Deuce

I have many translations of Homer ...Fitzgerald, Fagles etc ... and have begun them all. Finished none. Something always bothered me. Finally realizing they seemed "contrived". Reading them also seemed ... wrong. Homer was spoken ...even performed. Yes it's all been said but ... I speaking Italian fluently and realize translating Italian poetry to English in the same meter with forced rhymes (English famously not as Poetic as Italian or Greek) is iffy at best. I am also a writer of poetry, music and musician. With Stanley Lombardo it sounds "natural." Unforced. And ...most importantly, natural, understandable and entertaining which were and are the first principles of any entertainer. With which Homer was certainly most concerned. Closing my eyes ...with a "wine dark glass with cut apples and pears" soaking in it and a good cigar) outside. THIS is as close to imagining Homer reciting. This is how life should be lived.

I have and will listen again to this audio rendition of Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. William Dufris perfectly reads the story to the point you believe you are there. The accents are thoroughly enjoying. To the point I found myself chuckling repeatedly. It was as if Huck himself was telling the story. Which in the book he is.

The story is a classic. The evolution of a young boy who was an outcast from accepting slavery to helping Jim escape to freedom even if it did mean he was going to hell!

William Dufris perfectly reads the story to the point you believe you are there. The accents are thoroughly enjoying. To the point I found myself chuckling repeatedly. It was as if Huck himself was telling the story. Which in the book he is.

I found myself laughing repeatedly. I also found myself angered anyone would consider it racist. Simply because of the use of the N-word. The fact I must use n-word is because otherwise this review might be denied. Which itself is foolishness. The use of the n-word magnifies the very horror of slavery and most importantly was the way people spoke in those times. Each time it was used my reaction was extreme and so propelled the story ...which is the search of freedom by a slave and an abused and neglected boy.

Will have this book read to me on a regular basis. A true classic ...both the book and the reading. BTW: I also have William Dufris' reading of the Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

I bought both Stanley Lomabardo's Illiad and Odessey. I have many translations of Homer ...Fitzgerald, Fagles etc ... and have begun them all. Finished none. Something always bothered me. Finally realizing they seemed "contrived". Reading them also seemed ... wrong. Unatural. Forced rhymes and did not ring true. Admittedly subjective ...but then ...THAT is art. Homer was spoken ...even performed. Yes it's all been said but ... I speaking Italian fluently and realize translating Italian poetry to English in the same meter with forced rhymes (English famously not as Poetic as Italian or Greek) is iffy at best. I am also a writer of poetry, music and musician. With Stanley Lombardo it sounds "natural." Unforced. And ...most importantly, natural, understandable and entertaining which were and are the first principles of any entertainer. With which Homer was certainly most concerned. Closing my eyes ...with a "wine dark glass with cut apples and pears" soaking in it and a good cigar) outside. THIS is as close to imagining Homer reciting. This is how life should be lived.