In Talking Classics, Mary Beard does a phenomenal job of exploring why classics matters. This book is passionate, honest, and necessary. Alongside her trademark fantastic analysis of the subject and its role in the modern world, Beard also reflects on her own life in pseudo-memoir fashion and explores how classics has shaped it, whether it be her experience of coming face to face with the past in a museum as a child, or as a professor/lecturer engaging in discussions with students. This is where the book truly shines for me. I think everyone passionate about history probably has similar stories or experiences that have marked the moment they fell in love with the study of the past, or points when their ideas were challenged in formative ways. In my case, I once told my Master’s Degree supervisor during our first ever meeting that I wasn’t keen on Virgil’s Aeneid and thought it was “uninspiring Homer fan-fiction” without knowing that she was a Latinist who adores Virgil… not my finest hour. Beard does well to highlight the power that these seemingly small moments can have, and how they can transform the trajectory of someone’s life. That conversation with my supervisor has stuck with me ever since. (For the record, I stand by my point that the Aeneid is Homer fanfiction, but “uninspiring” was perhaps a bit harsh!) Talking Classics was a powerful and emotional read for me at times, speaking as someone who studied classics and was sometimes subjected to the judgment of “why are you studying that”. I often struggle to put why I think classics matters into words, and Mary Beard has done a brilliant and nuanced job of it here. She champions the subject beautifully, but doesn’t get carried away and keeps her analysis rooted in reality rather than over-sensationalising classics as uniquely different to other subjects. On another, final, personal note, the classical world was a source of such comfort and escapism for me after a sudden bereavement. During my struggles with grief, Aristophanes’ comedies got a laugh out of me, and that’s no small thing. One of the key points raised in this book is how the classical world is for everyone, not just the elite who are often associated with it, and Mary Beard is absolutely right. I’m very glad indeed that a book like this now exists.

A thoughtful, erudite read on the interconnectivity between modern life and history, and how we all seek wonder in this wild world. A memorable mix of Beard’s usual fascinating insights as well as memoir moments that light the path between what crafted her love – and still does – for the ancient world. Beard has always been a classicist that approaches her subject with pure fascination and aims to write and explore in a way that makes it accessible to everyone; Here Beard crafts together an interrogation of ‘the classical world’ as we have come to know it and a sample of its nuances and pitfalls. Beard gives a feast for thought and as always, left me deliberating on my own obsession with the ancient world and all that we can gain from communicating with a past we can never truly see in all of its facets. I especially adored her analysis on how we frame the classics and its allowance for us to discuss subject matters that cross the millennia, cultural barriers and belief systems. Beard discusses a range of aspects including some of my absolute childhood obsessions like Sophocles Antigone which did make me rather happy as I could talk for hours on that play and its continual relevancy. She also brings into focus an analysis on the power and prestige certain movements have manipulated or addressed to their causes in times of political or social strife for their goals. She also explores the humanity of our ancestors we can really see the shades of our future in, with discussions on Roman graffiti and jokes, as well as how we are also in a moment in Earths timeline where we are different, set apart from our predecessors, but that doesn’t mean we cannot connect to it. This was an invigorating, powerful call to why the classics still (and will always) matter and how our relationship with the past is one we can continually learn from as well as the much needed reminder that the classics are for everyone, and not the elitist upper-class who we have been conditioned to believe they are golden gated for.

Down to earth & informative

An incredibly thoughtful look into the study of Classics and its relevance to day, written with all the usual styles of Beard's previous work. With personal anecdotes littered throughout the book, you are encouraged not only to have difficult conversations surrounding Classics, but ask difficult questions of yourself in how you engage with the ancient world and share it with others.Beard has done fantastic work in her career to break down barriers in Classics and this book is a testament to that. You never feel like an outsider to the field of Classics when you read Mary Beard. I flew through this and would gladly recommend it to any and all. This book is for everyone, for the general public, students, and academics. There is something valuable to be taken away at every level of entry knowledge.

Truly sensational writing from Beard, but this time in a cleverly considered direction in what becomes a hybrid memoir, love letter, and conversation starter. This piece is not just an argument for the classics, nor a debate for their relevance- it's a piece of living lore. The direction this book takes is excellent and self contained in its many parts yet by no means staccato. A fan to the flames of love for classics, going beyond narrative non fiction and giving us an exploration of peopled aspect of history from why ancient bread in a museum is important to the what greats of today say. Thoroughly bold, powerful, and iconic.