The Swerve

How the World Became Modern

By: Stephen Greenblatt

Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini

Length: 9 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

Pulitzer Prize, General Nonfiction, 2012

National Book Award, Nonfiction, 2012

Renowned historian Stephen Greenblatt’s works shoot to the top of the New York Times best-seller list. With The Swerve, Greenblatt transports listeners to the dawn of the Renaissance and chronicles the life of an intrepid book lover who rescued the Roman philosophical text On the Nature of Things from certain oblivion.

Nearly six hundred years ago, a short, genial, cannily alert man in his late 30s took a very old manuscript off a library shelf, saw with excitement what he had discovered, and ordered that it be copied. That book was the last surviving manuscript of an ancient Roman philosophical epic by Lucretius—a beautiful poem containing the most dangerous ideas: that the universe functioned without the aid of gods, that religious fear was damaging to human life, and that matter was made up of very small particles in eternal motion, colliding and swerving in new directions.

The copying and translation of this ancient book—the greatest discovery of the greatest book-hunter of his age—fueled the Renaissance, inspiring artists such as Botticelli and thinkers such as Giordano Bruno; shaped the thought of Galileo and Freud, Darwin and Einstein; and had a revolutionary influence on writers such as Montaigne and Shakespeare, and even Thomas Jefferson.

©2011 Stephen Greenblatt (P)2011 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"More wonderfully illuminating Renaissance history from a master scholar and historian." ( Kirkus Reviews)

"In this gloriously learned page-turner, both biography and intellectual history, Harvard Shakespearean scholar Greenblatt turns his attention to the front end of the Renaissance as the origin of Western culture's foundation: the free questioning of truth." ( Publishers Weekly)

“Pleasure may or may not be the true end of life, but for book lovers, few experiences can match the intellectual-aesthetic enjoyment delivered by a well-wrought book. In the world of serious nonfiction, Stephen Greenblatt is a pleasure maker without peer.” ( Newsday)

Breathtaking in it's detail and historical sweep!

Where does The Swerve rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The top.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The author brings to life characters about whom very little is known unless one reads the classics. My favorite might be Hypacia, or perhaps Bruno, who both were burned at the stake, but the man who hunted for lost Latin texts Poggio rescued an obscure poem, the philosophy of which runs through time all the way to our Declaration of Independence. It took my breath away.

Have you listened to any of Edoardo Ballerini’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Never, but he was excellent. I especially enjoyed the facility he had with the Italian language and Latin.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

In the sense that I wanted to listen whenever I had a moment.

Any additional comments?

No surprise it won the Pulitzer. I loved it!!

Fascinating!!!

A beautifully written account of the unsung figures of our history that have helped shape the majority of our modern societies thoughts through the expansion of brilliant ancient thinkers philosophies.

Meandering, but worthwhile for renaissance fans

This book is meandering. It's a mixed up salad of biographical details about Poggio Bracciolini (the re-discoverer of Lucretius's famous poem), extended observations about the worldview of the middle ages and the early renaissance, and an examination of the influence of Lucretius's work.

The author's thesis isn't much of a thesis because he doesn't really spend much time defending it, or even articulating it. The book is undecided about what it wants to be. Is it a biography of Poggio, or is it an examination of the influence of Lucretius on later thinkers? By page count, it's more of a biography.

I enjoyed the book anyway because I'm fascinated with the way ancient Greek and Roman texts were rediscovered by scholars, and yes I actually do want to know about the worldview of such people. So I didn't mind much that the author's narrative was jumbled. I was happy to sit and listen to a collection of loosely-connected (or not-connected) anecdotes. Fine with me! It was a good book.

Edoardo Ballerini didn't mispronounce any Italian or Latin words, which is a wonderful thing.

On the negative side, Ballerini's narration was too dramatic and too emotional.

Will somebody please break the news to the narrators (and their directors and producers) that no, it is not necessary to read every single line of a book as if each line were an emotional epiphany? It's perfectly OK to read a book with an even emotional tone. If I wanted melodrama, I would watch a soap opera.

The past, present.

A compelling and interesting story that links the ancient world with the modern one. Fascinating.

Never a dull moment!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I love this book. How close our world came to NOT becoming enlightened. We might have been in the dark ages still. But we're not, and it's a miracle. We should count our blessings every day that we are literate! It's also a cautionary tale against all those who don't value critical thinking and higher learning.

What other book might you compare The Swerve to and why?

In a class by itself.

What does Edoardo Ballerini bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Such a beautiful and sensuous reader of English and Italian.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No.

Any additional comments?

There are some stand-out historical events and characters that will leave you thinking: how come I never knew about this?!

I feel like the title is misleading

I enjoyed the story of “On The Nature of Things”, but I don’t feel as if the book truly showed “How the world became modern”. The end of the book cites several people who were likely or positively influenced by the book, but I believe the grand scope of title is misleading.

If you are looking for an in depth account of the the Roman poem “On the Nature of Things”, it’s disappearance, and it’s rediscovery as well as early humanist culture then you’ll enjoy this book. It is not, as the title suggested to me, about how this “On the nature of Things” itself was a significant turning point in the history of thought.

Transports you to the time, excellent voice

What made the experience of listening to The Swerve the most enjoyable?

The historical details and the narrator. The voice reminded me of my Italian Lit professor in college reading Dante to us in Italian. Wish there was more in Italian, but in English (99% of the book) the tone and pacing were very enticing and enjoyable as well. I liked the specific-ness of the locations and the idea of following this one individual who often was at odds with his times. Seemed analogous to a modern person who suddenly finds himself laid off mid-career due to politics or downturns... and now what?

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

stop trying to make the poem the crux of the Renascence -- it wasn't.

What about Edoardo Ballerini’s performance did you like?

Pronunciation, timbre, pacing, warmth.

Superb - Your atoms and your mind will swerve

What did you love best about The Swerve?

It was enjoyable to be given easy access to the historic birth of Western humanities through the extraordinary poetic work of Lucretius and Epicurean philosophy. The clarity and pragmatism transmitted is welcome insight in our convoluted existence.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Swerve?

I was shocked by the author's insightful choice of translation when first spoken and the actual poem; "About The Nature" was revealed. Greenblatt's uncanny presentation - taken from the original early Greek, through a Middle Age scribe's copy, then back into rigorous Latin and now into English - is so strong as to be indelible. The central thought and wisdom of the Greek poem, once heard in English here, becomes almost impossible to forget.

Have you listened to any of Edoardo Ballerini’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Have not, but he seemed the perfect voice to read the Italian names and places in The Swerve.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Many parts of The Swerve, once directed into the mind through the ear especially, are indelible. Much of this enlightened knowledge, resuscitated from the first century B.C.E. once heard, comes to be unforgettable. You will be caught.

Any additional comments?

Your education and sense of history will be clarified, rearranged, and advanced ever so subtly. That this elegant work of Lucretius has come down to us almost intact through two thousand years of human history and unrest is extraordinary.

Unique book. Learned a lot.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. Interesting book about how we got to where we are. Also really fascinating look back at both the classical and medieval periods.

What other book might you compare The Swerve to and why?

Guns germs and steel.

Have you listened to any of Edoardo Ballerini’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No.

I loved this book

I'm a huge fan of Greenblatt's "Will in the World," so I was happy to try this one. I was not disappointed. This is a absorbing account of the re-discovery of Lucretius' De Rerum Natura in the Middle Ages and how it affected thinking in the Renaissance and beyond. The story is fascinating, the reader excellent, and listeners will not be disappointed. I'm now reading Lucretius' poem itself, and only wish that I could read it in the original Latin, though A.E. Stallings has a good recent (2007) translation.