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gellok's review against another edition
4.0
This is an oddly useful book for those interested in Cicero's work and - particularly - his verbiage and prose. The book is disappointing only insofar as it does not include the smattering of sections from the later sections. Readers will want some familiarity with Roman Latin and philosophy going in as it will mesh comfortably with Zetzel's comments. Cicero is playful in his criticisms and his use of 'otium' relative to public life and the Epicureans immediately provides the reader with the complexity of his argument and its target. By Book II Cicero's poetic style and wordplay is on full display (see Zetzel's notes for Book II 6.3 and 8.2 for interesting examples). Overall, the commentary provided is deeply insightful and valuable to readers of Cicero, and I imagine that value and insight could be extended to the classroom or the ruminations of the Latin hobbyist with little difficulty.
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