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Reviewed by Teodora Totorean for Readers' Favorite
The book Essays on the Classics Volume 2 by Jason R. Goetz is a selection of six essays, each focusing on one main idea as suggested by their titles: Shakespeare; Classical Economics and Sociology; Classic American Novels; Essays, Ancient and Modern; Ancient Philosophical Sects and Ancients vs. Moderns. The essays are informative rather than persuasive, even though at times we learn Goetz’s opinion on certain topics such as the importance of teaching classics in order to gain a deeper understanding of today’s economy for example. The author carries readers through his favourite Shakespearean play, Tragedy of King Richard III; ancient philosophical sects that were later misinterpreted like the Cynics, Stoics and Epicureans; American literature focusing on Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald or the start of Modernism marked by the English Civil War. Knowledge is a powerful tool for the intellectual development of any individual. It is needed in order to gain the necessary writing skills for your own essays or to gain the relevant theoretical understanding of a subject in order to think independently and develop your own ideas.
Essays on the Classics was refreshing to read and it reminded me of my student days when I studied Literature, including classics. While as a student you may ask yourself why do you need to read The Republic by Plato or Erasmus’ The Praise of Folly, this book answers precisely that question. Written in elevated yet unpretentious language, scattered with some interjections that remind us of a human being behind the essays and not a scholar in his ivory tower, the book dissects classic authors, concepts, and ideas in order to make them accessible to those who have some kind of intellectual interest in the topics. I recommend the book to anyone who wants to revisit classical books, to anyone who wants to gain a deeper understanding of classical concepts, as well as to anyone who wants to enrich their general knowledge. It surely made me want to re-read a few forgotten books along with some classic books that had been on my waiting list for too long.
