Wonderfully spirited ... An expert in the ancient world, she nevertheless draws constantly (and productively) from contemporary culture ... Wilson elegantly braids together close, line-by-line readings with larger arguments about how much is often at stake ... You don’t even have to be particularly interested in ancient literature to enjoy this book, though by the time you finish it you probably will be. Wilson’s excitement for her subject is irrepressibly moving.
Wilson describes herself, half-jokingly, as a pedant, and when translators don’t come up to scratch or critics miss the point she’s tough-minded, not to say scathing ... Gatekeeping isn’t Wilson’s style ... Fascinating.
Wilson is reliably alert to cultural nuance and complexity – not least our own – and does an impressive job of transfusing a classical scholar’s knowledge into the liveliness and uncondescending intelligence of good critical writing.
Erudite and lively ... Anyone who's been exposed to Wilson's work will learn much from the insights of these essays and will hope her journey as a trusted guide through this distant world continues.
