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sjbozich's review against another edition
4.0
The 2 short major works of Hesiod, translated by the well regarded M. L. West back in 1988, with Notes and Intro.
"Theogony" has so many Notes (in the back of the book) on who's who it can be slow going. While some of the text is just a list and a sharirng of the family history of gods, other parts of it can be quite exciting stories.
At times "Works and Days" reads like Polonius blathering on, but it has its moments.
The bad part of the text is that while Notes refer to line numbers, there are no line numbers on the pages of text. Not handy for future references.
"Theogony" has so many Notes (in the back of the book) on who's who it can be slow going. While some of the text is just a list and a sharirng of the family history of gods, other parts of it can be quite exciting stories.
At times "Works and Days" reads like Polonius blathering on, but it has its moments.
The bad part of the text is that while Notes refer to line numbers, there are no line numbers on the pages of text. Not handy for future references.
cecesloth's review against another edition
The weird formatting of some parts is really off-putting and which doesn't help the flow of an already dry read. Theogony is a real slog, but Works and Days has a bunch of unintentionally hilarious stuff - like when and where to go to the toilet and what days are good for people to be born on (framed as if the mother has a choice on the matter.) Basically the world's first "weird old neighbour shakes his fist and shouts get off my lawn!"
xider's review against another edition
2.0
Although I enjoyed the last 10 pages of Works and Days very much because of the varied advice, the language of this translation is gods-awful and not at all legible. Quite a big letdown after reading the Odyssey, too.
hopelessecstatic's review against another edition
3.0
This was a fascinating read, but made more than somewhat tedious by the begats form. Interesting to catch a glimpse of 8th c. BCE religious trends, such as the somewhat recent birth of Hecate as an all-powerful, beneficent goddess! Not yet the crone, or not in these parts, at least. It was sad to read such a damning view of women in the story of the first woman. Worse than Agamemnon's rant against women in the Odyssey. (Yes, he had cause to be angry, but cursing all women from his time forward?)
jon_o88's review against another edition
4.0
4 ⭐
Kronos eats his children,
Then failing to find a knife,
He cuts his father’s junk off with an adamantine scythe.
Cerberus has 50 heads,
Zeus frequents his sisters' beds,
A penis that falls in the sea gives Aphrodite life.
Good readers put your faith in me,
if you love Greek Mythology,
for the God’s genealogy,
read Hesiod’s Theogony.
Oh, you would actually like some information about the book? Why didn't you say so?
Check out --Linda's review--! It's fascinating, informative and conveniently reflects my own thoughts exactly! :)
Kronos eats his children,
Then failing to find a knife,
He cuts his father’s junk off with an adamantine scythe.
Cerberus has 50 heads,
Zeus frequents his sisters' beds,
A penis that falls in the sea gives Aphrodite life.
Good readers put your faith in me,
if you love Greek Mythology,
for the God’s genealogy,
read Hesiod’s Theogony.
Oh, you would actually like some information about the book? Why didn't you say so?
Check out --Linda's review--! It's fascinating, informative and conveniently reflects my own thoughts exactly! :)
bookphair's review against another edition
4.0
What do you mean, write a review? Okay, you really do have to read this if you want to plug in your Greek mythology people and heirarchy. You can get the geneology anywhere, but it's interesting to see how it's worded. The story is universal. Sorry, christians.
jonnybrick's review against another edition
3.0
Boring poem which still bores Classics students rigid 2500 years after it was written.