Author Description

Two Athenian Citizens - fed up with their hyperlitigious compatriots - leave the hustle-and-bustle of the City to seek a better life... Coming upon the mythical king Tereus - a man whom the gods had turned into "the Hoopoe" - they decide to found a new city, with him, among the birds: Cloudcuckooland... Most versions of this play are for the birds. This one's for you! Here, for the first time, even those without the mastery of Ancient Greek will come as close as the Greeks themselves to speaking the language of the gods, and to understanding the songs of birds... This book is an attempt at giving the novice in the heady task of mastering Attic Greek a little light reading - while simultaneously faithfully proffering the unadulterated text of a great author. Originally published in a large-format volume coupled with a rhyming verse adaptation designed to suit modern audiences, this pocketbook edition has been slimmed down to present the interlineal Greek-English portion of the previous publication as a stand-alone text, ideal as a first reader for those wishing to study the original Greek of one of the ancient world's most celebrated comedies....and for those wishing to read the rhyming verse adaptation of the play - highly recommended for those readers, singers, players, and audiences wishing to experience something of the emotional impact, rather than just the dry literal sense of Aristophanes' original - it too has been slimmed-down, and is available as a stand-alone text in the pocketbook companion to the present edition......includes a customized glossary of explanatory notes, offering tidbits and insights once only ever glimpsed from the dizzying heights of Cloudcuckooland itself... Oh, and a warning: This book contains fowl language.