Eros the Bittersweet

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Summary: A fascinating, exciting exploration of the nature of desire
Review: Eros contains a series of short essays on the ancient Greek notion of desire. Using Sappho's poetry as a touchstone, Carson explores Sappho's term "glukupikron"(literally, "sweetbitter"). She touches upon a myriad of ancient texts; the second half of the book draws largely from Plato's Phaedrus. Most exciting for me was her explanation of the similarities between the edges of erotic desire and the edges of the alphabet. This culminates in a wonderful series of chapters in which she relates erotic desire with the desire for knowledge. It was exhilarating!! What's more, I found the book extremely accessible. A must read!

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Summary: a pretty piece but ...
Review: I hesitate to rate books in this forum that I do not chime with; but in this case since my experience differed drastically from that of the only two other reviewers I thought I'd put in a word, with the qualification that my resonance, or lack thereof, could be entirely due to my own particularities. The book reads to me as a beautiful recitation of some familiar theses. The passages are pleasing to the eyes but plain for the thoughts. It is nevertheless an aesthetic success for those who seek such satisfaction from reading.

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Summary: From the Classics
Review: The Greeks did not cover everything but they made a pretty good start. Anne Carson has always been the queen of fitting classical allusions to the evident. The book could be described as an extended exploration of 'Odi et amo: quare id faciam, fortase requiris/ nescio, sed fieri sentio et excrucior.'- Catullus. (I hate and I love/ Why do I, you ask ?/ I don't know, but it's happening/ and it hurts.)A splendid place to mine for obscure quotes: 'We aren't shutting you out of the revel, but we aren't inviting you either/ For you're a pain when you're present, and beloved when you are away'- Theognis