Meditations

I am reviewing the paperback edition (2011) of Marcus Aurelius' Meditations in the Oxford World's Classics edition, translated by Robin Hard with an introduction by Christopher Gill. I do not understand the one-star reviews that appear to have become attched to this edition of the Meditations. Those reviews and the images associated with a few of them must be referring to a completely different edition, and not the one I have in front of me that I reently purchased via Amazon.The Oxford World 's Classics edition (2011) is about as close to a perfect edition as you can get as a general reader. The translation is modern and fluent. There are no gobbledygook mistranslations as mentioned in some of the reviews. Robin Hard's translation of the Meditations is based on the the recent text by J. Dalfen (Leipzig, 2nd edn.,1987) while following the earlier translation by A S L Farquharson (Oxford, 1944) here and there. It reads consistently well, with no inappropriate modern slang or grammatical errors. It is a solid and clear text. The 18-page introduction by Christopher Gill is excellent in my view, particularly where it focuses on the form, purpose and style of the book, Marcus's philosophy, and the book's core ideas and recurrent themes. The selection of letters between Marcus and Fronto is also judicious and useful in fleshing out other aspects of Marcus Aurelius's character and thought. The 30-pages of explanatory notes and the index at the end of the book are also very helpful.So, all in all, I am entitely satisfied with this edition. I was simnply amazed to see the negative reviews, and felt prompted to provide this review to put the record straight as far as this specific edtion goes. As I said earier, those negative reviews must be referring to other editions of the Meditations and not to this specific one. This paperback edition Is 176 pages of clear, erudite and thoughtful work. if you want an edition that gives you just what you need to start reading and appreciating Marcus Aurelius's Meditations then this one - the 2011 Oxford Wolrd's Classics by Robin Hard and Christoper Gill - would be a very good place to start. And at the price I paid (£5.76), I am very pleased with it.

Damn. I forgot I bought this on Kindle and bought a hard copy off Ebay recently. It's hard to see how Commodus was such a fool when his father was so incredibly wise.

Marcus Aurelius was emperor of Rome when it was at its peak; after his death, the empire slowly fell apart as those that followed him proved to be poor leaders. He was not the normal example of a Roman Emperor; scholastic, thoughful, abstemious, and this book gives good insight into what motivated him.The book itself is a Victorian translation, and the author has tried to make the text sound a bit dated by using language that he would have found little old, but to us would sound more archaic. Having said that, the words still come through quite well. It appears to be a series of books written over a period of time, and then brought together to make one single volume.There are a lot of really good passages throughout, with many examples of excellent advice for living a full and satisfying life. Although nearly 2000 years old, there is no question that many of his suggestions are as relevant today as they would have been at that time, and I would strongly recommend this book for those looking for ways to improve themselves.I would have given this 5 stars, but the style of writing does make it a bit awkward to follow sometimes. For that reason, I would suggest reading it in smaller sections.

Although it reads like someone's journal (because it was) and the points in each of the somewhat unnecessary chapters are largely disconnected with each other, the actual content within these short aphorisms is sublime. I see some decrying this as a jumbled mess of a philosophic work but it was never intended as a treatise; Aurelius wrote it for his own personal consumption, a collection of his personal viewpoints on topics such as metaphysics and ethics. More to the point, what he wrote was beautiful, practical stoic philosophy as applicable now as it was ~1800 years ago, with the obvious exception of his religion. I find the similarities between his type of stoic thought and the philosophy of the Taoists and Buddhists both compelling and strong yet he remains firmly within a Roman set.This isn't an organised discourse or a philosophic novel to get lost in; more metaphysics in bite sized chunks, but it is well worth a read. I read it in a succession of bus journeys to and from work, and there was something very profound and "right" about that in itself!Definitely recommended, though I concede its not the be all and end all work of the stoic thinkers

This was quite hard going for someone as un educated as me. There were some great nuggets in here, but I suspect, if like me, you wanted to get a taste of this obviously great and insightful man, there must be a better way. I'm not trying to put anyone off reading this - the fault lies with me the reader and not the text. If your are better equipped than me, then go for it.

In todays world, someone may think that this book talk about obvious things that we all know from everyday life. But how many of us is realy concentrated about, thinking and annalize about those simple thoughts? And how many of us give the importance about those short but essentials thinking? Who of us will stop in middle of a big city or walking among the beach and try to think just like Aurelius or Seneca did? Everybody is todays life is on a rush, about job and other things in our digitally-enhanced and video-saturated age. And consider thought from the ancient world "already" examined. But the truth is from the ancient wisdom (might be Greek, Hindu, Tibetan) have a truly essence of truth about us and about how we see the world around us. Yu may not like this book, so then take some book of Dalai Lama. You will find there the same principle about how to make your life simpler, easier and without inner struggle.

It's great

To be clear: Meditations is fantastic.However, the quality of this particular edition is terrible. The text is littered with what looks like bad automatic character recognition (see the attached photo) and bad typesetting, where the gap after the end of one book is just enough to push the book headings to the bottom of the same page, but not on to the next page, where you'd expect it to be.What's more, the style of the translation is clumsy and antiquated at best: "Upon every action that thou art about, put this question to thyself;" etc. All in all, I strongly recommend buying a different edition of Meditations and always using the "Look Inside" feature before buying any book.

Me pregunto cómo puede un libro tan antiguo mantener de manera sencilla y fácil su contenido. Elegi esta traducción recomendada por otro autor, expresando que este manual habia traducido muy bien el libro original. Y ha dado en el clavo, incluso para un hispanohablante.Un libro muy recomendado de la mano de unos de los mayores referentes de la filosofia estoica.

Ein wunderschön aufbereitetes Buch, bei dem einfach alles stimmt! Die hochwertige Verarbeitung, das edle Cover, die liebevollen Details und die tolle Papierqualität machen es zu etwas ganz Besonderem. Man merkt sofort, wie viel Wert auf Gestaltung und Qualität gelegt wurde. Es ist nicht einfach nur ein Buch, sondern ein kleines Schmuckstück, das man unglaublich gerne in die Hand nimmt und im Bücherregal stehen hat. Eine absolute Empfehlung für alle, die schöne Bücher lieben!

Awesome

If you're looking for a book that can help you gain insight into your own thoughts and behaviors, then Meditations by Marcus Aurelius is a great choice. Written over 2,000 years ago, this book is still relevant today and is considered a timeless classic.Here are some of the key reasons why you should consider reading Meditations:A Stoic Classic: Meditations is a book that embodies the philosophy of Stoicism, which emphasizes self-control, resilience, and self-reflection. The book contains a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, in which he reflects on his own life and experiences, and provides advice on how to live a good life.Timeless Wisdom: The wisdom in Meditations is still applicable to modern life. The book provides insights on how to overcome negative emotions, how to live a fulfilling life, and how to cultivate inner peace.A Practical Guide: The book is written in a clear and concise style, making it easy to understand and apply the teachings to your own life. The book is structured in short passages, making it easy to read and pick up where you left off.The Maple Classics Edition: This edition of Meditations by Maple Classics is a beautiful hardcover book with a leather-like cover and gold foil lettering. The book is well-made and will look great on any bookshelf.Overall, Meditations by Marcus Aurelius is a great book for anyone who is interested in philosophy, self-improvement, or personal growth. The timeless wisdom in this book is still relevant today and can provide valuable insights on how to live a fulfilling life.

El libro llegó en muy buen estado y el envío a tiempo, justo la reseña que esperabas por tu interés en filosofía estoica, de nada