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70 of 76 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The ONLY translated Aeneid to get, December 28, 2000
By A Customer
I have read this epic in the original Latin(which I recommend HIGHLY), and I have looked through several translated versions. The Aeneid is unquestionably one of the greatest works of classical literature ever written, if not the pinnacle of ancient writing(of course, there are several extremely strong contenders for that title, so I won't go that far, but it's as good a choice as any of them). Its complex layers upon layers of meaning and suggestion reveal it to be one of the great works of literature ever. The love of Dido and Aeneas, the Sack of Troy, the descent into the underworld, and the war over Italy's future are matched by few scenes in ANY work. Even just the political subtext of the Aeneid as propaganda for Augustus and old Roman ideals makes the epic much richer than Homer's straightforward tales of grand exploits and the power of the gods. For such a magnificent piece of writing, nothing less than the original language can convey all of its nuances (Vergil was considered the absolute master of Latin in the epic meter, which wasn't even well-suited for Latin, but he was just that good). Even the sounds of the words and the crazy impossible-for-English word order evoke images and emotions that fit the actual sequence of events perfectly. However, expecting absolutely everyone in the world to know enough Latin to read the thing is absurd. In the case that you must read an English translation, read the W F Jackson-Knight version. Not only is he extremely faithful to the original Latin wherever it makes sense, but also, he doesn't dilute the high epic language of the Aeneid with colloquialisms to make it "more accessible"(my complaint with the NEW Penguin Classics version). Also, he doesn't try to "write his own scenes" to fit his own vision of what the epic's emotional impact should be(trust me...the original can't be fixed). Finally, only with this version does the profusion of imagery actually feel as moving as the originals...although I praise Jackson-Knight's faithfulness to the original Latin, that doesn't mean that the language is subdued or stilted...his translations are POWERFUL! You'll feel every drop of blood, see every grand temple and castle, and hear every cry of anguish. Also, he's not one of the stupid people who tries to translate into English verse...the two languages' meters are simply incompatible, and it always feels contrived when one tries to fit them to each other (the worst example of this is Alexander Pope's, in most other pursuits a great writer, rhyming version in iambic pentameter...UGH). In short, just buy this version, because no other comes close(and Amazon is one of the few places one can easily find it! order quickly before they decide to take it out of print again!)
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26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Chariots Still Crash, January 11, 2002
The Aeneid, one of the most famous and widely translated books of all time, was written during Rome's `golden era' by Publius Vergilius, an unassuming scholar in acquaintance with the Emperor Augustus. Fragmented history informs us that this long Latin poem came into being in part to give the empire a creation-mythos, in part to honor the sagas of Greece from which the bulk of the Roman belief-paradigm originated: scheming Gods, inflexible Fates, the monsters and melodrama human beings can't seem to get enough of...highbrow entertainment of the bygone era; a homage to and subtle critique of the Homeric ideal. And with hindsight, The Aeneid easily surpasses its source material in terms of scope and sheer writing. The book begins shortly after the devastation of Troy, and the first half chronicles the search of the refugee Trojans for a new home. The task is not an easy one: Aeneas the True and his compatriots are plagued by bad weather and the hallmarks of myth (the Cyclopes from the Odyssey make a brief cameo), while the Gods above, vindictive and conspiring, seek to either halt or hurry along their progress. The second half of the book dictates the arrival of the Trojans to Latium (Italy), the resistance they meet from the natives, and the establishment of Rome proper. The last quarter of the book is a montage of bloody battles, swords and sorrow taking their claim for the greater good of a future empire. I do not speak the `dead' language of Latin and thus cannot comment on the translation itself; regardless, W.F. Jackson's prose is delight to read - certain passages contain beautiful rhyming schemes; the dialogue and description are extremely well done, retaining an `old world' tone without becoming stilted or faux-archaic. And throughout the epic adventures and the blood-drenched battles, Virgil's theme - that of Rome's foundation and its preconceived glory - shines through abundantly clear, without ever drowning the reader in heavy-handed sermonizing or extreme sentimentality. An essential text for the student of myth & history. Five stars.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent rendition of prose Aeneid, April 11, 2010
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.
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