Rory Parker
asked:
Is this a hard book to read for someone not used to reading History books? Is there any particular translation I should seek out?
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Amanda
This book is both hard and easy. On a microlevel of individual narrative it's very enjoyable and easy - on a macrolevel it's really challenging to put all the pieces together. I found it difficult to keep track of the order of events and the unfamiliar names of people and places - and I would have benefited from taking notes, creating a timeline and a map, and even making a a list of characters with identifying notes.
This is not pop history, nor is it a text book. I find Herodotus' style easy to read, and if you take it in small chunks, there are some really great narratives tucked away in this book. I read Harry Graham Carter's translation, which is what I had access to (from the 1950s or 1960s), and I found it a bit endearing and easy enough to understand.
This is not pop history, nor is it a text book. I find Herodotus' style easy to read, and if you take it in small chunks, there are some really great narratives tucked away in this book. I read Harry Graham Carter's translation, which is what I had access to (from the 1950s or 1960s), and I found it a bit endearing and easy enough to understand.
Ian
Second question first, I'm not aware of there being good and bad translations of Herodotus. I read the Penguin classics version and it was fine. There is a recent translation by Tom Holland (the historian, not the actor) and it might be worth trying as he is a good writer, though I suspect any version you come across will do the job.
Is it hard to read? I'm going to say no. This isn't a dry book of historical analysis. The book splits between descriptions of events that are bizarre and memorable and accounts of the customs and practices of different communities in Europe and Asia. But I think what really comes through is Herodotus himself. He says next to nothing about his own life or background and yet his boundless curiosity and inquiring mind, and his respect for and interest in the rich pageant of humanity, shines through on every page. There's a bit in the Penguin introduction where it says that everyone who reads Herodotus's book comes away thinking of him as a friend, and that certainly felt true to me after I finished it.
Is it hard to read? I'm going to say no. This isn't a dry book of historical analysis. The book splits between descriptions of events that are bizarre and memorable and accounts of the customs and practices of different communities in Europe and Asia. But I think what really comes through is Herodotus himself. He says next to nothing about his own life or background and yet his boundless curiosity and inquiring mind, and his respect for and interest in the rich pageant of humanity, shines through on every page. There's a bit in the Penguin introduction where it says that everyone who reads Herodotus's book comes away thinking of him as a friend, and that certainly felt true to me after I finished it.
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