Customer Reviews

Medea

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It came as a surprise to me that someone who openly admits to not speaking or understanding Greek (let alone ANCIENT Greek) would undertake something like translating (or, in the author's words, 'adapting') a powerhouse tragedy like 'Medea.' I am a huge fan of Medea's story: the princess of Colchis who murders her children and her husband's new wife and father-in-law to avenge his betrayal. It all faithfully appears in this version -- Defazio follows Euripides much closer than the description of his adaptation suggests. And without much tinkering, it all comes to life... more than in the other, more scholarly-correct translations that Defazio consulted for his own take on the tale. If there's any fault with this 'Medea,' it's that it is not (and makes no claims to be) scholarly correct... not the kind of thing one would consult for a high school book report, etc. But this fault is also its major strength. By giving himself some freedom from the staunch rules of translation, the result is just as gut-wrenching as any other version and much more so in several areas (particularly in the word-fights between Medea and Jason, where Defazio uses anything at his disposal -- shining language, four letter words, and all -- to really make you feel the heat).

If you're a fan of 'Medea,' this book is a must. For me, it was an fantastic impulse-buy (smart, diligent, and beautiful) and though I'm not a theater person, it seems to me that it's very dramatic as well. I guess speaking Greek isn't THE most important thing for a translator. In this version, it's passion.