Customer Reviews

The Aeneid (Penguin Classics)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

This is the translation we read in my Latin 3 class in high school when we studied Vergil. The prose was very readable and not much seemed to be lost in translation as it tends to be with poetry translations. I purchased my own copy to use for reference, and although I have read several translations of the Aeneid since my junior year of high school, this is by far my favorite. David West did an excellent job, and I loved the summaries and analyses of each of the 12 books he puts in the beginning of the text--it makes it easy to refer to. The introduction provides great historical background, and this is a great reference to use when working with the Aeneid in the original Latin. I highly recommend this to everyone interested in the Classics looking for a good read.

I will keep this short and sweet. I am a fan of epic poetry. I have read a few different translations of the Iliad, Odyssey and the works of Dante. The Penguin translation is a great translation of a great story. the is excellent, with good notes. I was very impressed and look forward to read others to compare. For a beginner to epic poems, I recommend the Penguin as a starter.

Despite being presented in a prose format, David West's is the most poetic modern English Aeneid around. The words just keep coming, rolling and rich with inventive clarity, senuous allusions, roiling action and stirring speeches, all without the distraction of broken lines, poetic meters and awkward constructions. It has been hard for me to put down, and often hard to refrain from quoting to uninterested persons, particularly in the case of descriptions of Dido's lovesickness. A truly great translation of a great book.

I've compared multiple versions of the Aeneid and West's is easily a great version, but his subtle revisions made for the new Penguin edition of 2002, do more harm then good in my opinion.

He has divided his original long paragraphs now into two or three paragraphs for this edition, has changed the order of his sentences and structure, also adding words into them. All this making it feel more "modern" and novel-like.

Don't get me wrong it definitely doesn't sound like a translation when you read it, but this version departs from the original epic form David West had created for the original Penguin Edition entitled "Seven Wonders of the World" released in 1991.

I would try to get West's original translation instead of this release.

West translates this in prose, like a novel, probably trying to make it more accessible, but it ends up feeling too pedestrian. After reading some other translations, this one seemed the most muddy, the least readable. If you can handle the verse translations, look at Robert Fitzgerald's work. I found that much more enjoyable.

A must read if you are a fan of homer's epics or if you are a fan of hellenistic mythology.

I only recently read the very famous Homer books, 'Iliad' and 'Odyssey' in translation (knowing no Greek); they are slower going than modern stories (maybe because they are less about feelings and intimate relationships) but leave a much deeper impression, and I would recommend anyone at all curious about them to go ahead. But this - maybe much well less known, translated (into something very readable) from Latin, about exiled Trojans who settle in Italy and ultimately found Rome - is at least as worthwhile, and even a better place to start (shorter overall than either, its first half is modelled on 'Odyssey' and its second on 'Iliad').