 Publisher: Viking Press Pub. Date: June, 1956 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: Christology of the Later Fathers by Edward R. Hardy ISBN: 0664241522 Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press Pub. Date: December, 1995 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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Title: Metamorphoses (Oxford World's Classics) by Ovid, A. D. Melville, E. J. Kenney ISBN: 019283472X Publisher: Oxford Press Pub. Date: June, 1998 List Price(USD): $8.95 |
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Title: Eusebius: The History of the Church from Christ to Constantine by Eusebius, G.A. Williamson ISBN: 0140445358 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: April, 1990 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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Title: St. Justin Martyr the First and Second Apologies (Ancient Christian Writers, Nol 56) by Leslie William Barnard, Justin ISBN: 0809104725 Publisher: Paulist Press Pub. Date: February, 1997 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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