Five Comedies: Miles Gloriosus, Menaechmi, Bacchides, Hecyra and Adelphoe (Hackett Publishing Co.)

Rating:
Summary: The translation isn't great
Review: I enjoyed the plays but would have liked a better translation. The many liberties that were taken in the translation of the text doesn't do the language justice. It made the translation more comprehensive for the modern reader, but the beauty and poetry of the writing was lost. The repetition of sounds and synonyms was profuse and often became annoying. Otherwise, the plays themselves were great fun and a delight to read. This anthology provides a good sampling of Roman comedy as well as good examples of the continuing themes in the genre. I would recommend it for someone new to the field.

Rating:
Summary: Too colloquial but otherwise good
Review: The translations are a bit too colloquial for my taste. In some plays for instance the names are changes, or a character is said to have a Bronx accent! The translators goal was to have lively and performable versions, and they do, so this may not bother everyone.

Each play has a simple stage diagram, and some notes on what the stage should be like (eg, the first house should be grand and imposing, but the neighboring house is small and unimpressive). The stage directions are good. Short helpful introduction.

The book physically is splendid, with nice easy to read type, and the speakers names in full, offset to make them clear.