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4.46 AVERAGE
4.46 AVERAGE
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
One could review three aspects of this book:
1. The pairing of Aeschylus's Agamemnon with Sophocles' Electra and Euripides's Orestes. I loved this grouping and calling it "An Oresteia". In doing this it upends THE Oresteia is by Aeschylus (a trilogy), starting with the original about the return of Agamemnon after the Trojan war and his murder by his wife Clytemnestra but then going to Sophocles' alternate version of the second about the events following the murder as Agamemnon's son Orestes returns, joins his sister Electra, and they murder Clytemnestra and her lover and finally going to Euripides' Orestes which covers a very alternate version of the events around/after the third play in the original Aeschylus trilogy. The three work well together because they are the same characters, the same story, and one follows from the next. But they provide different perspectives, both a growing maturity of theater able to depict multiple characters and actors and, more importantly, a darker and more complex vision of politics, revenge, and murder, perhaps mirroring Athens falling from its golden age into defeat by Sparta (the short introductory essay speculates on this).
2. The translation. I mostly hated the translation. It took too much license, had too many contemporary idioms, too many made up words that were formed from smashing other words together (in Agamemnon), and overall found it really distracting. Something like this worked fine with [a:Anne Carson|34336|Anne Carson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1621477490p2/34336.jpg]'s [b:Antigonick|13305951|Antigonick|Anne Carson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1597593225l/13305951._SX50_.jpg|59618794] which was meant to be a reinterpretation but really wasn't what I wanted here. I much preferred [a:Oliver Taplin|170771|Oliver Taplin|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s translation of [b:The Oresteia: Agamemnon, Women at the Graveside, Orestes in Athens|36236155|The Oresteia Agamemnon, Women at the Graveside, Orestes in Athens|Aeschylus|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1510349677l/36236155._SX50_.jpg|2378] (which had Agamemnon) and have not read other translations of Electra and Orestes but suspect that I would prefer many of them to this.
3. The plays themselves. I already reviewed Agamemnon (in the Taplin translation). I liked Electra with its timeless themes of revenge, individually administered justice. But did not think it was better than Aeschylus's version which had the amazing scene with Orestes and his mother. I also did not love Electra which dwelled too much on her sitting around being depressed and mostly passive while speaking a lot but mostly being manipulated and directed by others, particularly her brother's dead-alive-dead-alive sequence with her. But obviously a lot to like and it created a certain amount of action/thrills with the way in which he kills Aegisthus. I found Orestes to be the most novel of the plays, less of a simple timeless story but richer theatrically in the way it develops. It focuses on Orestes' madness as he is pursued by the Furies (not acquittal for him like in the third play in the original Oresteia), his sister plays a much bigger role, and it is also set in the complicated politics of Argos as Menelaus and Helen return and people blame Helen for all of the death and destruction caused by the Trojan war. The plot gets more complicated as they attempt to murder Helen but don't succeed. And I found it fun that Apollo shows up as a deux ex machina to resolve all of the plot strands--something that doesn't actually happen as much as you would think in Greek tragedy.
1. The pairing of Aeschylus's Agamemnon with Sophocles' Electra and Euripides's Orestes. I loved this grouping and calling it "An Oresteia". In doing this it upends THE Oresteia is by Aeschylus (a trilogy), starting with the original about the return of Agamemnon after the Trojan war and his murder by his wife Clytemnestra but then going to Sophocles' alternate version of the second about the events following the murder as Agamemnon's son Orestes returns, joins his sister Electra, and they murder Clytemnestra and her lover and finally going to Euripides' Orestes which covers a very alternate version of the events around/after the third play in the original Aeschylus trilogy. The three work well together because they are the same characters, the same story, and one follows from the next. But they provide different perspectives, both a growing maturity of theater able to depict multiple characters and actors and, more importantly, a darker and more complex vision of politics, revenge, and murder, perhaps mirroring Athens falling from its golden age into defeat by Sparta (the short introductory essay speculates on this).
2. The translation. I mostly hated the translation. It took too much license, had too many contemporary idioms, too many made up words that were formed from smashing other words together (in Agamemnon), and overall found it really distracting. Something like this worked fine with [a:Anne Carson|34336|Anne Carson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1621477490p2/34336.jpg]'s [b:Antigonick|13305951|Antigonick|Anne Carson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1597593225l/13305951._SX50_.jpg|59618794] which was meant to be a reinterpretation but really wasn't what I wanted here. I much preferred [a:Oliver Taplin|170771|Oliver Taplin|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]'s translation of [b:The Oresteia: Agamemnon, Women at the Graveside, Orestes in Athens|36236155|The Oresteia Agamemnon, Women at the Graveside, Orestes in Athens|Aeschylus|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1510349677l/36236155._SX50_.jpg|2378] (which had Agamemnon) and have not read other translations of Electra and Orestes but suspect that I would prefer many of them to this.
3. The plays themselves. I already reviewed Agamemnon (in the Taplin translation). I liked Electra with its timeless themes of revenge, individually administered justice. But did not think it was better than Aeschylus's version which had the amazing scene with Orestes and his mother. I also did not love Electra which dwelled too much on her sitting around being depressed and mostly passive while speaking a lot but mostly being manipulated and directed by others, particularly her brother's dead-alive-dead-alive sequence with her. But obviously a lot to like and it created a certain amount of action/thrills with the way in which he kills Aegisthus. I found Orestes to be the most novel of the plays, less of a simple timeless story but richer theatrically in the way it develops. It focuses on Orestes' madness as he is pursued by the Furies (not acquittal for him like in the third play in the original Oresteia), his sister plays a much bigger role, and it is also set in the complicated politics of Argos as Menelaus and Helen return and people blame Helen for all of the death and destruction caused by the Trojan war. The plot gets more complicated as they attempt to murder Helen but don't succeed. And I found it fun that Apollo shows up as a deux ex machina to resolve all of the plot strands--something that doesn't actually happen as much as you would think in Greek tragedy.
I haven't read these since high school, but I thought that I'd check them out again with this new translation. You know I have to read this: it has my namesake in it.
The translator makes the plays very accessible and works hard to keep the general tone and style of the three authors. At times, however, it seems a little too accessible. I was a little shocked to see the phrase "weapons of mass destruction" in one of the plays. At times, the wording seems a little too hip for such an austere piece of work.
Also, the intro to Agamemnon refers to the art of Francis Bacon, which I could have done without.
Good overall.
The translator makes the plays very accessible and works hard to keep the general tone and style of the three authors. At times, however, it seems a little too accessible. I was a little shocked to see the phrase "weapons of mass destruction" in one of the plays. At times, the wording seems a little too hip for such an austere piece of work.
Also, the intro to Agamemnon refers to the art of Francis Bacon, which I could have done without.
Good overall.
challenging
emotional
inspiring
a fascinating juxtaposition of a trilogy, and a translation you (read: I) want to eat.
No notes, top read of 2022
No notes, top read of 2022
dark
emotional
medium-paced
ugh pylades and orestes my loves
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really, really enjoyed reading this translation. I went into it expecting to root for Clytemnestra, who I have always thought got a bit of a bad rap since her own husband was the one who killed their child. Instead, I walked away thinking, “wow! Everyone in this book sucks a little bit.” It was so interesting to read this translation and sit with the tragedy. The ending is a fairly typical deus ex machina for a Greek tragedy, but I almost wish I could see it play out in all its nonsense. I’m also adding this book to my ongoing list of proof that Helen of Troy was wildly overhated.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
I'm first and foremost a Klytaimestra-apologist.
On a serious note I want to say that this book instantly became one of my all time favourites. The dialogue and the quotes were touching and this book had me hooked.
On a serious note I want to say that this book instantly became one of my all time favourites. The dialogue and the quotes were touching and this book had me hooked.