Author: Larry Kooper

History of the Peloponnesian War   Original language: Greek. I read the Rex Warner translation, published 1954 revised 1972, by Penguin. It’s interesting because the book deals with international law. It was not called that then, but these are different nations and they were working on matters of law between them.  Another really interesting thing…

Original language: Greek. I read the version edited by David Grene and Richmond Lattimore. Hippolytus The ending, where a dying Hippolytus returns to his father Theseus and all the misunderstandings that led to tragedy are revealed, was the best part. Medea This play resonates much more with me than Hippolytus. No wonder it’s one of…

The Histories Original language: Greek. I read the David Grene translation, published 1987 by the Univ. of Chicago Press. Interesting: Grene says in his Acknowledgments that the text was intended largely for reading aloud. Makes sense, printed books didn’t exist yet. I enjoyed Grene’s introduction. From the Introduction: “[Herodotus] believes (with some good evidence) that…

Original language: Greek. I read Oedipus Trilogy, “a version by” Stephen Spender. Spender (1909-1995) had a long and glorious career as a prolific writer, translator, professor, civil servant, and magazine publisher. Before reading his Oedipus I knew him best for his wonderful translations (with J.B. Leishman) of Rilke’s Duino Elegies and Sonnets to Orpheus. I…

Original language: Greek. I read the Oresteia, edited by David Grene and Richmond Lattimore, translated by Lattimore. I loved it. It’s poetry, it’s art. The Lattimore translation is excellent. I like how the Chorus Leader is a character in the play, who interacts with the other characters. 

6th century BC. Original language: Sanskrit. Hindu scriptures that constitute the core teachings of Vendanta. I read the Eknath Easwaran translation (2007), chapter introductions and afterword by Michael N. Nagler, published by Nilgiri Press. Dull, dull, dull. The only redeeming quality is that they urge the reader to meditate. 

The ideas in the book are attributed to Confucius (551 – 479 BC). The book was completed by his followers around 400 BC. Original language: Classical Chinese. I read the Simon Leys translation (2014), edited by Michael Nylan, published by W.W. Norton. From the translator’s introduction:“A classic is essentially a text that is open-ended —…

Around the 6th century BC. Original language: Avestan. The sacred texts of Zoroastrianism. I enjoyed James Darmesteter’s introduction. But the text is another story. It’s overwhelmingly a weird and repetitive set of religious laws, mainly dealing with the corpses of people and dogs.  What a waste of time. Repeated formulas of praise for a fuckton…

Original language: Classical Chinese. I read the David Hall and Roger Ames translation. My original chronology had the Tao Te Ching at the 6th century BC. Hall and Ames date the book to 403-221 BC. They also say that Lao Tsu didn’t exist, he’s just the name of the author by tradition. First of all,…

Around 600 BC. Original language: Hebrew, with about 1% in Aramaic (5 chapters of Daniel and 3 chapters of Ezra). I read the King James Version and parts of the Tanakh (Jewish Publication Society edition). Talk about a human God. He’s very thin-skinned, quick to anger and quick to punish Man. God is like a…