I read the sixteen plays in this outstanding collection (roughly half of the extant Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides) on-and-off over three years anI read the sixteen plays in this outstanding collection (roughly half of the extant Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides) on-and-off over three years and reviewed them all individually on Goodreads (in a few cases I read a different translation). I wanted to list the volume as a whole just to say the introductions are excellent--to all of the plays, to each playwright individually, and to each play individually. And the translations seem very good to my untutored eye. And the plays themselves are really fascinating, exciting, and at times other worldly to read....more
One of my least favorite Greek plays, the characters felt completely flat and utterly without agency, just mindlessly and implausibly programmed by thOne of my least favorite Greek plays, the characters felt completely flat and utterly without agency, just mindlessly and implausibly programmed by the gods (or one goddess, Aphrodite) who has Phaedra fall in implausible and overwrought love with her stepson Hippolytus while his love for Artemis over Aphrodite feels arbitrary and rigid. Not to mention long stretches of exposition and a contrived ending (OK, not the only Greek play with one of those).
I absolutely loved this play. It has a real ancient and alien feeling to it, more so than other Greek plays I've read, given that it is about the relaI absolutely loved this play. It has a real ancient and alien feeling to it, more so than other Greek plays I've read, given that it is about the relationship between the Gods and something even more ancient, the Titans. It feels almost primordial. I also loved the way it told and entire story simply from the vantage point of one chained prisoner reflecting back. I also liked the way it wrestled with themes of authority, progress, science--and defiance. The brutal and bleak ending adds to its allure--even if the introduction cautions that this is simply because we are missing the continuation of the trilogy in which there would have been a more conventional resolution.
There is something remarkably empathetic about a Greek playwright seeing things from the Persian perspective shortly after a massive and possibly exisThere is something remarkably empathetic about a Greek playwright seeing things from the Persian perspective shortly after a massive and possibly existential war with the Persians. Of course, the same was also true of the Iliad--although that was probably composed much after what was likely a less existential war.
That said, this felt more like a series of monologues than actual dialog, plot, developments, tragedy, or anything else. More of a historical artifact than something like the later great works of Greek drama. At least that was my untutored reaction.
This was a wonderful piece of history, a detailed reconstruction of 24 hours of a relatively minor incident in the grand scheme of the War of 1812 butThis was a wonderful piece of history, a detailed reconstruction of 24 hours of a relatively minor incident in the grand scheme of the War of 1812 but one that is still interesting in its and important in its own right, illuminating about the way the broader conflict was conducted, and a great way to learn about how history is down—and the role it plays in memories in the present. Interest in this book may be a little niche, if you’re not familiar with the central Connecticut coast it may not be for you (I read it while sitting in a house where I could see where some of the events had taken place) but I would still make the case for some more interested in nautical warfare, the British Royal Navy an American history more broadly.
The book provides a little context about the War of 1812 and the the naval aspect in the mid-Atlantic. But it then drills down on a British revenge raid if what is now the town of Essex (a beautiful town with numerous buildings preserved on Main Street that were there in 1812) to burn about two dozen ships, many of them privateers that were harassing the British navy off New London. The British then stole a ship and returned back through the mouth of the Connecticut River to the Long Island Sound.
The incident was largely forgotten until a few decades ago when an accidental conversation led to learning more about it and the publication of a pamphlet. This book was the product of much more extensive research including the British naval archives, contemporary newspapers, and some battlefield archeology. The author painstakingly goes through the evidence on a few unanswered questions, most dramatically who was and was not a traitor and were the people of the area right to be accused of dereliction of duty.
The book ends with the battle for history, the struggle to get the battle officially recognized by the State of Connecticut and ultimately the Federal government, as well as to learn everything that went into the book.
It also has lots of helpful maps (although just of the main area in the Connecticut theater, it would have benefited from one of the Long Island Sound as a whole), pictures and an Appendix with a sampling of the primary source documents it was based on—including one hilarious “advertisement” which doxxed and attempted to rebut the anonomyous authors of another account....more
A graphic novel. The illustrations are really well done. The story is about a 1960s alternative mother who accidentally has a child, gives her up to hA graphic novel. The illustrations are really well done. The story is about a 1960s alternative mother who accidentally has a child, gives her up to her parents, and joins a cult--and then the daughter's growing up, becoming successful and searching for her mother. It also has various interludes that are weird, supernatural, military history, and even horror. I felt like I never got particularly emotionally engaged or liked it that much--but also found a lot of it puzzling. After I finished I read a few excellent reviews on Goodreads that explained a lot of what I had missed and made me appreciate it more in retrospect. But still did not bring me to love it....more
Effectively a short collection of interrelated essays on different aspects of Balzac, including where he located his books in Paris and what was goingEffectively a short collection of interrelated essays on different aspects of Balzac, including where he located his books in Paris and what was going on at the time with newspapers and the publishing industry. Part biography, part appreciation, it has a generous helping of block quotes and pictures. One interesting perspective was the ways in which Balzac did not fully capture his time. Like Dickens some of it was a little bit older (e.g., he barely mentions the railroad or railroad terminals in the Human Comedy, even thought it was extensive when he wrote). Also some of the major political events of the day went unreflected. But in other ways he was hyper focused, including on money. And, of course, Paris....more
I read Alcestis because I was intrigued by the big role this play had in The Silent Patient (a perfectly decent but not great domestic thriller). It iI read Alcestis because I was intrigued by the big role this play had in The Silent Patient (a perfectly decent but not great domestic thriller). It is the story of a king who looks around for someone to sacrifice themselves to save his life, his parents and others reject him, but eventually his wife Alcestis agrees and faces her fate stoically. It has interesting discussions of parental relationships (the King's selfish father who refused to sacrifice himself) along with marriage and fidelity. Plus what frankly seems like a very bizarre plot line where Heracles comes into the picture and rescues Alcestis from the underworld bringing her back to an incredulous king. Probably deserves its place as one of the more minor plays because it is not really a tragedy (where the hero's flaw leads to their downfall) or a larger-scale drama, but interesting nonetheless.
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