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bob625's review against another edition
5.0
Catullus,
how your stanzas shiver
with urgent vitality,
how they perspire
with ruination and bliss.
Brazen yet sensitive be
your forceful decadence,
your tongue of amber hue
gives meaning to beauty
eternally unequalled
by opposing erudition.
how your stanzas shiver
with urgent vitality,
how they perspire
with ruination and bliss.
Brazen yet sensitive be
your forceful decadence,
your tongue of amber hue
gives meaning to beauty
eternally unequalled
by opposing erudition.
bowienerd_82's review against another edition
3.0
A decent English translation of one of the best Latin lyric poets out there.
Better to read it in the original Latin if you can, but for a translation, this isn't bad.
Better to read it in the original Latin if you can, but for a translation, this isn't bad.
imi_11's review against another edition
4.0
Brilliant translation that keeps true to the original Latin. Written in a style that is accessible for classicists and non classicists.
laura_trap's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed it, quick read though. The poems were bawdier than I thought and unexpectedly funny.
lnewton's review against another edition
5.0
Many of the poems by Catullus are now my favourite poems generally. These poems are usually very personal, relating to either Catullus' romantic life or about friends and acquaintances that he had. The level of expression within these can allow them to appeal to many, of course the comedic element to many of these also helps in that regard. I would certainly recommend a lot of his earlier poems to everyone. In these the poems are very comic and romantic. This was the high point in Catullus' life and it shows clearly through his artistic expression.
Though all that was previously mentioned is only one element to these poems. One of the most profound features of this work is seeing Catullus develop as a character and seeing the progression of many of his relationships throughout this collection. It is clear that later in his life Catullus' life falls apart. In poem 69 this is most clear. He loses his comic element largely from this point onwards and he claims that he has lost his expression due to the suffering in his life, through losing his brother who must have been very important to him. Furthermore, his relationship with Lesbia, one of the most well-noted of his relationships, crumbles apart in poem 8. Prior to this point he almost exclusively wrote about Lesbia, and more than likely had her be the main inspiration for his poetry. The end to this relationship sees the beginning of his progression towards the suffering he feels later on.
Though towards the end of this collection it can be seen that Catullus, who has lost everything, still yearns for Lesbia. Despite the heartache, despite the whoring (for and from either of them), there is still is a love which Catullus cannot live without and requires more desperately now that he is suffering in such a profound way. While it may seem as though Catullus' story will end in a tragic tale of loneliness and suffering, Lesbia returns to him. From this point onward, a significant change can be seen in the tone of the poems. Catullus comes back to life because he has something to live for. Lesbia, who starts off just as another of Catullus' girls is a constant obsession of the poet and one which brings him back from the brink of despair.
While most of Catullus is beautifully expressed and interesting what must be exaggerated is that his fictional poems are significantly weaker than those which are personal. Truly Catullus can strongly express himself when it comes to pure emotion. The flaw with these works is that there is a lack of this expression in favour of a narrative, as though the life of Catullus and his friends was not interesting enough!
This collection contains all of the poems by one of the best poets known to history, a true predecessor to the romantic poets.
Though all that was previously mentioned is only one element to these poems. One of the most profound features of this work is seeing Catullus develop as a character and seeing the progression of many of his relationships throughout this collection. It is clear that later in his life Catullus' life falls apart. In poem 69 this is most clear. He loses his comic element largely from this point onwards and he claims that he has lost his expression due to the suffering in his life, through losing his brother who must have been very important to him. Furthermore, his relationship with Lesbia, one of the most well-noted of his relationships, crumbles apart in poem 8. Prior to this point he almost exclusively wrote about Lesbia, and more than likely had her be the main inspiration for his poetry. The end to this relationship sees the beginning of his progression towards the suffering he feels later on.
Though towards the end of this collection it can be seen that Catullus, who has lost everything, still yearns for Lesbia. Despite the heartache, despite the whoring (for and from either of them), there is still is a love which Catullus cannot live without and requires more desperately now that he is suffering in such a profound way. While it may seem as though Catullus' story will end in a tragic tale of loneliness and suffering, Lesbia returns to him. From this point onward, a significant change can be seen in the tone of the poems. Catullus comes back to life because he has something to live for. Lesbia, who starts off just as another of Catullus' girls is a constant obsession of the poet and one which brings him back from the brink of despair.
While most of Catullus is beautifully expressed and interesting what must be exaggerated is that his fictional poems are significantly weaker than those which are personal. Truly Catullus can strongly express himself when it comes to pure emotion. The flaw with these works is that there is a lack of this expression in favour of a narrative, as though the life of Catullus and his friends was not interesting enough!
This collection contains all of the poems by one of the best poets known to history, a true predecessor to the romantic poets.
guojing's review against another edition
4.0
I am somewhat at a loss for words. Apart from being at times extremely witty, at times extremely vulgar, and at times extremely obscure, and this translation on a whole not feeling very poetic per se, it was still a surprisingly enjoyable read. 3.5 stars.
graycelandtoo's review against another edition
5.0
Catullus had caused me some distress after it being brought up in a certain interview that most definitely did not go well, but I am so glad that I decided to reconcile with his poetry again. Catullus was in fact my first introduction to Classical poetry and I’m glad of it - what’s left to shock you after you have read Catullus? He’s most definitely one of the reasons that I’m pursuing a degree in Classics.
alijc's review against another edition
2.0
I started this book because I wanted to translate some Latin poetry, and I'd read some bits of Catullus in my textbook that were quite sweet.
Unfortunately, those sweet bits are few and far apart among his poems. In the vast majority of his work he is simply nasty. He viciously skewers people without mercy and often drops into obscenity. There were many times when, after parsing out and understanding the Latin, I was at a loss of how to restate it in English. Because I couldn't bring myself to write down the English words that were needed to do this. Hell, in many cases I didn't even know the English equivalents.
Unfortunately, those sweet bits are few and far apart among his poems. In the vast majority of his work he is simply nasty. He viciously skewers people without mercy and often drops into obscenity. There were many times when, after parsing out and understanding the Latin, I was at a loss of how to restate it in English. Because I couldn't bring myself to write down the English words that were needed to do this. Hell, in many cases I didn't even know the English equivalents.
wynter_layla124's review against another edition
1.0
Creepy Roman Guy
Deranged mind
Obssesive compulsions
Don't read 16 - you will feel violated
Inventor of the "stalking-for-love-sad-boy-who-turns-predatory" trope
Peace \/
Deranged mind
Obssesive compulsions
Don't read 16 - you will feel violated
Inventor of the "stalking-for-love-sad-boy-who-turns-predatory" trope
Peace \/