You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
ratitabovary_09's review against another edition
3.0
•26-03-2022 — 27-03-2022•
«De nada serviría la fama más gloriosa a quien deba sufrir ignominiosa muerte; y no es morir lo peor, sino querer morir y no poder siquiera lograr ese deseo.»
¿Es más importante vivir en agonía a morir de forma inútil? Ese debe ser uno de los mayores castigos: morir en vano. Arrojar tu vida, una obra de arte, por la borda. ¿Quién querría ser un mártir sin tener la seguridad de serlo? Es más, hoy en día, ¿quién querría ser uno?
«De nada serviría la fama más gloriosa a quien deba sufrir ignominiosa muerte; y no es morir lo peor, sino querer morir y no poder siquiera lograr ese deseo.»
¿Es más importante vivir en agonía a morir de forma inútil? Ese debe ser uno de los mayores castigos: morir en vano. Arrojar tu vida, una obra de arte, por la borda. ¿Quién querría ser un mártir sin tener la seguridad de serlo? Es más, hoy en día, ¿quién querría ser uno?
kitko's review against another edition
5.0
best greek play i've read so far. carson remains on top with her visceral language and cutting translation. will be returning to this again no doubt
kingofspain93's review against another edition
5.0
if I did not already know what grief was then I would read Sophocles to try to learn
graywacke's review against another edition
4.0
50. Electra by Sophocles, translated by Anne Carson
- introduction and notes by Michael Shaw
- editors’ forward by Peter Burian and Alan Shapiro
first performed: c. 405 bce
translation 2001 (Anne's introduction comes from a 1993 lecture)
format: 130 page Oxford University Press paperback
acquired: borrowed from my library
read: Aug 11-15
rating: 4 stars
Just another Greek Tragedy, but this was different in presentation. Anne Carson's translation was excellent and brought alive the tension in Electra's language in the first key first parts of this play. And the two introductions, one by Shaw and the other by Carson, pick apart the play and it's structure, revealing a lot more of what is there.
The play itself is a tragedy with a "happy" ending. Electra is trapped, living with her mother and her mother's lover, she is in serious danger, and cannot marry and bear any children. She can only cooperate. But, her brother Orestes will rescue her by killing their own mother, Clytemnestra, and her lover, Aegisthus, with the help of some clever word play.
Electra, despite her trap, becomes a presence. She maintains pitiful public devotion to her father, living miserably in mourning, and, in doing so, skillfully wields some power and influence. At the heart of this play is Electra's language and how she works over the other characters. She becomes the fury who harasses the murderers.
- introduction and notes by Michael Shaw
- editors’ forward by Peter Burian and Alan Shapiro
first performed: c. 405 bce
translation 2001 (Anne's introduction comes from a 1993 lecture)
format: 130 page Oxford University Press paperback
acquired: borrowed from my library
read: Aug 11-15
rating: 4 stars
Just another Greek Tragedy, but this was different in presentation. Anne Carson's translation was excellent and brought alive the tension in Electra's language in the first key first parts of this play. And the two introductions, one by Shaw and the other by Carson, pick apart the play and it's structure, revealing a lot more of what is there.
The play itself is a tragedy with a "happy" ending. Electra is trapped, living with her mother and her mother's lover, she is in serious danger, and cannot marry and bear any children. She can only cooperate. But, her brother Orestes will rescue her by killing their own mother, Clytemnestra, and her lover, Aegisthus, with the help of some clever word play.
(in front of a covered corpse, that Aegisthus does not know is Clytemnestra.)Clearly a happy play.
Orestes:
This isn't my corpse—it's yours.
Yours to look at, yours to eulogize.
Aegisthus:
Yes good point. I have to agree.
You there—Clytemnestra must be about in the house—
call her for me.
Orestes:
She is right before you. No need to look elsewhere.
Electra, despite her trap, becomes a presence. She maintains pitiful public devotion to her father, living miserably in mourning, and, in doing so, skillfully wields some power and influence. At the heart of this play is Electra's language and how she works over the other characters. She becomes the fury who harasses the murderers.
By dread things I am compelled. I know that.
I see the trap closing.
I know what I am.
padfoot014's review against another edition
4.0
3.80/5- read it for class but it was a surprising page turner.
Most Greek classics don’t center around women, so this was very interesting.
Most Greek classics don’t center around women, so this was very interesting.
grauspitz's review against another edition
4.0
As I have yet to read the other two playwright's take on this myth I can't compare them like others have. What I can say, however, is that Electra is definitely a character with a lot of power behind her words and the fact that this play focuses around her, a woman in Greek myth, is amazing in my opinion.
Normally I'd say if you don't like a certain character then don't bother reading books/plays that centre around them but this play displays her in such a different light that I feel like you might also view her in a different light after this.
Normally I'd say if you don't like a certain character then don't bother reading books/plays that centre around them but this play displays her in such a different light that I feel like you might also view her in a different light after this.
akalexander24's review against another edition
5.0
Solid translation--Carson veers away from the literal but gives you something more readable, well-suited for a stage production, not so much if you're looking for translation help. Great introduction and translator's forward for those who want to get into the Greek, though.