Synopsis
4.5 out of 5 stars
Rather than focus on the translation of Consolations, I'll discuss my thoughts on the content of Boethius's dialogue with Philosophy. My history with Consolations goes back to my days as an undergrad (which, granted, wasn't that long ago though I make it sound like it's been a decade), I was taking a history course on the influence of various philosophies and religions on the Age of Antiquity and Middle Ages in Europe, as well as the territories they occupied. As much as I genuinely enjoyed the class, I read this (skimmed, more like) book with mild disinterest. At the time, I was considerably more interested in the ambush of Charlemagne's forces by the Basques in the Battle of Roncevaux, and the relevance of Beowulf in Medieval, Anglo-Saxon England. I didn't want to read about an old man's ramblings to a figment of his imagination (Philosophy), so I read just enough to be able to adequately contribute to discussions held in class and took careful pains to remember the important points for exams. I decided to give reading it another try, thoroughly this time.
This was very difficult for me rate because I don't usually know how to rate books on subjective opinions, thoughts, the ilk. Which is partly why, as you may have noticed, I mostly review fictitious literature on this site, but I'm trying my darndest to change that. That said, pieces of literature this old and need to be translated are seldom easy to read. In fact, I constantly found myself needing to reread passages to more than superficially understand what Boethius was trying to get his reader to comprehend. I have by no means fully understood all that I've read and never truly will, but I'll revisit it in the future and attempt to record a more comprehensive review. Until then, however, I will grant it four and a half stars out of the five.
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