Reviews with content warning for War - The Aeneid

virgil looked at homer and said 'okay but what if I did that but worse' sorry I know that's probably a common complaint / comparison but cmon... there WERE good bits but they were kind of lost in a sense of deja-vu and lots of like... just pointless bits idk I didn't care abt Aeneas that much, nor Turnus right up until the end that WAS a solid ending.

Pallas existed for like one book and then died rip lol.

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sarah_speaks's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This was a slog for me to get through, and I almost didn’t finish it. However, I think I chose the wrong translation - one day I will try to revisit this after finding a more engaging translation.

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feelinwitchy's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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steveatwaywords's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

It seems odd to write a review of this classic which has stood as a pillar for so much of Western tradition. I will say that the Fagles translation is quite accessibly and pleasing to read.

What strikes me about this text, which I have most recently read between a study of Homer and Dante, is the cross-over of narratives and themes. Virgil places himself politically in a story space which adapts and follows and builds upon the Iliad while partially mirroring the Odyssey to give the Roman Caesar Augustus a text which will assure him his place in history even while cautioning a conservative and peaceful rule (all at a very interesting era of Roman self-reflection). Read this way, one can understand more the characterizations Virgil makes (the duty-bound hero, the proud traditions of the Latins, the poisons of passion); Aeneus is no Odysseus (represented as a liar, trickster, thief, etc.), but one who will pave the way for a tolerant and enduring Empire (after an ended Republic).

Dante's later reverence for Virgil will steer his own political discourse as he crafts a Christian version of political judgments, merging the polytheistic past with the disparate debates of a forming Christian church, a work which will itself lend power to Milton's later tellings.

It is a shame that The Aeneid was never completed to Virgil's satisfaction. Indeed, he only himself presented some of its books to the Caesar; the main body of the work still required some revision to his mind. But what we have is a work of greatness for all of its idiosyncrasies and inconsistencies.

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ageckocalledachilles's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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