An Oresteia
Compelling
Enigmatic
Timeless

An Oresteia Agamemnon by Aiskhylos; Elektra by Sophokles; Orestes by Euripides

Anne Carson2010
In this innovative rendition of The Oresteia, the poet, translator, and essayist Anne Carson combines three different visions -- Aischylos' Agamemnon, Sophokles' Elektra, and Euripides' Orestes, giving birth to a wholly new experience of the classic Greek triumvirate of vengeance. Carson's accomplished rendering combines elements of contemporary vernacular with the traditional structures and rhetoric of Greek tragedy, opening up the plays to a modern audience. --from publisher description.
Sign up to use

Reviews

Photo of enya
enya@wildatheart
5 stars
Jun 16, 2023

PERFFF

Photo of ashley
ashley@prophecygirl
5 stars
Feb 10, 2023

me when “i am the shape you made me. filth teaches filth.” and “i prefer to remain obscure…let me keep my little life to myself.” and “i ask this one thing: let me go mad in my own way.” and and and “why are you so in love with things unbearable?”


so many great little bits in here. loved the first two plays, orestes fell a little short for me especially at the end, thanks euripides.

Photo of mighty dragon
mighty dragon @naga
3 stars
Aug 13, 2022

goodreads pls let me add an half star rating. (anyway yes it's a 3.5 stars from me) so... as someone who's not familiar yet with the plays, i cannot write a review with comparing this version to other translations. not sure if that makes me lucky or the opposite. i enjoy reading this one because of the simplicity of the language, don't get me wrong, i love beautifully written translations but sometimes, simple and more familiar sentence (and humor) is a lot more exciting. i didn't notice this was a trilogy written by different poet at first, and when i did, i can't help but wonder how it will go. again, since i haven't read others' translation and the other version of the plays, i'm not sure if i miss some context in each of the plays. i think i do though, because the changes of focus is slightly off. anyway, elektra is one vengeful and bloodthirsty character here. i love her.

Photo of Prashant Prasad
Prashant Prasad@prashprash
5 stars
Nov 2, 2021

it’s just very good isn’t it carson’s best translation for sure. also every time agamemnon comes up i’m filled with rage agamemnon - aiskhylos * why grief on advance? whatever turns up, i hope it’s happy — (19) * let me keep my little life to myself. (26) * I am a restrained person. Otherwise my heart would race past my tongue to pour out everything. Instead I mumble, I gnaw myself. I lose hope. And my mind is burning. (45) * there is the sea and who shall drain it dry? (43) * schismos of the double-edged sword: schismos means a cleaving a cutting a splitting a chopping in two (52) * thermonous means hot souls, burning mind, brain on fire (53) * you and i, as masters of this house, will dispose all things as they should be. beautifully. (74) elektra - sophokles * i ask this one thing: let me go mad in my own way (94) * why are you so in love with things unbearable? (94) * i am the shape you made me. filth teaches filth. (119) * dead made him a stranger — laid out somewhere not by my hands. not with my tears (133) * do not turn your face from me. don’t take yourself away. (157) orestes - euripides * i’ll take care of you. it’s rotten work. not to me. not if it’s you. (218) * hold on, hold on. i have to protest. do you think i would choose to live without you? (227)

Photo of Riley
Riley@coldeurydice
5 stars
Aug 20, 2022
+6
Photo of lola
lola@stardustlola
5 stars
Jun 6, 2022
Photo of Madison Storm
Madison Storm@cntemporary
5 stars
Jan 6, 2024
Photo of Caitlin Bohannon
Caitlin Bohannon@waitingforoctober
5 stars
Jan 5, 2023
Photo of Isabella
Isabella@jeanvaljeune
4 stars
Nov 3, 2022
Photo of cotarded
cotarded@cotarded
5 stars
Jan 21, 2022
Photo of jo
jo @romans
5 stars
Nov 8, 2021
Photo of Laura Carnevale
Laura Carnevale@laura_c
5 stars
Oct 6, 2021

This book appears on the shelf 2020

The Sawbones Book
The Sawbones Book by Justin McElroy
Humankind
Humankind by Rutger Bregman
My Dark Vanessa
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
The Rosie Result
The Rosie Result by Graeme Simsion
From Blood and Ash
From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Assassination Vacation
Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell

This book appears on the shelf Uno 2017

Inferno
Inferno by Dan Brown
The Knife of Never Letting Go
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
Station Eleven
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Not That Kind of Girl
Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham
Crooked Kingdom
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
November 9
November 9 by Colleen Hoover

This book appears on the shelf Theme magical

Untamed
Untamed by Sara Humphreys
A Hunger Like No Other
A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole
Archangel's Blade
Archangel's Blade
Bloodfever (Fever Series, Book 2)
Bloodfever (Fever Series, Book 2) by Karen Marie Moning
Bound by flames
Bound by flames by Jeaniene Frost
Chase the Darkness
Chase the Darkness by J. D. Tyler