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4.46 AVERAGE
4.46 AVERAGE
“i know you find me extreme in my grief. i bear it hard. but i tell you i have no choice. it compels. i act because it compels.”
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
really loved and Anne carsons translations are so good as always! my favourite was definately Elektra by sophokles, but all of them were very interesting.
adventurous
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Kassandra was the only truly undeserved death in this entire story, and yet hers is also the only one never lamented.
Much to think about.
Much to think about.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Murder
Minor: War
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Why are you so in love with things unbearable?
Anne Carson woman you are. No one plays with language and translation as much as her and no other translator can hold a candle to her talents. Every other line feels like a sucker punch (It’s rotten work/Not to me. Not if it’s you). There’s a reason I read this at least twice a year. This trilogy, but especially Carson’s translation of Elektra, mean just so so much to me.
I am the shape you made me. Filth teachers filth.
ORESTES: Oh girl. How I pity the dark life you live.
ELEKTRA: No one else has ever pitied me, you know.
ORESTES: No one else has ever been part of your grief.
anne carson i think about this translation every day. hats off to making me insane about a bunch of plays older than dirt.
ELEKTRA: No one else has ever pitied me, you know.
ORESTES: No one else has ever been part of your grief.
anne carson i think about this translation every day. hats off to making me insane about a bunch of plays older than dirt.
why am i fiending over these ancient ass plays.. so sick though.. kass and elektra ily
I went into this for the iconic Pylades/Orestes lines “I’ll take care of you / It’s rotten work / Not to me. Not if it’s you” and came out of it with a general appreciation for Carson’s command of language & ability to render classic Greek tragedies accessible & enjoyable. It’s been years since I’ve read any translated Greek plays, but by my memory these are definitely favorites. Carson’s introductions both for the collection & before each play gave great context & framing. I plan to read more of her works/translations for sure.
Re the actual plays themselves, it’s impossible for me to read them and not think about gender, alongside ofc the other present themes of Justice/vengeance and kinship. As discussed in the introduction, the three playwrights- in part by virtue of their own political contexts- have distinct understandings of who is right & wrong in the house of Atreus, or in some cases, have distinctly muddied the lines between right & wrong. But again, most interesting to me is the role women play in these stories and how they’re received. Klytaimestra seemingly has the most agency of them all, and in Aeschylus’s Agamemnon specifically, has a striking way with words. To me, she is a righteous victor in Agamemnon, and yet as the Oresteia progresses, she is relegated to villainy. I personally find it odd that seemingly none of Klytaimestra’s children sympathize with her at all, rather, they condemn her crime. I can’t help but wonder why- does her infidelity eclipse her claim that she wishes to avenge her daughter, is it misogyny on the playwrights’ part, am I missing greater context that would clearly make her a villain, or is it just a simple difference in opinion on my part. In any case, I think Carson’s Oresteia provides a unique look into the story of house Atreus over the course of Athenian history while also simply being beautiful translations
Re the actual plays themselves, it’s impossible for me to read them and not think about gender, alongside ofc the other present themes of Justice/vengeance and kinship. As discussed in the introduction, the three playwrights- in part by virtue of their own political contexts- have distinct understandings of who is right & wrong in the house of Atreus, or in some cases, have distinctly muddied the lines between right & wrong. But again, most interesting to me is the role women play in these stories and how they’re received. Klytaimestra seemingly has the most agency of them all, and in Aeschylus’s Agamemnon specifically, has a striking way with words. To me, she is a righteous victor in Agamemnon, and yet as the Oresteia progresses, she is relegated to villainy. I personally find it odd that seemingly none of Klytaimestra’s children sympathize with her at all, rather, they condemn her crime. I can’t help but wonder why- does her infidelity eclipse her claim that she wishes to avenge her daughter, is it misogyny on the playwrights’ part, am I missing greater context that would clearly make her a villain, or is it just a simple difference in opinion on my part. In any case, I think Carson’s Oresteia provides a unique look into the story of house Atreus over the course of Athenian history while also simply being beautiful translations
a whore for Greek tragedies really, i read elektra and the whole sophocles set last year but this was such an eye opener. I regret nothing. Great literature and the translation was easy on the eyes (&mind).
Fun read<3
Fun read<3