Poggio scours europe and finds many such manuscripts. Poggio bracciolini has 53 books on goodreads with 178 ratings. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. How the world became modern was published in 2011 and describes how the rediscovery of an ancient poem launches the renaissance and helps shape the modern age. The book relates the story of poggio bracciolini, the former apostolic secretary to several popes, who became perhaps the. Jul 20, 2016 stephen greenblatts the swerve racked up prizes and completely misled you about the middle ages. One of the worlds most celebrated scholars, stephen greenblatt has crafted both an innovative work of history and a thrilling story of discovery, in which one manuscript, plucked from a thousand years of neglect, changed the course of human thought and made possible the world as we know it. Out of a job, poggio turned to book hunting and began recovering invaluable works, like those by the roman rhetorician quintilian. At the center of stephen greenblatts dazzling new book, the swerve. Soon his friends were hailing him as the great restorer of.
Poggio saw the manuscripts significance at once, presumably knowing of lucretius from jerome and ovid. If you love books and the history of ideas then you will want to read the swerve. Sep 28, 2011 the ideas in the swerve are tucked, cannily, inside a quest narrative. How the world became modern is a book by stephen greenblatt and winner of the 2012 pulitzer prize for general nonfiction and 2011 national book award for nonfiction. Greenblatt tells the story of how poggio bracciolini, a 15thcentury papal emissary and obsessive book. Sep 26, 2011 the swerve is stephen greenblatts account of how on the nature of things was rescued from obscurity by poggio bracciolini, a vatican bureaucrat only a few fragments of his writings survive today. Do you agree that the written word can carry this kind of power. He was responsible for rediscovering and recovering many classical latin manuscripts, mostly decaying and forgotten in german, swiss, and french monastic libraries. How the world became modern in new york journal of books.
In poggios time, lucretius works were not well known on the nature of things is the only one to survive to modern times. Pocket editions of the latin text, with an italian translation, may be found in bracciolini 1983 and bracciolini 1995, while a good critical edition of an influential early french translation appears in duval and herichepradeau 2003. In the swerve, greenblatt elegantly chronicles the history of discovery that brought lucretius poem out of the musty shadows of obscurity into an early modern world ripe for his ideas. That book was the last surviving manuscript of an ancient roman philosophical epic, on the nature of things, by lucretiusa beautiful poem of the most. Greenblatt analyzes the poems subsequent impact on the development of the renaissance, the reformation, and modern science. Stephen greenblatts critical swerve the boston globe. The swerve, in fact, is two books, one deserving of an award, the other not. Poggios chance finding lay what greenblatt, following lucretius himself, terms a historic swerve of massive proportions, propagated by such seminal and often heretical truth tellers as. This narrative is structured by following poggio bracciolini in his pursuits. Greenblatt treats the central narrative thread of the swerve, his engaging retelling of poggios discovery of the manuscript of lucretius, as an exemplary story of. Books by poggio bracciolini author of the facetiae or. Sep 04, 2012 the swerve is one of those brilliant works of nonfiction thats so jampacked with ideas and stories it literally boggles the mind. The swerve follows poggio bracciolini, a 15thcentury italian employee of the pope, a humanist, and an avid book collector. Poggio s chance finding lay what greenblatt, following lucretius himself, terms a historic swerve of massive proportions, propagated by such seminal and often heretical truth tellers as machiavelli, giordano bruno, and montaigne.
Poggio bracciolini bracciolini, poggio, 801459 books from the extended shelves. Nonetheless, so many people, across so many centuries, are indebted to him. Without the copyists and bookhunters like poggio bracciolini, these tiny textual remnants might have been all that was left of this visionary. Poggio bracciolini 801459 ce, a short, genial, cannily alert man. Lucretius himself was essentially an epicurean who saw the restrained seeking of pleasure as the highest good. Winner of the 2012 pulitzer prize for nonfiction winner of the 2011 national book award for nonfiction. The longlost book that launched the renaissance the author of will in the world finds the seeds of modern secularism in a book discovered in a. Poggios fundamentalist passion for books and the deposing of his patron, pope or antipope. Poggio served as scribe and secretary in the papal court, a place he cynically thought of as, the lie factory. Poggio bracciolini renaissance and reformation oxford. He had a copy made and sent to a friend in florence, who copied it anew. The swerve follows poggio bracciolini, a 15thcentury italian employee of the pope, a. Most of the swerve is devoted to this story of loss and retrieval.
Books by poggio bracciolini author of the facetiae or jocose. Nov 20, 2011 out of a job, poggio turned to book hunting and began recovering invaluable works, like those by the roman rhetorician quintilian. Page 86 it is a wonderful instance of his memory, that though he had been confined three hundred and forty days in a dark dungeon, where it was impossible for him to read, and where he must have daily suffered from the utmost anxiety of mind, yet he quoted so many learned writers in defence of his opinions, and supported his sentiments by the authority of so many doctors of the church, that. What they knew was from small references by his contemporaries including cicero, ovid, and virgil. The ideas that rooted the renaissance stephen greenblatt chronicles the unlikely discovery of lucretius poem on the nature of things by a. How a renaissance book hunter kept a classic from disappearing. At its gates, in the first weeks of 1417, arrived an itinerant florentine scholar by the name of poggio. Winner of the 2012 pulitzer prize for nonfiction winner of the 2011 national book award for nonfiction one of the worlds most celebrated scholars, stephen greenblatt has crafted both an innovative work of history and a thrilling story of discovery, in which one manuscript, plucked from a thousand years of neglect, changed the course of human thought and made possible the world as we know it. It describes the ideas of an ancient sect, the epicureans, whose beliefs will overturn many of. The first book is an engaging literary detective story about an intrepid florentine bibliophile named poggio. Sep 25, 2011 at the center of stephen greenblatts dazzling new book, the swerve. He didnt find any great works in the english monasteries. Lucretius text on the nature of things and its rediscovery by poggio the florentine in the 1400s. Poggio bracciolinis most popular book is the facetiae or jocose tales of poggio, volume 2.
Renowned historian stephen greenblatts works shoot to the top of the new york times bestseller list. In his new book, the swerve, shakespeare scholar stephen greenblatt tells the story of an ancient poem and a manuscript explorer, and resurrects a time when people truly loved books. During the dark ages, many greek and roman manuscripts were forever lost. Its return to circulation altered the entire course of history, and greenblatt writes about this shift in an accessible, meaningful way. With the swerve, greenblatt transports listeners to the dawn of the renaissance and chronicles the life of an intrepid book lover who rescued the roman philosophical text on the nature of things. In 1417, poggio bracciolini discovers lucretius ancient poem, on the nature of things. Sep 11, 2011 a detail from the cover of swerve swerve. At the center of the swerve is the forgotten story of a 15thcentury italian book hunter named poggio bracciolini, who set out on several expeditions throughout monasteries on the continent and. Sep 28, 2011 greenblatt treats the central narrative thread of the swerve, his engaging retelling of poggios discovery of the manuscript of lucretius, as an exemplary story of how the world became modern in. Gian francesco poggio bracciolini italian scholar britannica. Dec 18, 2011 would have surged up even if poggio bracciolini had not made his spectacular find in the gathering darkness of a monastic library. The swerve won the pulitzer prize, the national book award, and the lowell prize.
Poggios chance finding lay what greenblatt, following lucretius himself, terms a historic swerve of massive proportions, propagated by such seminal and often heretical truth tellers as machiavelli, giordano bruno, and montaigne. How the world became modern by stephen greenblatt is a narrative of the discovery of the old lucretius manuscript by poggio. But swerve is an intense, emotional telling of a true story, one with much at stake for all of us. The swerve is stephen greenblatts account of how on the nature of things was rescued from obscurity by poggio bracciolini, a vatican bureaucrat only a few fragments of his writings survive today. At the center of this marvelous tale stands an avid book hunter, skilled manuscript copyist and notary. These days, when the book is an endangered species, readers of the swerve should be grateful as well for greenblatts elegant. Gian francesco poggio bracciolini 11 february 80 30 october 1459, usually referred to simply as poggio bracciolini, was an italian scholar and an early renaissance humanist. He scoured the italian countryside for old books and with lucretius found a book that would influence thinkers.
Stephen greenblatts the swerve racked up prizes and completely misled you about the middle ages. In 1417, papal secretary poggio bracciolini sets out on a search for the lost books of the roman empire. The ideas that rooted the renaissance stephen greenblatt chronicles the unlikely discovery of lucretius poem on the nature of things by a 15thcentury italian book hunter. Discover book depositorys huge selection of poggio bracciolini books online. Dec 23, 2011 most of the swerve is devoted to this story of loss and retrieval. First, a thorough biography of the italian politician and humanist poggio braccilioni, who rose from a humble origin to become a papal secretary a powerbroker in the corrupt xv century vatican court, and, who, at the same time, driven by a passion for ancient books, uncovered, transcript and recovered the manuscript of on the nature of things. When the new pope was installed, many of his colleagues returned to curia. The swerve, by stephen greenblatt souvenir scribbles.
Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. The longlost book that launched the renaissance the author of will in the world finds the seeds of modern secularism in a. And do you think a literary rediscovery could potentially initiate a new swerve today. Stephen greenblatts the swerve racked up prizes and. Lucretius was a passionate follower of the greek philosopher epicurus. The best modern critical edition of poggios collection of witty fables is pittaluga 2005. It was poggio bracciolini a short, genial avid book hunter who discovered the manuscript and ordered it to be copied many times. This poem had been lost for more than a thousand years and its ideas threatened contemporary views of science and human contentment. Poggio waited years to get access to niccolos copy of on the nature of things. Oct 02, 2011 poggio saw the manuscripts significance at once, presumably knowing of lucretius from jerome and ovid. Some only survived because monks had libraries and spent their time copying even heretical works.
And the further you read, the more astonishing it becomes. The book relates the story of poggio bracciolini, the former apostolic secretary to several popes, who became perhaps. Jan 31, 2019 the swerve strings together the complex weave of religion, society, corruption, greed, immorality, greek philosophy, war, the lives of monasteries, monks, and libraries to tell the story. Page 78 it is a wonderful instance of his memory, that though he had been confined three hundred and forty days in a dark dungeon, where it was impossible for him to read, and where he must have daily suffered from the utmost anxiety of mind, yet he quoted so many learned writers in defence of his opinions, and supported his sentiments by the authority of so many doctors of the church, that. For the most part, their comments decry how greenblatt, perhaps the most widely known historicist critic, deploys almost the full barrage of oversimplistic caricatures of the middle ages that have been in circulation since poggio. Until the narration settles on the life of the genial poggio bracciolini in 15th century italy, the first 14 of the narration repeatedly shifts between antiquity, middle ages, and renaissance, making the sequence of events rather. In that year, the italian humanist scholar and bookhunter poggio bracciolini found a ninthcentury manuscript of the ancient poem in the library. How the renaissance began is a book by stephen greenblatt and winner of the 2012 pulitzer prize for general nonfiction and 2011 national book award for nonfiction greenblatt tells the story of how poggio bracciolini, a 15thcentury papal emissary and obsessive book hunter, saved the last copy of the roman poet. The swerve is one of those brilliant works of nonfiction thats so jampacked with ideas and stories it literally boggles the mind. The first book is an engaging literary detective story about an intrepid florentine bibliophile named poggio braccionlini. How the renaissance began is a book by stephen greenblatt and winner of the 2012 pulitzer prize for general nonfiction and 2011 national book award for nonfiction. Greenblatt supplies throughout the swerve are tangy and exact.
It begins with a crisis in the catholic church and in the career of poggio bracciolini, who was personal secretary to john xxiii. This 51page guide for the swerve by stephen greenblatt includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 11 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis. How the world became modern by stephen greenblatt, is an intellectual romp. Another problem with the swerve, which is related to the volume of information it contains, is the time lime. The swerve strings together the complex weave of religion, society, corruption, greed, immorality, greek philosophy, war, the lives of monasteries, monks, and libraries to tell the story. In the swerve, stephen greenblatt is essentially making the argument that a poem changed the world. Poggio s chance finding lay what greenblatt, following lucretius himself, terms a historic swerve of massive proportions, propagated by such seminal and often heretical truth tellers as. This is the tale of poggio bracciolini, a 15th century book hunter, who rediscovered an ancient text by lucretius, on the nature of things.