{"id":6190,"date":"2019-04-20T11:18:42","date_gmt":"2019-04-20T09:18:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/?p=6190"},"modified":"2019-10-19T11:49:32","modified_gmt":"2019-10-19T09:49:32","slug":"daphnis-und-chloe-longos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/2019\/04\/daphnis-and-chloe-longos\/","title":{"rendered":"Daphnis and Chloe \u2022 Longos"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Looking back over the last few years, books from Manesse Verlag have made up a significant share of my reading pleasure. The traditional publisher\u2019s selection is simply so broad, and the editions are usually so handsome, that I often give them preference. Daphnis and Chloe<\/em> is one such little volume I spotted in the spring preview, and it won me over immediately\u2014both in its presentation and in its content, which actually isn\u2019t my usual fare. But what does that even mean? I like to try lots of things and read in all directions. Still, a novel that\u2019s about 1,800 years old doesn\u2019t land on my reading list very often. The fact that Daphnis and Chloe<\/em> isn\u2019t a stiff, antiquated text but reads with great ease, offers a wonderful setting, and feels like a mental vacation genuinely surprised me.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Daphnis and Chloe<\/em> painted by Louise Marie-Jeanne Hersent-Mauduit<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This love story is classed as \u201cpastoral poetry,\u201d a tale about shepherds\u2014a theme that was apparently quite fashionable in the 2nd century. The title figures\u2014fifteen-year-old Daphnis, a goatherd, and the two-years-younger Chloe, a shepherdess\u2014graze their herds together every summer. Both are portrayed as very na\u00efve, and over the course of the story they draw closer and fall in love. It\u2019s in the spirit of a coming-of-age novel: the two young protagonists are making their first discoveries and are still a fairly blank slate. The plot spans roughly a year.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The whole thing takes place on the Greek island of Lesbos, and Longus describes this gorgeous setting wonderfully with just a few sentences. It\u2019s like an old painting\u2014Daphnis and Chloe seated together amid beautiful nature, falling in love; the wide blue sea in the distance; in the shade of ancient oaks; under the watchful eyes of the nymphs, of Pan, and of course of Eros, the Greek god of love, often depicted as Cupid. It all evokes the mood of warm summer nights and creates a densely atmospheric world. Goethe, too, raved about this lovely book and its marvelous mood\u2014no doubt also in emotional recollection of his Italian journeys.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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The novel reads very pleasantly. It\u2019s not written in verse or in a lyrical form but in straightforward prose. The reading is effortless, and the simple sentences suit the na\u00efve protagonists and the pure, innocent love Longus portrays.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cEros, dear children, is a god\u2014young, beautiful, and winged. That is why he delights in youth, pursues beauty, and gives souls wings. His power is greater than that of Zeus. He rules over the elements, he rules over the stars, he rules over his fellow gods; not even you have so much power over your goats and sheep.\u201d (p. 48)<\/p><\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Manesse presents an entirely new translation here by the much-lauded translator Kurt Steinmann, who has already made a name for himself with his new German translations of Homer\u2019s Odyssey<\/em> and Iliad<\/em>. There are quite a few German translations of this novel. According to the afterword, the original has a distinctive rhythm that only a few German versions have preserved. While reading, I wondered how close this comes to the ancient Greek. Considering the text\u2019s age, this edition reads astonishingly well and smoothly. I asked myself whether that was thanks to Steinmann\u2019s translation and compared it with the free Kindle edition translated by Friedrich Jacobs in 1832. Jacobs\u2019s wording feels a bit more old-fashioned, but it\u2019s just as easy to read. The ancient Greeks clearly had the knack for this 1,800 years ago\u2014and with their frank, entertaining literature, they were far ahead of their time.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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By contrast, almost nothing is known about the author Longus. Only the novel itself and its references\u2014its style and the descriptions of Lesbos\u2014allow a rough dating to the late 2nd century. Who Longus was, where he lived, and whether Longus was even his correct name are unknown. Apparently there are only two manuscript copies of his book.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Daphnis and Chloe<\/em> (marble, Louvre) by Jean-Pierre Cortot<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The story and its theme were apparently beloved not only by Goethe and have inspired numerous adaptations. Maurice Ravel composed a ballet based on the novel. Rousseau turned the story into an opera (as did other composers). Naturally there are film versions\u2014or at least works inspired by it. And the visual arts have embraced the book as well.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

When Manesse announced a redesign of its Classics of World Literature<\/em> series almost two years ago, I was of two minds (I wrote about it here<\/a>). Since then the series has grown several times over, and some editions have truly impressed me with their design\u2014for example, Home of the Gentry<\/a> by Turgenev.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This edition is once again really well done. The color combination of blue and yellow harmonizes perfectly. Once more there\u2019s sewn binding in the jacket\u2019s blue, and I also like the dust jacket a lot. The entire book radiates that blend of love story and antiquity, to which the two drawn figures on the cover contribute greatly.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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At 192 pages, it feels small and compact and is indeed a fairly quick read. I like its overall appearance very much. Since the Manesse relaunch, I still miss the cloth binding\u2014but all in all, it\u2019s a high-quality, excellently produced book that also makes a fine gift.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Conclusion:<\/strong> Although this love story is over 1,800 years old, the tale, the beautiful landscapes of Lesbos, and the simple, pleasant prose utterly won me over. A breath of antiquity hovers over the whole book\u2014of balmy summer nights, the magic of ancient Greek myth, and of course na\u00efve, pure first love. Set in unspoiled nature, it\u2019s wonderful reading for switching off and immersing yourself in a picturesque world that recalls scenes from old paintings. The handsome design\u2014with its splendid dust jacket and well-matched colors\u2014contributes to that effect. A book I\u2019ll certainly return to again.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Book information:<\/strong> Daphnis and Chloe<\/em> \u2022 Longus \u2022 Manesse Verlag \u2022 192 pages \u2022 ISBN 9783717524861<\/p>\r\n\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Looking back over the last few years, books from Manesse Verlag have made up a significant share of my reading pleasure. The traditional publisher\u2019s selection is simply so broad, and the editions are usually so handsome, that I often give them preference. Daphnis and Chloe is one such little volume I spotted in the spring … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Daphnis and Chloe \u2022 Longos”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6968,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"Daphnis und Chloe \u2022 Longos - lesestunden","description":"Wenn ich so auf die letzten Jahre zur\u00fcck schaue, dann haben die B\u00fccher vom Manesse Verlag einen signifikanten Anteil an meinem Lesevergn\u00fcgen. Die Auswahl des Tr"},"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"_slim_seo_primary_term_category":0,"_slim_seo_primary_term_post_tag":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[10,20],"tags":[194,186],"class_list":["post-6190","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-classics","category-reviews","tag-longos","tag-manesse"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/daphnis_chloe_beitrag_neu.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6190","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6190"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6190\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6968"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6190"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6190"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6190"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}