Poetics (Penguin Classics)

The Penguin Aristotle editions are probably the best available for nonspecialists with limited or no classical Greek. The long and detailed introduction is worth the cost of this book alone; and the translation itself is scrupulous and scrupulously annotated with detailed notes and references to historical contexts and Aristotle's other writings. (The H.C. Lawson-Tancred translation and annotation of Aristotle's Art of Rhetoric is another outstanding example.) I have read the Poetics in various translations for over forty years. This is by far the best translation for conveying, as nearly as possible, what Aristotle actually wrote and, even more importantly, the historical and literary contexts in which he wrote and the consequent inferences his first Greek readers would have been expected to make based on what they knew. It's also a very readable translation (no small feat with Aristotle, who can be made very tough going in English by translators more interested in showing off their erudition than assisting readers). This is the translation to buy for students or casual readers making their first attempt at Aristotle, or by more seasoned readers who have been confused or discouraged by enigmatic translations without notes. This is also an economically priced translation, a much better buy than the cheaper, unannotated translations.

This review refers to the "Penguin Classics" edition with an introduction by Malcolm Health: This book was often referred to by both my high school and college literature teachers although it has taken me an additional +20 years to actually read the book. I am glad I did. I think those interested in western literature or aesthetics will find Poetic's to be an essential read as it provides the initial codification of concepts such as tragedy, comedy, plot, unity, character, and katharsis. Malcolm Heath's introduction is absolutely essential and is worth the price of the book alone.

I read this book in an effort to enhance my personal hobby of script writing. If I recall correctly, I read somehwere that this is an important book regarding proper plot structure. Having read the book I believe this to be true. It touches upon tragedy, epics, comedies, plot, character, reasoning among other things.Granted, this was written at a time when theater and poetry were the thing (LEDs were not in fashion at the time). And when taken in that context, the book makes a lot of sense. I have since found the structure to be in many movies I have watched over the years. It has added significant value to how I am developing characters in my stories and the stories themselves.This is not a definitive guide. Story telling has eveolved throughout the ages. But, knowing the evolution helps write better. Or at least it does for me.As with the writings of all philosophers (and I personally like Aristotle), the text is meant to be studied. It is NOT a step by step guide. You read a little and think a lot. Happy reading!

this is THE foundation text for all creative writers, not just screen writers! I'm glad to have it as part of my permanent collection, where I can turn to it again and again for inspiration.

So much information packed into such a small format. Every writer should carry this in their back pocket.

Everything you watch, read, or listen too is influenced by this work.

Required reading for anyone interested in storytelling.

I would recommend this version of Aristotle Poetics. The Introduction thoroughly analyzes the content prior to you reading it, and so it serves as a nice guide to help you understand the writing of the ancient philosopher. Poetics itself is an interesting concept. Aristotle's comments on the Tragedies and the Epic can be applied to the modern day novel, and is an excellent choice for any aspiring writer.

Faithful reproductions of the originals along with indepth analysis. Valuable addition to the library

I like how simple and easy to follow it was. It really summise Aristotle’s poetics and came in very helpful to understand different greek terminology.

Book came in good condition

It helps a lot in understanding Aristotle's views on how tragedy should be.Print quality is good.Font size should have been a bit bigger.I would give it 4.9/5.

I’m not academic enough to judge the quality of the translation, but I read the Introduction first and this really helped my understanding of Aristotle’s text. I would suggest that this is an ideal way to start with Aristotle and imagine that it’s a perfect springboard for further reading, be it classics like Homer or academic studies of Aristotle and similar works. A very accessible edition that I enjoyed.