Reviews for The Politics of Dreaming in the Carolingian Empire

The average rating for The Politics of Dreaming in the Carolingian Empire based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2011-09-21 00:00:00 Judith Gramm I'd love to be able to give this book four and a half stars. On the level of literary merit and imagination, I'd give it five - it's a genuine pleasure to read, and a wonderfully creative argument. Dutton explores the world of Carolingian political dream texts, a genre that had been dormant for centuries before rising up in the aftermath of Charlemagne's death. He explores how these dreams act as a mirror to contemporary politics and how, if they were lined up chronologically, could act as a kind of alternative to traditional annals. It's beautifully written. I'm a little hesitant to give it five stars, though, because the argument is a bit weak at points. Dutton occasionally stretches his argument a little too far (his claim that Louis the German was very familiar with dream texts is never sufficiently substantiated) and important points are sometimes treated in a rather cursory fashion. It's almost as if Dutton had too many ideas and had trouble fitting them all into his argument (and while that's a pretty good problem to have, it can be frustrating). Still though, it's a really wonderful and accessible book. If you're interested in dreams/visions it's a must-read, and it also works pretty well as an alternative way to learn about Carolingian political history.

Review # 2 was written on 2015-02-16 00:00:00 Zdbahri Dbahri This is a lovely book with high production values that suit its subject admirably. It describes the physical and material world of the Roman empire as it appeared, smelled, felt and tasted to the Romans who lived then. It covers a period from the end of the Republic to about midway through the Principate and is nicely sited within the sources. Dalby says in his introduction that he intended the book as a companion to reading the original literature and sources, and to that extent it works admirably. It really gives a sense of the sensuality of the Roman world: roses, cinnamon oil, juicy peaches. Well worth a read if you're either studying classical antiquity or are simply interested in the look, feel, smell and touch of the Roman world.