Homer (Literary Companion (Greenhaven Paperback)) [Paperback]

Don Nardo (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 10 Up--From its annotated table of contents to its chronology, recommendations for further research, and index, this book is packed with information and ideas suitable for sparking independent thinking and discussion among readers encountering the great Greek epics for the first time. The 16 essays are excerpted from long-established works by distinguished historians and scholars of the Classical period, including Cedric H. Whitman, Edith Hamilton, Simone Weil, and Mark P. O. Morford. Each essay is preceded by an introduction that summarizes its principal ideas; supplementary facts and quotations are inserted within the text for further clarification. Every selection focuses on a specific aspect of the three main topics: "Homer: His Style, Language and Outlook," "The Iliad: Its Text, Themes, and Characters," and "The Odyssey: Its Text, Themes, and Characters." Altogether they make up a useful compendium of reliable critical conversation. The editor's readable introduction and his essay, "Tales from the Age of Heroes: Homer and His Epic Poems," set out clearly the purpose and features of the book and the historical background of Homeric literature. An unfortunate omission is the lack of any reference to the much-praised recent translations by Robert Fagles of The Iliad (1990) and The Odyssey (1996; both Viking). Nevertheless, the book is a potentially valuable companion for contemporary youth struggling to understand Homer's art and the world from which it came.

Starr E. Smith, Marymount University Library, Arlington, VA

Copyright 1998 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Greenhaven Press; annotated edition edition (June 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565106385
• ISBN-13: 978-1565106383
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,725,244 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Don Nardo is a historian and award-winning writer who specializes in the ancient world, especially the civilizations of Greece and Rome. He began as a actor and worked with the National Shakespeare Company before turning to writing screenplays and teleplays and, soon afterward, devoting much of his time to historical research and writing. In the past two decades, he has published nearly two hundred volumes on diverse historical topics. And having earned numerous favorable reviews, he is widely recognized as the country's leading writer of historical works for young adults. He is also versed in various other subjects and as a result is frequently asked by publishers to write books on a number of scientific and literary topics.

Mr. Nardo also composes and arranges orchestral music, having started composing in his early teens. Over the years he has turned out more than eighty musical works, including 2 symphonies, 4 string quartets, several concertos, a film score, incidental music for stage productions, and several commissions, the most recent a double concerto for violin and Portuguese guitar written for two noted musicians. He is also the resident composer and arranger for the Amadis Orchestra, based in Connecticut. For more information, see his official web site at www.nardopublishing.com and his more extensive biography at Wikipedia.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Impressive Volume, August 24, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Readings on Homer (Literary Companion (Greenhaven Hardcover)) (Hardcover)

Every few years one or two new books come out discussing Homer or one or both of his great epic poems; but there can never be enough written about "the Poet," as he was known to the ancients. Unfortunately, most of the really informative books available on Homer are scholarly. And while some of these-C.M. Bowra's 1972 book and those by Jasper Griffin, among others, readily come to mind- are wonderful, they are beyond the reach of average readers with little or no background in Greek literature and culture. Nardo's literary companion successfully aims at a wider audience, explaining in clear, methodical terms the basics the layman needs to know to appreciate the subject. He then presents a wide range of short, but pointed discussions of various aspects of Homer and his works by noted scholars. This is a thoughtful, informative, balanced presentation by an expert who is not afraid to reach out to the uninitiated and attempt to instill in them an appreciation for a subject often sadly neglected in today's educational and social settings.