Reviews for Euripides Our Contemporary

The average rating for Euripides Our Contemporary based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2013-03-10 00:00:00 Erik Olsen Competent, but not inspirational or even original. If you want to discover something that you didn't know about Euripides, look elsewhere. Each chapter reminds me of a graduate student essay written two weeks before its due date. Too harsh? Okay. Maybe three weeks. There is one chapter that is worth reading: The Comic Touch. The content of the chapter is not substantial, but more attention should be drawn to Euripides' use of levity to engage his audience. This chapter is a good conversation starter. Although Walton does not discuss Medea in this chapter, I'd like to cite a quote from Medea to illustrate an instance of "the comic touch" that made me smile: "No one should teach their children to be clever. People don't like it." I had hoped to at least find out why Walton considers Euripides "our contemporary"--that was the promise implied in the title--but no. Disappointment much. You will find more original analysis and critical reflection on Euripides' work in Edith Hamilton's chapter "Euripides, the Modern Mind" (The Greek Way, published in 1930), than you will in the entirety of Euripides Our Contemporary.

Review # 2 was written on 2015-03-15 00:00:00 David Tucker Ii I wanted to read Euripides'19 extant plays, but found the prospect a bit daunting. I was looking for a companion book that would help me focus in on the plays'recurring themes, ideas and tropes. This book did the trick. Instead of dealing with each plays separately, the relevant plays are discussed according to such themes as war, revenge, and the playwright's depiction of women. To make things easier, Walton listed below the chapter headings the plays to be discussed in the upcoming section. That way, you could read the plays right before reading the relevant essays. All in all, the book worked well as a companion to Euripides'plays.