The Aeneid

By: Virgil

Narrated by: Simon Callow

Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

Here is the much-anticipated new translation of Virgil's epic poem from the award-winning translator Robert Fagles.

The publication of a new translation by Fagles is a literary event. His translations of both the Iliad and Odyssey have sold hundreds of thousands of copies and have become the standard translations of our era. Now, with this stunning modern verse translation, Fagles has reintroduced Virgil's Aeneid to a whole new generation, and completed the classical triptych at the heart of Western civilization.

The Aeneid is a sweeping epic of arms and heroism and a searching portrait of a man caught between love, duty, and the force of his own destiny. Here, Fagles brings to life the timeless journey of Aeneas as he flees the ashes of Troy to found Roman society and change forever the course of the Western world.

Fagles' translation retains all of the gravitas and humanity of the original as well as its powerful blend of poetry and myth.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2006 Robert Fagles
(P)2006 Penguin Audio, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. All rights reserved.

Ratings are of this version, NOT the real Aeneid

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Unfortunately, I can't recommend this or any of the audio-format Aeneids to a friend. Vergil is one of the most difficult poets in any language to translate. And while Fagles' Iliad is a classic for a reason, he doesn't "feel" Vergil the way that he "feels" Homer. The translation is turgid and stodgy and. . .basically everything that people who do not read Latin assume that Vergil is.

I can only recommend either the Lombardo or Ahl translations, and neither has been recorded.

Would you ever listen to anything by Virgil again?

Absolutely, if someone records a better translation.

Do you think The Aeneid needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

And. . .we see auto-forms gone hilariously wrong.

The Roman Epic

I did not find this as gripping as either the Iliad or the Odyssey, but it is a solid work. If you have read Homer, much of the style will feel very similar. Definitely worth the time.

reader is too much

I generally enjoy an enthusiastic reader, however this was too much. the audio book sounds like a melodrama and has a whole lot of shouting. it was distracting. one star off on the story for being broken up into chapters that don't match the books of the story, very frustrating.

Good Exciting Story

This was a good book. Exciting and action packed. I also noticed the problem of wrong times for the chapters in the audiobook, and then I saw Maggie’s review which helped immensely. :) Great piece of classic literature

A hellenist's review of the audio Aeneid

I should provide a quick note on my bias before I begin my review: I am a graduate student in classics However, I am a hellenist (i.e. I study Greek rather than Roman stuff). I also really don't like Virgil.

I have to confess that although I study classics, I have never been able to get all the way through the Aeneid before this (I've just read the sections I needed to get the gist for class). I've really tried to get into it-- I previously read portions of the Fagles, Fitzgerald, and Mandelbaum translations-- but I just couldn't get hooked. The audiobook did the trick-- I listened to the whole thing over the course of a week.

Simon Callow can be a little over dramatic and female voices are pretty grating, but he read at a reasonable pace and he kept my interest in the story. I actually even enjoyed some of it.

Fagles' translation of the Latin (I've read books II and VIII in Latin, so I have some minimal basis for judgement) has the virtue of being fairly literal, while still providing an accessible modern English text. In general, Fagles' translations seem to be more enjoyable aloud than on paper (I have also recently listened to Fagles' Odyssey and I found it to be the same way).

As I've mentioned, the Aeneid is not really my cup of tea. Yet, listening to it gave the story a different and more enjoyable pace. I highly suggest the audio version for anyone who needs to read Virgil's epic either for class or exams (or, honestly, for anyone who just wants a passing acquaintance with the influential texts of classical literature).

The Best Aeneid Translation Ever

This translation of the Aeneid stands head and shoulders above anything else I have seen in English. It's exciting, to the point, and very very nuanced. The narrator is a fantastic choice too. His voice creates a world and moves you along through it. I put on my earphones just intending to to listen to a few minutes of the beginning the night I downloaded this, and I was pulled in for four hours of adventure before I could finally force myself to click "stop".

A great story, but not the best narration.

Any additional comments?

Buy the Charlton Griffin narrated version!
This book is great but I highly recommend the Charlton Griffin narrated version. It is a better narration and translation. But best of all it begins with a wonderful introduction that includes a greatly needed chapter by chapter synopsis of the events of the book. See my review of that version for more a more detailed review.

Great book

This book is even better—in ways—than the odyssey. It has so much more emotion in it, but shies away from maudlin drama. Well read and written with echoes of the odyssey coming through it. It’s incredible.

Engaging listen BUT

This is an engaging performance of the Aeneid, HOWEVER, the chapters, illogically, do not correspond to Virgil’s book divisions.

Narration Spotty

Although the narration is dramatic and in keeping with the quality of the translation, the narator's voice becomes unintelligible at the end of each passage. I gave up trying to listen while driving or exercising. I simply could not understand what was being said. If you purchase this title, I suggest you also buy the book and read it while listening to the narrator's performance, or else listen in a very quiet environment.