Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Aeneid by Virgil, John Dryden

3 reviews

iladevlin28's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking, Abandonment, Death, Suicide attempt, Murder, Mental illness, Gore, Genocide, Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Death of parent, Blood, Xenophobia, War, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Suicide, and Emotional abuse

“it’s a lot better than I expected” — my boyfriend

readthesparrow's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Colonisation, Misogyny, Suicide, Violence, War, Grief, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore

Moderate: Sexism, Animal cruelty, Death, Alcohol, Death of parent, Grief, Kidnapping, and Infidelity

Minor: Medical content, Xenophobia, Slavery, Toxic relationship, and Suicide attempt

steveatwaywords's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicide, Violence, and War

Moderate: Toxic relationship