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In addition to tragedy, this stunning classic from Ancient Greece asks that age-old question, "who am I." This version provides useful annotations for readers. Young Oedipus is destined to murder his father and marry his mother. Sophocles ancient classic engrips and horrifies the reader with a tragic tale of fate and horror. It gives away the ending, but how many first-timers don't already know it. So it is written. Eager to avoid the fickle hand of fate, his parents send young Oedipus away at early age to evade the inevitable, which of course, proves unavoidable. We read this play freshman year in high school and struggled with certain parts, although naturally we grasped the ideas of fate, tragedy, and incest. A classic perhaps not for the faint-of-heart.
This is an old and famous play and I have to say, it is interesting, suspenseful and with an unconventional plot. I am not a native English speaker but as far as the language interpretation goes, this edition was easy to follow and the side notes were very helpful. I am not the most patient reader but this book was easy to navigate and to understand. My 13 years old didn't have trouble with reading it either.
In this Literary Touchstone edition, the emotion is drained from the argument, and each character ends up sounding like a lawyer.Although I did find the annotations on the sides of the page helpful when explaining the references to the Greek gods, I found them frustrating when they would reference things that would not happen for another twenty or thirty pages. I found this version of the play to be too cumbersome in its language. It seems that the editors wrote the annotaions assuming the reader was already familiar with the play.The deal-breaker for me, however, was the fact that the play is not only summarized on the back cover, but specific details to the plot are revealed, robbing the story of any surprise at all for the first-time reader. I had previously read Robert Fitzgerald's translation, which was marvelous and easy to understand. The argument between Oedipus and Teirisias, for example, clearly shows the anger, frustration, and weariness felt by the characters. For those thinking of purchasing this book, I would urge you to take a look at the Fitzgerald version. Amazon lets you browse the pages of both, and I think you'll find the translation of the Fitzgerald more easy to understand, and more suspenseful in its delivery: http://www.amazon.com/Sophocles-Oedipus-Cycle-Colonus-Antigone/dp/015602764X/ref=pd_cp_b_3
Okay, this is probably one of the most disturbing stories ever written. Maybe that is why I love it so much--it's a horrible, disturbing story that has managed to keep society hooked for eons with its steady of the omnipotience of fate.Because, yes, despite all the glorious incest that all the high schoolers obsess over, this is about fate, a man who is doomed to a horrific life from the moment he is born.On top of this is the basic human emotions and attachments, the attempt of the human will to fight fate.It's a hard battle, but it certainly is a good one to read.
THIS EDITION HAS SPACE FOR YOUR NOTES, AND ALONG THE SIDE IT HAS NOTES THAT HELP YOU BETTER UNDERSTAND THIS ALREADY GREAT STORY. ONE MORE IMPORTANT REASON FOR YOU TO BUY THE TOUCHSTONE EDITION IS ITS PRICE, CAN'T BE BEAT. I ONLY WISH THAT IT WAS THE SIZE OF OTHER PAPERBACK BOOKS.
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