(Book Review--Classics, Greek Mythology, Blogging the Canon)Started: May 7, 2025
(This is my first time reading this book, so according to my new rules, I'm doing this as a video only review.)
Often when I film videos unscripted, I realize after the video has finished that there were some things I wanted to say, but didn't say them. There were a few things in this video that I forgot to say, so I'll note them down below:
* As I mentioned in the video, I was delighted to realize how readable this book was. However, despite this, I did feel like it dragged on a bit. About maybe page 200 (out of 357 pages), I started thinking, "Okay, I've got the point here. It's just stories about a bunch of things changing into other things. I'm about ready for this to be done now." However, I did wonder if my beginning feelings of boredom might be due to the fact that I had heard so much of this before in Bulfinch's Mythology. And indeed, when I got to the parts of this book which hadn't been included in Bulfinch's Mythology, like the battle with the centaurs, then my interest perked right up again. So maybe it was just over familiarity with these stories that caused boredom, and another reader, less familiar with Bulfinch, wouldn't suffer the same problems that I did.
On the other hand, I just got this comment from a reader who also got bored with this book halfway through, so maybe it wasn't just me.
On the whole, I still found this book highly readable, it's just that the second half I read with a bit less enthusiasm than the first half.
* The book deals mostly with human beings being changed into plants or animals by the gods. It's notable that sometimes they get changed into plants or animals as a punishment, sometimes as a reward, and sometimes as an act of mercy. It's ironic, because you're thinking, "Wait, why was that guy changed into a tree as a punishment, but that other guy was changed into a tree as a reward?"
But I shouldn't talk as if I'm smarter than Ovid, and I've picked up on an irony he had overlooked. I suspect Ovid was fully aware of this irony, and perhaps he was playing on it all throughout the book?
* The stories in this book all seem to operate on the assumption that the Greek gods have unlimited power to transform things. Got a human that's giving you trouble? Just transform him into a tree. Problem solved.
This seems to me to conflict with other stories from Greek mythology, in which the gods have had a harder time dealing with humans. But I guess Greek mythology has never been 100% consistent, especially when it comes to its depictions of the gods.
Still, it is noticable, particularly at the end, when Venus is pursuing her grudge against Diomedes, because he had attacked her in the events of The Iliad. (Ovid assumes his readers have all read The Iliad.) and you think to yourself, "Wait, why didn't she just transform Diomedes into a toad, or something?"
But again, perhaps this is another irony that Ovid is fully aware of? I don't know.
Links to stuff mentioned:
Related Playlists
* Greek Mythology Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x5IDSN7E3MWlyZ2a4i_SlkQ
* Classic Books Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x53EsuWSZ-z0uFGL_0Jl6F1&si=giDKwvKMzCWtXvzl
* Book Review Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x7dao6py7ODX_PkUvrAEch7&si=kiFeTonJJ3Ux5H1T
* Books I read in 2025: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x7Fev7Uv6_tzuSf84LtYwQu&si=Im1rdozRXrgGnr99
* Babylonian / Akkadian Literature Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x5BtyzrSv3NMPA3VpzLIuq8&si=x0yeQPCkXyxtPCr4
Did you enjoy this review? Consider supporting me on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/joelswagman
Support me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/JoelSwagman
Check out this book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4jMYY7l (This is an Amazon Associate's Link. If you buy anything through that link, I get a commission. This links to a book by a different translator.)
No comments:
Post a Comment