The Consolation of Philosophy, by Ancius Boethius, translated by Victor Watts. I don't really recall why I own this book, I think it must have been for a class that didn't end up using it, so I figured I'd read it instead of sellling it on the basis that it was in a recommended reading list in the back of another good book. As much as I probably wouldn't go out of my way to read it again any time soon, I will admit it was enjoyable to work through, especially in its interesting intermixing of prose and poetry. The basis for its being written is especially interesting if true, in that Boethius apparently wrote it while in prison watiing for his violent execution, particularly for its finishing optimism. And especially for a philosophical text, it was astoundingly easy to read and comprehend, though whether that was by Boethius' original writing or Watts' translation I'd be curious to find out. A good bit of late-Roman and Byzantine history is scattered in footnotes and in a handy introduction as a nice extra; and if anyone else ever gets around to reading this I'd be curious to compare opinions as to whether a huge amount of the ideas in this text seem scattered in every-day Western cultural assumptions (that sounds pretentious, but read it and also be like what the hell?).

Art of Philip Straub