A review by kieranf
Works and Days by Hesiod

3.0

This review is in relation to the A.E Stallings translation. I am in two minds regarding this translation of Hesiod’s works and days. While it is amazing that the translator managed to translate the whole poem into rhyming couplets, I think this choice ultimately detracted from my enjoyment of the poem. I found that the rhymes always centred my attention on the beginning and ending of the lines, as a result I sometimes lost track of what I had Just read further up the page and I had to re-read some pages several times in order to fully comprehend the text. Although this isn’t a particularly long (epic) poem; it is difficult to keep the quality of rhyming couplets over 60-70 pages and while some rhymes worked brilliantly, others were jarring/comical and this really broke my immersion. I think this was an ambitious undertaking and I’m glad to have read it, but I would definitely not recommend this as a being a perfect introduction to Hesiod or Greek literature in general as the execution of the translation may make it overwhelming to all but the most ardent fans of rhyming couplets.