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Engaging…impressive… Through her lively discussion of modern scholarship, Ms. Beard succeeds in her goal of proving that study of the Classics is “still a ‘work in progress’ not ‘done and dusted’."
13 Reviews
3.0
Jean Kojali
Created about 1 month agoShare
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“I have a complicated relationship with this book.
I tried to read this about four years ago, when I was in the early years of university and trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my degree. Based on the title, I thought this would be a solid introduction to classics. I got about 70 pages in before I realized I didn't understand 80% of what I was reading. I was pleased that this time around I was able to keep up with the ideas and commentary presented in this book. Overall, I found a lot of value in this book - the historiographic elements were particularly insightful, and Beard's analysis on the state of classics was refreshingly optimistic and sharp. I learned a lot through her questions on the limitations of sources and the decisions of certain scholars. The introduction and afterword were among the strongest sections in this volume.
Unfortunately, I am unable to recommend this to somebody who is generally wanting to learn more about antiquity. Beard is a seasoned scholar, and the majority of these essays require some background knowledge of the topics covered. At times, Beard provides a bit of context for the respective topics (a sentence or two), but not nearly enough to fully appreciate her review of the works in each essay. For me at least, it was very easy to get lost in the middle of her essays, and I often had to go back and re-read portions. This rendered the reading process extremely laborious.
I think I will return to this for specific essays, but I don't see a full re-read in the future.”
Brooklynn
Created 9 months agoShare
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Jennifer Palmer
Created about 2 years agoShare
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rose.the.rabbit
Created over 2 years agoShare
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abby johnston
Created over 2 years agoShare
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About Mary Beard
Mary Beard is the author of the best-selling The Fires of Vesuvius and the National Book Critics Circle Award–nominated Confronting the Classics and SPQR. A popular blogger and television personality, Beard is a regular contributor to the New York Review of Books. She lives in England.
Other books by Mary Beard
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