Okay, I confess. This is a weird choice. I have but one way to defend myself, and that is to mention that I've been translating The Aeneid since last fall. Why, Emily, you ask, would you translate an epic poem from the original Latin? And why, Emily, would you recommend it to us?Well, as I am a dedicated Latin student, Plus, The Aeneid is a lot more awesome that it sounds.
After the Trojan war, the last few Trojans flee the Greeks, carrying with them the household gods and the memory of their homeland. The prince Aeneas leads the way. They have to find a new homeland and found a race destined to rule the world--the Romans. Because this is like The Odyssey with twice as much action, sex, and gore, the Trojan fleet obviously faces extreme peril on their journey (and even more when they reach their destination). The goddess Juno hates them, they don't know what to do, and their leader is a whiny brat. Characters like Dido, the overly passionate Carthaginian queen who falls for Aeneas, and the vicious warrior Turnus (called a second Achilles) liven the narrative, which is already...well, awesome. Seriously. It may be old, but that doesn't mean it's not exciting. Plus, YOU don't have to read it in the original language (like I did). Pick up one of the more recent translations and you won't regret it.
Rating: 5Q, 5P ---I am SO not exaggerating.
1 comment:
Great review of the Aeneid! Really enjoyed reading it.
I linked it to my blog in the Ursula LeGuin post, which you can see by clicking here.
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