spacestationtrustfund's review
3.0
This review is of the translation by Alan H. Sommerstein.
I feel like not enough people appreciate how incredibly funny Aristophanes is. This is not by far the first Greek play to lean on the fourth wall (or, indeed, to the point of breaking it entirely), but Ειρήνη does it best. Sommerstein's translation is surprisingly good, although not at all accurate to the letter of the text; the focus is more on preserving the spirit of the play, which allows for more changing of literal meaning. The puns were delightful, and definitely in keeping with the irreverent shock-humour nature of the original—the line about how "Zeus shitting enthroned in Heaven" caused the sanitary workers' woes was particularly funny (yes, I have a highly refined sense of humour). I have more respect for this edition as an adaptation than as a translation, given the non-literal interpretation; however, I think this edition would be an excellent starting point for someone who isn't experienced in the field.
I feel like not enough people appreciate how incredibly funny Aristophanes is. This is not by far the first Greek play to lean on the fourth wall (or, indeed, to the point of breaking it entirely), but Ειρήνη does it best. Sommerstein's translation is surprisingly good, although not at all accurate to the letter of the text; the focus is more on preserving the spirit of the play, which allows for more changing of literal meaning. The puns were delightful, and definitely in keeping with the irreverent shock-humour nature of the original—the line about how "Zeus shitting enthroned in Heaven" caused the sanitary workers' woes was particularly funny (yes, I have a highly refined sense of humour). I have more respect for this edition as an adaptation than as a translation, given the non-literal interpretation; however, I think this edition would be an excellent starting point for someone who isn't experienced in the field.
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