Customer Reviews

Symposium (Oxford World's Classics)

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

 

 

The introduction to this translation by Benjamin Jowett betrays the translator's late-Victorian attitude toward homosexuality. Unless one is studying Jowett himself, it is completely useless and a waste of time to the modern reader. That anyone would try to revise Plato to serve one's bias may be amusing, but this lengthy introduction is far too dull to be humorous, and far too unbalanced to be instructive.

It is more difficult for me to assess the quality of the translation, since I have little background in Greek, but the structure of the text is readable, and the spirit of Socrates certainly shines through. Jowett, it seems, was a better translator than commentator. This translation would certainly serve the casual reader. Just skip the introduction. Please.

I gave this five stars because it's free but the introduction takes up 1/3 of the text, which is annoying. Otherwise a good translation of a beautiful work.