Lucretius: The Way Things Are: The Way Things Are: The De Rerum Natura of Titus Lucretius Carus [Paperback]

Lucretius (Author), Rolfe Humphries (Translator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 025320125X | ISBN-13: 978-0253201256 | Publication Date: January 1, 1968

"... [captures] the relentless urgency of Lucretius' didacticism, his passionate conviction and proselytizing fervour.' —The Classical Review

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Indiana University Press (January 1, 1968)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 025320125X
• ISBN-13: 978-0253201256
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #97,833 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #34 in Books > Education & Reference > Encyclopedias > History

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

104 of 106 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still the best edition for the general reader, July 11, 2002

By 

Owen Hatteras "h_sapiens" (Austin, Texas. An oasis in a desert of imbecillity.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lucretius: The Way Things Are: The Way Things Are: The De Rerum Natura of Titus Lucretius Carus (Paperback)

A number of other English translations, in prose or verse, have emerged since this book was first published in 1968. While most have their good points, this one stands out for its clarity, unforced feel, and the sheer beauty of its poetry. (It doesn't hurt that it is reasonably priced!) In this Lucretius, the poet and philosopher are inextricably mixed and cannot be put asunder.

The naturalistic view of a beautiful but cold, and unfeeling universe is limned brilliantly and passionately. The gods appear, but only as a literary conceit, or as a faint concession to the possibility of higher realms of being. We are left "all alone", but not "all afraid". The light of understanding banishes dark terrors: Nothing; no horrors await us in death. Our lives here remain what we make them. Far from leading to nihilism and despair, this knowledge renews our sense of purpose. Play your part well; there is no second act.

I can only hint at the excitement that awaits the interested reader within these pages. If anything written here has failed to convey the pleasure of this book, or has proven off-putting, then I apologize. "Tole et lege!"

53 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, November 2, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Lucretius: The Way Things Are: The Way Things Are: The De Rerum Natura of Titus Lucretius Carus (Paperback)

I ordered this with some trepidation: Lucretius was difficult enough to understand in prose, never mind poetry. It turns out that this translation is the CLEAREST and MOST READABLE Lucretius I have ever seen. Lucretius is an author I read regularly. He has accomnpanied me through my life for years. This is now the translation which I will turn to. This is a book to study, memorize sections from, enjoy, and be dazzled by. I want to thank the author for his evident love for the material to turn out such an excellent translation.

49 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The ONLY Lucretius translation, February 18, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Lucretius: The Way Things Are: The Way Things Are: The De Rerum Natura of Titus Lucretius Carus (Paperback)

Lovers of quality literature should be grateful that Rolfe Humphries, finest Latin-English translator to ever live, employed his formidable talents in a translation of the monumental De Rerum Natura. The poem itself is an undisputed masterpiece, a philosophical tour de force that has influenced writers across 2000 years of time, from Vergil to Robert Frost. Yet Lucretius is most often translated into prose, causing De Rerum Natura to be viewed as more philosophy than poetry. Humphries' fine translation not only breathes fresh life into a great work, but also reminds us that, though he was a didactic Epicurean philosopher, Titus Lucretius Carus was, first and foremost, a poet. Apart from reading the Latin, there is no better way to experience De Rerum Natura than through Humphries' rendering.