Two books we wanted to bring to your attention!
First: Peter Mack’s “Reading Old Books,” which explores the creative power of literary tradition spanning from the middle ages up until the twenty-first century.Mack argues that the best way to understand tradition is to study the moments when a writer purposefully puts their work in conversation with a writer that came before them. Mack investigates authors such as Chaucer, Ariosto, Spenser, and Elizabeth Gaskell among others. The book is currently available to be borrowed from the Core library and can also be purchased at the link below.
https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691194004/reading-old-books
Additionally, check out this new translation of Plautus’ Menaechmi done by our very own Professor Sophie Klein. This ancient comedy is a tale of identical twin brothers who were separated at birth and reconnect as adults. The book explores the meanings of freedom and the social status of women and slaves in Roman culture. The book can be purchased at the link below.
https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/plautus-menaechmi-9781350092723/
