Stanley Lombardo is Professor of Classics, University of Kansas.
The four sections of this book [Introduction, Translator's Note,
translations, Notes on Ancient Sources] work remarkably well
together, presenting the fragments of Sappho according to 'the idea
of the isolated message' (xvii). The dominant and characteristic
interest shared by both Lombardo as translator and Gordon as
introducer is their concerted effort to validate 'fragments as
esthetic wholes' (xxvi). Lombardo's translations are pleasantly
distinct from those of any other I am aware of both for their
sonorous but straightforward rendering in modern spoken American
English . . . [an edition] better both for its clear translations,
and for the breadth and depth of the critical Introduction.
Lombardo's strategy as translator is to convey not only the Greek
by means of English, but also the experience of reading 'Sappho as
a pure, received text' (xxvi) by means of direct, plain
presentation of the poem . . . A unique and welcome contribution to
the diversity of English translations available. --Travis Feldman,
The Bryn Mawr Classical Review
I have long been an admirer of Stanley Lombardo's translations of
Homer, and I was curious to see how he would adapt his fast-paced,
lively style to Sappho. He has succeeded admirably. His translation
of 73 poems of Sappho is clear, energetic, and close to the Greek.
Pamela Gordon's Introduction gives a lucid and useful guide for the
non-specialist to the last fifty years of scholarly debate on
Sappho. This edition will be particularly useful for instructors of
courses in translation seeking an introduction to Sappho for the
Greekless student. It is also a pleasure to read. --Laurel Bowman,
The Classical Bulletin
Gordon's Introduction is a clear summation of the poetic and
scholarly aura surrounding the figure of Sappho and these literary
fragments. . . . This essay, complete with selective bibliography
at the end, could be assigned to undergraduates as a first
introduction to both the poetry and the phenomenon of Sappho. . . .
Lombardo's translations are lively and accessible; Sappho lives
anew for the English reader. . . . Ideal for teaching at the
undergraduate level. --Cashman Kerr Prince, New England Classical
Journal
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