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dadoodoflow's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Hard to review these. Curious how they gallop in the original, in English the main interest is what they mean to the future
luds's review
challenging
informative
reflective
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
bookwomble's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
jelina's review
4.0
I recommend reading each poem twice, one for comprehension, the second to appreciate the imagery it evokes
msand3's review
5.0
Up to this point in reading ancient Greek poetry, I’ve encountered verse that has struck me as interesting and beautiful, but the idylls of Theocritus are the first that I can say I’ve truly loved. These are lusty songs of life, desire, love, and loss. Anthony Verity’s translations are so vibrant that I felt at times as if I were reading slices of real life, even when the topics included mythical gods or ancient folk tales. I think what draws me to Theocritus more than other Greek poets is his bucolic poetry -- the focus on salt-of-the-earth goatherds, shepherds, laborers, and common men and women. These are not (for the most part) celebrating epic warriors or goddess-like women. As a scholar of American literature, I am reminded of everything from Whitman to William Carlos Williams to the short fiction of regional writers.
And I think that’s the other reason I enjoy these poems: they have the narrative thrust of fiction. (In fact, one of the books on my library reading list is Mark Payne’s [b:Theocritus and the Invention of Fiction|1002297|Theocritus and the Invention of Fiction|Mark Payne|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348399880s/1002297.jpg|987787], which explores these connections.) Even when Theocritus moves to more mythic topics in his later idylls, he gives us brief, powerful vignettes that again have the feel of short stories: Heracles killing snakes as a baby, the fight between Polydeuces and Amycus from the Argonautica, etc. For me, this pastoral verse is the epitome of Greek poetry and, more so than even the lyrical poets, the model of so much Western poetry to come.
And I think that’s the other reason I enjoy these poems: they have the narrative thrust of fiction. (In fact, one of the books on my library reading list is Mark Payne’s [b:Theocritus and the Invention of Fiction|1002297|Theocritus and the Invention of Fiction|Mark Payne|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348399880s/1002297.jpg|987787], which explores these connections.) Even when Theocritus moves to more mythic topics in his later idylls, he gives us brief, powerful vignettes that again have the feel of short stories: Heracles killing snakes as a baby, the fight between Polydeuces and Amycus from the Argonautica, etc. For me, this pastoral verse is the epitome of Greek poetry and, more so than even the lyrical poets, the model of so much Western poetry to come.
earlgreybooks's review against another edition
3.0
This made sense within the context of my class, but it's nothing something I would have ever picked up of my own accord.
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