Title | : | Plato Unmasked: The Dialogues Made New |
Author | : | |
Rating | : | |
ISBN | : | 0910055904 |
ISBN-10 | : | 9780910055901 |
Language | : | English |
Format Type | : | Hardcover |
Number of Pages | : | 559 |
Publication | : | First published January 1, 2004 |
Plato Unmasked: The Dialogues Made New Reviews
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Excellent background information with very easy to read dialogues. Prof Quincy has mad Plato's dialogues truly come alive.
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Plato Unmasked: The Dialogues Made New is a liberal translation of Plato's Dialogues by Keith Quincy, professor at Eastern Washington University. While this is in no way a “made easy” sort of text, it is thoroughly readable with a fresh and contemporary style. The dialogues are often somewhat abridged. Quincy gives informative prefaces to each section and dates the dialogues with the dramatic date (when the conversation was placed in time, rather than the date when written). For serious research, Quincy recommends the Francis MacDonald Cornford translation, but Quincy’s own clever and lucid style would appeal to any reader. I checked this heavy edition out of the library but order my own to finish, as it is a five-star keeper.
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Quincy's makes Plato a bit pithier then one normally encounters, but this shouldn't be a drawback. Quincy only condenses the text to make for palatable contemporary prose. He by no means dilutes Plato's complexities nor does the dialogue form lose its deliberate connection with the reader. The reader still has to think through the arguments for themselves--to much delight. This is a book for curious onlookers and Plato enthusiasts alike. It may not, however, be a book to continuously reread. If you are interested in Plato you will want to read multiple translations anyway--or learn attic Greek if you're a fanatic.