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.

narrator overdramatised but this is an epic listen

Virgil was arguably the best epic poet the Romans had to offer. As such, this epic poem is the result of a commission by Augustus Caesar to write something rivaling the oral history of Homer. Does it live up to the task ? yes. Is it epic? oh, yes. But.... does it successfully emulate Homer? This is a tricky question, and potentially unanswerable. But in the end, does it matter if it emulated Homer? I posit no. The poem traces the path of Aeneas from the Trojan war to his assignment from the gods to found Rome. His path is littered with tragedy, both from the choices Aeneas makes to the choices other characters in the poem make, including the gods themselves.

I found this poem to be less majestic than Homer's Odyssey and Iliad, but due to the tragic overtones, much more human and thought provoking. The main questions that linger for me are what is one's duty to one's family v. nation, and what does self-denial buy? Dido certainly pursued her passion but to no end. Aeneas fulfills his pietas to Rome but to what end for him?

The dactylic hexameter falters in several places in the poem which makes me wonder how many drafts of the poem Virgil worked through. Certainly, the poem as it stands is missing some final pieces but regardless, it is an absorbing literary adventure filled with mythical and godly characters, as well as humans.

The Fagles version of this poem reads easily and deliberately inserts extra words and repeats phrases to help the modern reader get the gist of the poem. The problem with the audio book is that the volume of the narrator's voice fluctuates too widely to be easily understood at one volume setting. When driving in the car, it's difficult to adjust the volume every time the narrator raises or lowers his voice. I found that I could only listen while sitting and able to manipulate the volume constantly.

Aeneid Review after second listening.

Robert Fagles translation of The Aeneid is masterful. Simon Callow also interprets the story excellently; however, his voice drops lower at the end of his sentences which makes it difficult to hear especially if there is any background noise.

Not a fan of Roman version

The book is fine. The narrator is fine. I just prefer the Greek names and Greek stories. Can’t get into the story because of the change in names.

Wonderful!

I tried first to read The Aeneid and struggled with pronunciation of names, which killed it for me. I decided to switch to the audiobook and this was a must! Callow’s narration is a bit over the top, but it helps to make the story come to life and I’d rather it be over the top than slow and methodical. I’m glad I listened to it and will do so again!

Epic tale, performed by a Thespian master.

If you even remotely like classic literature, this tale, performed as if it were happening before your eyes, will enthral you. After 3 or 4 years of audio books, I can say without reservation, this reading is the very best I have heard or could imagine. Bare none. I will be following this performer as his reading brought the host of characters to life and elevated this epic tale by Virgil.

Story

Amazing follow up to the ilad or the odyssey if you want tondive more into the time period.

Good but the chapters aren't IN ORDER

I enjoyed the audiobook. Usually, when I listen to audiobooks, I follow along in my book but I have found that the Chapter times given in this audiobook are not correct. If you click Section 4, for example, it will not start at the beginning of Chapter/ Book 4 but in the middle of Chapter/ Book 3. It is also a real pain to fast forward or rewind in the audiobook in order to find where the Chapter/ Book actually starts!

Here are the correct times if you also have this problem:
Book 1 - 0:00:49
Book 2 - 1:01:51
Book 3 - 2:05:10
Book 4 - 3:01:12
Book 5 - 3:59:01
Book 6 - 5:01:26
Book 7 - 6:15:36
Book 8 - 7:13:29
Book 9 - 8:07:41
Book 10 - 9:03:57
Book 11 - 10:10:13
Book 12 - 11:16:03

Naration not easy to understand

The narrator’s dramatic voice frequently fades in volume and elocution near the end of sentences. So, listen to this story at home; not on the road or other places where the ambient noise will make hearing difficult.

Narrator sometimes talked too low

The narrator sometimes talked very low which made it difficult to hear, especially when listening while driving.

Great performance

A classic read in excellent style by Simon Callow. The brutal Roman myth that has shaped generations should not be missed by anyone interested in Classic Literature.