Review of EPICURUS IN LOVE: The Epicuriana

[Precious Amarachi Nzeakor]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "EPICURUS IN LOVE: The Epicuriana" by Paul B. Donovan.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Professor Fiona Roberts is a papyrologist and classical philologist. Alongside her lab technician, they seek to uncover the contents of a discovered papyrus scroll, which has been carbonized beyond recognition. It turns out to be a rare original autobiographical work written by the Greek philosopher himself, Epicurus.

Epicurus in Love: The Epicuriana by Paul B. Donovan seeks to retell, in the form of a novel, the life of Epicurus as discovered in the original papyrus scroll. We are led through an interesting series of events, from the tense relationship that existed between Epicurus' parents to his love relationship as an adult. We see Epicurus experience different life experiences, from a near-death experience to multiple disappointments, when he tries to set up his school of philosophy. In the end, he's able to set up his school of philosophy, which is referred to as the "school of the garden," but at what cost?

According to Paul B. Donovan, some scenes have been imagined and reconstructed to make more sense. However, we are taken on an interesting journey in the life of Epicurus, exploring different themes: love, friendship, family, betrayal, and so much more. Each scene either takes an unexpected turn or plunges us into one of Epicurus' deep philosophies, leaving us in a thoughtful reverie.

This book was really insightful, and at different points, it would leave you lost in thought as you re-evaluate your principles and beliefs about life. We are led through a series of monologues containing the thoughts of Epicurus. However, these monologues are usually enlightening. Also, there were a lot of plot twists and turns that were highly unexpected, like in the case of Epicurus' mother. This made the book more interesting, giving it an edge. I also found no error in the book, which suggests that the book was exceptionally well edited.

Sadly, there were some very unnecessary scenes in the book that could have been discarded without affecting the plot of the story. Also, while some of the monologues were enlightening, some felt unneeded. Finally, the beginning pages were quite confusing, and it took me a while to get into the flow of the story and understand what exactly was going on. This reduced the quality of my reading experience.

To a certain extent, I enjoyed reading this book, but I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars. Perhaps if the book had introduced the characters better at the beginning, I would have given it a better rating.

If you're someone prone to waxing philosophical at random times, then you'll find this thoroughly enjoyable. If you also love deep thinking, then this book is a perfect read for you.

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EPICURUS IN LOVE: The Epicuriana
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[Hazel Mae Bagarinao]

I'm a deep thinker person. I am astonished by Epicurus's philosophical thoughts and ideas. I once encountered him through a youtube channel, where they discussed the philosophy of life, which is one of my interests. This book seems tale beyond Epicurus's life. I'm intrigued. Thanks for your beautiful review!