Reading Greek Tragedy

The two reviews here are silly and do not address the book directly. Goldhill is ambitious. He is trying to explain the nature of Greek tragedy and the circumstances of its development. He does this by discussing, in turn, particular works and particular themes. For instance, he discusses works that can only be understood in terms of the interworkings of the Greek polis and then describes the nature of the polis and its imhabitants. It is an impressive and illuminating product; those who are serious about understanding Greek tragedy should take the time to work though it.

Admittedly, I have not read this book, but I have read a number of Goldhill's essays on Greek tragedy, published in a variety of journals and collections. Goldhill is a fine scholar. He is certainly not the most readable, but few classicists are. While I cannot guarantee that this book is excellent or easy, I find it improbable (in the extreme) that it is wholly poor, certainly not to the extent that the reviewer above implies.