Customer Reviews

Terence, The Comedies

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

 

 

Terence's character development is superb. He takes stock characters of past Greek plays and turns them around so that the reader sees that people are not black or white. They are rather gray with good and bad qualities. His stories develop around his characters and in each comedy there is a message that is as timesless as the dialogue and interaction between characters in his plays. I didn't really know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised with the mastery with which Terence took Greek plays and adapted them for his Roman audience. The editing was good, and I think that there is a little something for all readers in the comedies of Terence. They are timeless classics that draw a quiet smile from the reader rather than an outright laugh.

This book is one of my favorite textbooks ever. The storylines are interesting, though perhaps not hilarious from a modern standpoint. They do however make excellent fodder for research papers and for a deeper understanding of the ancient world!

I bought this book for a Roman history class and I really enjoyed the plays. I think that I will read more than just the assigned readings.

Wow. I've read plenty of dramas, but this was my first ancient comedy. My girlfriend and I read this together, and neither one of us expected to enjoy it very much. But to our surprise, within 2 pages we were laughing constantly. We usually pause to talk frequently when we read something together, but this one we read very quickly because the plots and situations engrossed us so much.

If you are looking to read and enjoy something truly classical, I suppose there's no better place to start than this.

I imagine the translator was not too strict, but she did a good job in the spirit that I imagine Terence would want: not too literal, but very enjoyable.

Terence is the guy who said "I'm human; nothing human is alien to me." I think that's the most concise and eloquent expression ever of humanistic empathy and tolerance (San Francisco values!). But then, Terence was also reputed to be Nero's favorite dramatist. Go figure! At any rate, I'm glad to see so many other reviewers getting a kick out of Latin literature.If you still remember any high school Latin, you'll find P. Terenti Afri in print, ISBN 0-19-814636-1.