This is classical humanities literature, or at least it was included in my humanities course. It's a beautifully told story. I prefer Homer's telling of the Odyssey to this one, but thought I'd release this to see what others think.

Release planned for Monday, May 20, 2002 at px in White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico USA.

I found this book on Saturday, June 8 in the foyer of Milton Hall, a classroom and office building on the New Mexico State University campus. I kept it because I am somewhat familiar with both the story of the Aeneid and with other work of the translator of this particular version, Allen Mandelbaum, who won a 1973 National Book Award for it. I waited a few days to write this in order to be able to give an informed assessment of the work (as much as may be possible in such a brief time). From what reading I have made of it, I would say Mandelbaum turned in a workmanlike effort with this, the first of his translations of ancient Greek and Latin epic and mythic cycles, which is to say that almost any reader of this (or his other translations of the Odyssey and Metamorphoses) will come away with an understanding of the events which each describes. However, for the reader seeking some of the poetic flair of the original Aeneid (most notably found in poet laureate John Dryden's classic 1697 translation), this version will disappoint. To be fair, few are both familiar enough with Latin and able enough as poets to capture the essence of a monumental work such as the Aeneid. It is only by sacrificing metaphor for literalness that Mandelbaum can bring the work to a general audience, which is his stated intention, and in that much, I believe he succeeds.