Menander

Characters. Much better than I thought it would be. Very funny. I had to take my specs off so I could wipe my eyes. Thirty satirical sketches of undesirable personality types, all delivered though gritted teeth in a tone of disbelief. Reminded me of the sort of role John Cleese might play. Some of the things Theophrastus describes are so specific I’m sure many of these characters would have been recognised by their fellow Athenians at the time. Also very interesting for the details of show more daily life that you just don’t get in more formal literary works.

The pairing with Menander is nice as you have teacher and pupil in the same volume. I’ve not read this translation as I read a different one some time go. Vellacott’s translations of Euripides are superb. Menander is worth reading if you’re interested in the history of the theatre.

Both authors have been given the Penguin Classics treatment usual at the time and smoothed out of popular consumption. Characters translates just the Ancient Greek text, but not the Byzantine interpolations that appear in the manuscripts. According to the introduction, Dyskolos was done for a radio production and some liberties have been taken with the allocation of lines. The 2nd edition (1973) has more Menander than had been discovered when the first edition came out. show less

I know that good comedy transgresses its age, but maybe two and a half thousand years tests this theory to destruction. I found this hard work and, whilst I could see some of the jokes - and even smirked a couple of times, belly laughs were hard to find.
These plays were discovered at the beginning of the 20th Century and reconstructed from papyrus versions that were perhaps 85% complete. The very fact of their existence and age makes them significant: unfortunately, it does not make them funny.

Very dark and artfully crafted. Peace Osei is a very troubled girl on a path headed for destruction when we meet her. She's trying to escape past errors and secrets that threaten to destroy her. On her journey, she meets people who may just love her enough to help her pull through.

The book reads easily but it a tear-jerker in places. The dialectical speech is clumsy at times and slows the reader down. Overall, however, the story flows and gain momentums on the way. Koboah's writing style show more mimics well the anguish Peace feels in the book. I would prefer a little less heavy-handed description in spots. There are also places where too much is told in dialogue that rambles some.

Overall, I recommend the book, but bring tissues.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review. All thoughts expressed are my own and in no way influenced by either the author or publisher. show less

This piece of work was among the best that I have ever read of ancient Greek drama. It is entertaining, humorous, important, fantastic, and pleasing to me on both a cerebral and entertainment basis. I could not find fault with this, not in the least, and I believe that anyone who appreciates drama on any form or level can find this not only an interesting, but an exciting read.

5 stars!