The Aeneid (Penguin Classics) [Paperback]

Virgil (Author), David West (Translator, Introduction)

Book Description

Series: Penguin Classics | Publication Date: April 29, 2003

Translated with an Introduction by David West.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Hardie successfully incorporates the most valuable ancient and contemporary materials on Vergil to produce a more literary approach reflecting the insights and biases of critical work of recent decades. This edition will br appreciated by students and scholars alike." Classical World

About the Author

Virgil (70-19BC) studied rhetoric and philosophy in Rome where he became a court poet. As well as The Aeneid, his Eclogues earned him the reputation as the finest Latin poet. Before his retirement, David West taught Classics at the University of Newcastle.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (April 29, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140449329
• ISBN-13: 978-0140449327
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #70,845 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clearly and Skillfully Rendered, February 24, 2005

By 

B. Nicholas Clifton Childers Webb, "a mere st... (Williamsburg, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Aeneid (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

David West's translation of this epic (actually rather manageably sized when compared with the Odyssey) pulls away from the tradition of the translations from the first half or so of the 20th century, in which great works of grand Greek and Latin poetry were forced unyieldingly into affected (and often stilted) English verse (think Fitzgerald's beautiful but distractingly florid renditions). West charts a different course, reflecting more modern trends in scholarship. He chooses not to match verse with verse and recreate the epic in English in an attempt to draw the contemporary reader into it as deeply as the original reader. Instead, he conveys as much of the original epic's meaning and nuance as possible in simple, clear, surprisingly elegant prose, allowing Vergil himself to draw the reader in once more.

This is a lucid, graceful delivery of the Aeneid. It's an enjoyable read that moves quickly and offers more of the original than any other translation. I've read several, and this mature, well-presented work is the most useful, satisfying, and accessible of all. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptionally good rendition of Virgil's masterpiece., October 9, 2006

By 

No one of consequence (Cincinnati) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Aeneid (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

Let me preface my remarks by saying that the true purist of classic literature may well be turned off by this volume. I however, am not a literary purist, so I render my judgment on this book as one who reads for the sheer pleasure of enjoying great literature. With that out of the way, on to the review itself.

I thought professor David West did a masterful job of adding life to an already great narrative about the epic hero Aeneas. By rendering this tale in prose rather than verse, he skillfully and carefully adds an easy flow to the text while losing none of the splendor, style or visceral punch of the original. Readers who have already experienced the writings of Homer and verse translations of Virgil will find it easy to recognize the same literary elements and narrative flavor as these other classics. Professor West has rendered this new version with due sensitivity to the greatness of the original, and with an evident expertise that should satisfy all but the most ardent critics.

As to the story itself, it traces the wanderings of the Trojan warrior Aeneas from the fall of Troy, to Carthage, and on to Latium as he follows the oracles of the gods to reestablish a new Trojan civilization that will one day become Rome. This tale, inspired by Homer, combines the best elements of the Iliad and the Oddysey. Aeneas, son of Venus, faces a series of challenges wrought by the animosity of Juno, as he strives to fulfill the destiny that the oracles have set before him. Upon his arrival in Latium, he is forced to fight a war whose tale captures the epic nature if not the grand scope of the battle for Troy. Heroic exploits are not lacking among either the Trojans, their Arcadian allies, or their Latin enemies, as Aeneas proves his mettle against the fearsome Turnus.

For those who have never read Virgil, or who are not committed to reading it as a purist, this version of the Aeneid is an excellent choice. If you haven't already done so, I strongly recommend that you read the Iliad and the Oddysey first. Otherwise you'll miss much of the flavor, and many of the allusions to Homer's works, that are liberally interspersed throughout this tale. An excellent version of a great classic.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The range, power, and beauty of modern English prose, March 25, 2007

By 

Mark Twain (US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Aeneid (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

I've read the Aeneid in verse, but this (high) prose translation of Virgil's great work knocked me over. The beauty and the power of the epic is so evident! The translator, David West, argues in the translator's introduction that the received wisdom that epics are best rendered into verse does not do justice to the power and range of modern English prose. I think he's right.

For anyone, like myself, whose eye is more accustomed to prose than poetry, this is a far better way to read this great classic. No doubt others are fine with verse (I like the translation by Stanley Lombardo), but I'm sure many modern readers will love a prose translation that is both clear and accessible but does not compromise on beauty in any way.