The Ancient Guide to Modern Life by Natalie Haynes

The Ancient Guide to Modern Life Reviews

• 
  Irena Pasvinter

  Two stars -- "it was OK", by goodreads rating system. I've attempted to force myself into "I like it" but failed. Perhaps if it were my first ever book on ancient history and especially ancient Greece and Rome, I would have enjoyed it more.
  
  The author is passionate about classic studies and does her best to infect the readers with her passion. I find it hard to judge if she succeeds because I don't need to be convinced -- I already agree studying classics is fascinating and enlightening. Still, I think there are more engaging metaphors for describing why you might want to study classics than comparing it with learning to ride a unicycle (good only for working in a circus or for boasting you can do something nobody else can) versus riding a bicycle (a useful skill). By the way, in my opinion, riding unicycle is great for training your balance, which is not a negligible skill either. Anyway, this is just one of the many places where the author's logic was not something I could relate to or was convinced by.
  
  The goal of this book is to show that not only is the learning about the ancient life interesting in itself but it also gives us a better understanding of the modern world. A fine premise. The book is structured around a set of concepts: politics, money, entertainment, death etc (a chapter per concept). Each chapter contains lots of relevant examples from the classic world and draws parallels or stresses contrasts between the ancient and modern attitudes. I found some of these comparisons rather crude or unconvincing. Besides, due to the book's structure I had a feeling of constant grasshopping from one subject, place, epoch, notion to another, even though there was plenty of interesting information and food for thought along the way.
  
  To summarize: probably not the best ever book to make one passionate about classics, but definitely not the worst.
  
  The most "infectious" I've met so far were the Great Courses lectures on Latin and Ancient Greek by Professor Hans-Friedrich Mueller (aka Mollinarius or Milenikos, depending on what he teaches:))
  Latin 101: Learning a Classical Language,
  Greek 101: Learning an Ancient Language and
  Viva il Latino: Storie e bellezza di una lingua inutile by Nicola Gardini (the English translation:
  Long Live Latin: The Pleasures of a Useless Language).
  
  The worst so far was
  A Classical Education: The Stuff You Wish You'd Been Taught in School -- grasshopping doesn't even begin to describe the dismal reading experience of this journey, which I couldn't even finish. This little volume should have been titled "How to Make One Hate Classical Education".
• 
  Camilla

  Loved this book. I have absolutely no background in the Classics at all, so it was nice to have this book as an introduction. It's full of humour and insight (and the occasional bad pun, which I loved, being a shocking punslinger myself). I particularly enjoyed the connections that Haynes drew between the Ancient world and our modern world, showing that human nature hasn't really changed all that much, and that there is still a lot to learn from voices that have been dead for a couple of thousand years. I kept wanting to mark pages to quote bits here, but since I was invariably in bed reading at the time, I didn't do that, except for this one bit which really stuck with me (from the 'Thinking Allowed' chapter, p. 75):
  
  "When words are misused, or misdefined, we all end up in trouble. Take the word 'bullying'. Most of us think we know what we mean by bullying. We have an image of a school bully, either from our own experience or from reading a book, or watching a TV show set in a school. It's usually a boy, he's mean, everyone avoids him, his school uniform is messed up, but the teachers are too scared to tell him off, and he has a couple of henchmen to do his bidding. Draco Malfoy, in J.K. Rowling's books, is a perfect example. This definition is so pervasive that it is hard to shift. And that makes it very hard for us to take claims of bullying seriously enough: after all, we have all felt bullied at some point or another. Our mental picture of the bully means that we tend to assume that if you stand up to him, he'll back off and everyone will grow up safely. So when we hear of children, or adults, driven to suicide by relentless hate campaigns, we're shocked. When a child is stabbed by another child with a kitchen knife in a classroom, we're appalled. How can they have been bullied to death? The simple answer is that we have allowed dangerously aggressive behaviour to be called 'bullying', and not noticed that it is also assault, grievous bodily harm, attempted murder. If we had thought more about the real definition of the actions we described as 'bullying', things might have worked out differently."
  
  Kapow.
  
  Finally, Haynes helpfully lists her favourite source books at the end in a pleasant not-a-bibliography. I'll definitely be checking some of these out.
  
  Great book, read it!
• 
  Ashleigh (a frolic through fiction)

  * Rated 4.5 stars!
  
• 
  Arnout Brokking

  Verdict: 3 ludwigs
  
  Natalie Haynes takes a closer look at the parallels between the ancient Greek and Roman worlds and our own. Often she draws striking comparisons and tells amusing anecdotes.
  
  Why should you read it?
  
  The Guide is not so much a book, as time spent with a funny historian at the local pub chatting about her passion... but on paper. Haynes is witty, interesting and easily readable in short bursts.
  
  Why should you not read it?
  
  If you're not interested in stories about original Grumpy Old Man, Juvenal, the taste in women of Socrates or the practical way Athenians organised their democracy. Sometimes she sees the past through rose-coloured glasses too much, and sometimes she meanders dangerously close to preaching.
• 
  Todd N

  Impulse buy in downtown Seattle, either Borders or Barnes and Noble. (I can't tell them apart.)
  
  I was a little surprised that the lead singer for the Dixie Chicks wrote a book comparing life in ancient Greece and Rome with our present day culture, but I found this book to be much more subtle and thoughtful than her pronouncements about President Bush and the video where the guy from NYPD Blue is killed.
  
  Ms. Haynes effortlessly combines deep knowledge of Greek and Roman history, which she has been studying since a little girl, with a comedian's gift for observing the way we live now. The book is divided neatly into chapters that cover one subject like money, high and lowbrow culture, city life, etc.
  
  The description of Athenian democracy is particularly good, and it's the first time I felt I had a sense of what went on. It's amazing it worked as well as it did, though it did result in the death of Socrates and the occasional destruction of other cities.
  
  She makes surprising but deft comparisons and then backs up what she means. For example, we learn why Buffy The Vampire Slayer and The Wire can rightly be called epics. We also learn that Juvenal is not so different from the stand up comedians, especially the ones that I admire.
  
  It's very refreshing to read someone with a genuine passion for her subject who doesn't try to hide behind a layer of irony or "I'm such a geek," as if it's uncool or embarrassing to be interested and knowledgable in something. Here's what she has to say about reading book 4 of Virgil's Aneid: "It's the most brilliant book of verse ever written, and it's your own time you're wasting if you decide to read something else instead."
  
  At the end of the book she pokes the reader a little bit and suggests not only that things worth learning are usually difficult but also that we should be suspicious of the things we have learned with out much effort. At that point I sighed and made dreamy eyes at the book.
  
  Highly recommended.
• 
  Tanya (Novel Paperbacks)

  I have a basic understanding of the Greek and Roman periods but nothing specific. This was a great, fascinating view into this world. I thought it was well structured with great point well illustrated.
• 
  Penny

  This book entertained me on a long haul flight (not something easily done I can assure you), and I really enjoyed it.
  Haynes is never dry or dusty and I do like a book that makes me think. Didn't always agree with what she was saying (especially the chapter on voting) but always interesting and very well written.
• 
  Antonia

  There’s no place like Rome — unless it’s Athens.
  
  A witty, droll, and informative look at ancient life in (mostly) Athens and Rome, but also Carthage and Sparta. Although Haynes’s point is to draw parallels, or illuminate differences, between the ancients and ourselves, the book is most interesting for its treatment of BCE life and Haynes’s debunking of popular myths and misconceptions. Haynes provides a good deal of support for the notion that ancient life and literature, as well as history, philosophy, and politics, can be entertaining as well as enlightening.
  
  I listened to the audiobook and was disappointed that Haynes didn’t narrate this one herself — especially since she has a delightful oral style and delivery. I was also a bit disappointed that it was read, albeit very well, by a man. Frequently, I wished that I had the text at hand to flip back, reread, check a fact, or whatever. I may yet purchase the book.
  
  I recently learned about the scholarship and novels of Natalie Haynes, and much enjoyed her recent book, A Thousand Ships. Among her many accomplishments and credits, she’s known for her excellent radio series, “Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics.” (BBC Radio 4; also available as a podcast.)
  
• 
  Nicole

  Ancient history? Pish posh! Natalie Haynes reminds us why studying the classics is still important. Her writing is straightforward but never “dumbed down” making The Ancient Guide to Modern Life an excellent introduction for those wanting to learn more but who either don’t know where to start or find some other texts too heavy. Dividing the history of Greek and Roman civilization into eight manageable sections (democracy, money, philosophy, entertainment, etc), Haynes presents us with a nice overview of life in ancient times.
  
  
  Read the rest..."
• 
  Jamie Makin

  If you are reading, or thinking of reading, this book it is fair to assume you already have some interest in the ancient world and Haynes' enthusiasm will be more than enough to make this work worth considering. It is a short read and I would have liked a bit more length, but for the casual classist there is more than enough to enjoy.
  The book itself (I was reading the hardcover) is beautifully bound with high quality paper. I know this may sound trite but I think in an age of e-readers and downloadable text this is something worth mentioning, especially since this book honours the past so passionately.
• 
  Ana

  The Ancient Guide is one book that I did not expect to like in its subject matter, and nevertheless I thoroughly enjoyed Natalie Haynes's comparisons of the ancient world to the new one we have made for ourselves. The parallels she draws are striking and delivered in a humorous manner, whereas the old forgotten methods of approaching problems are suggested for us in a very plausible way. This book would make an enjoyable and thought-provoking read for anyone, whether they are a classicist or not, and its topics and substance will linger in the thoughts of any reader.
• 
  Bailey

  This book would be fine for a causal reader wanting to connect the ancient world to the modern world. But for someone who took classic electives all through university, it was basic. I wanted to gain some new insight but only learned where the word "Money" comes from. It is written essentially like college essays, with each chapter a new topic (politics, art, women, etc.) The ties into modernity were also cynical, basic and tired (sure, non-fat lattes and big macs are the pinnacle of all things bad in the world.) Just too surface level for me, I'll stick to reading Haynes' fiction.
• 
  Martha

  Read this for the snappy writing style as well as a great overview of ancient Greek and Roman life.
  
  Writing teachers encourage students to create a "voice", and Haynes is a great example of feeling like you are having a clever chat over coffee with a friend, discussing the Arts or other contemporary subjects. She teaches enough about ancient history so even if the reader is only passingly familiar with the subject, the author's opinions still make sense.
• 
  Dorian

  The basic theme of this book is "plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose".
  
  Ms. Haynes takes various aspects of life/society - law, entertainment, city life, and more - and demonstrates how things we think are modern problems (or issues, or phenomena) are no such thing; the various ancient Greek and Roman societies were dealing with them (and bitching about them) too.
  
  Very interesting and entertaining, and has made me want to (a) re-read "I, Claudius" and (b) read Juvenal.
• 
  Shan

  The ancient Greeks and Romans were such interesting people -- I wish more authors would take Haynes' fun and personable (yet clearly scholarly) approach. She presents a convincing argument that classics and history matter, but without ever being preachy (or maybe I'm just a charter member of the choir to whom she's preaching). The chapter on women in the ancient world was especially good.
• 
  Lauren Albert

  An interesting book for someone coming to ancient philosophy and history for the first time. It was a pleasant read--Haynes' sense of humor made it more readable, though the material was mostly not new to me.
• 
  Johanne

  Excellent, I thoroughly enjoyed this. The parallels from the ancient world to modern issues are striking and the writing is sharp and amusing.
• 
  Sean

  Fun read if light. And by 'light' if you know the prime sources already it's a fun tub-read. Breezy style. Droll at times. I liked it.
  
• 
  Jon

  I've read two of the author's historical novels, and I greatly applaud her desire to make ancient Greece and Rome more accessible to the average reader. She read classics at Cambridge, and she apparently is a presenter on TV in the UK. She has also been a standup comedian. It shows, with her chapter on women in the ancient world titled "Frankly, Medea, I don't give a damn." Well, it got a laugh out of me. And so did the first sentence of her Epilogue: "In the words of Lieutenant Columbo, just one more thing." She is very engaging in what is, as far as I can tell, an accurate overview of the ancient world, as understood more recently than I've been to school. She has a number of nuggets that were new to me. For example, gladiators probably did not greet the emperor with "Morituri te salutamus,"--"We who are about to die salute you," as I've taken for a fact since grade school. The only time a phrase like that appears in Latin literature is in Suetonius's life of Claudius, when fighters about to engage in a staged sea battle chanted "Morituri te salutant" to the emperor, who then joked, "Aut non"--"Or not," whereupon they refused to fight, claiming he had pardoned them. She reasons that Claudius wouldn't have said anything if it had been the usual thing, and so Suetonius wouldn't have recorded it. She also has an ingenious explanation for why Socrates ended his life by saying "We owe a cockerel to Asclepius." People have argued about that for decades. But the book doesn't really quite live up to its title--it is hardly a guide to modern life, and her descriptions of modern life (in order to compare and contrast with ancient life) are not especially arresting.
• 
  Joe Soler

  This is an excellent book, though I might give 5 stars too easily for some. Full of witty insights from Greek and Roman writers and history, this book applies some clever thoughts of how such writers and thinkers like Aristophanes, Seneca, Juvenal, Euripides, etc would think about our contemporary society.
  
  The book requires at least a passing familiarity with major classical thinkers, though Haynes does provide relevant summaries.
  
  Overall, a fun and quick read.
• 
  Penny Cipolone

  This is a great book to connect ancient world and modern world topics such as politics, philosophy, lives of women, entertainment, etc. I enjoyed some chapter more than others but that was because of various interests that I have. BUT I learned something from all of them. An enjoyable read that should convince everyone that classical learning is still relevant.
• 
  Kieran McAndrew

  Natalie Haynes' fascinating look at how the ancient world echoes into modern society, drawing parallels with the early days of imperial Rome and the banking crisis of 2008, for example. Thought provoking and, at times, quite funny, Haynes has made an excellent case for the study of the classics in today's ever changing world.
• 
  Meagan

  Natalie Haynes always does a great job of making Classics accessible through her humour and the way she compares ancient events to the modern day.
• 
  Cozy

  2.5, it wasn't what I was expecting it to be which isn't necessarily a bad thing but what it turned out to be wasn't really my thing. A lot more ancient and modern politics which already feel dated because this was written in 2010 and the references don't all hold up to today. I wouldn't be able to recommend this without a couple of disclaimers.
• 
  Sabrina

  It is quite amazing how many parallels there are between the ancient world and the current one.
  Apologies to the narrator but I was quite disappointed that Natalie wasn't reading this one herself!
• 
  Caitlin

  *3.5 stars
• 
  Xanthe

  This is the writings of a exceptionally funny historian, and this was an extremely easy book to pick up, with the same tone of Stephen Fry. It's always good to read about other people's love for my passion: classical history. It gives me a motivational boast to remember what I'm doing it all for and why this is the degree I want to do at uni. A cute little read about the ancients. I love the cover except I hate the two colours of the font.