As framed in the Greek classic, Theophrastus Characters, today’s gossip headlines could have appeared 23 centuries ago in The Athens Daily News. Bad behaviour is alive and well today as it was over 2,000 years ago. As they say, “Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose”…The more things change, the more they stay the same!
Lest we forget, the short list of celebs and politicians in hot water for their indiscretions includes Ezra Miller, Danny Masterson, Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Antonio Brown (ex-NFL player), Donald Trump, Gary Busey, Mario Bitale, Bill O’Reilly, Al Franken, Charlie Rose, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Anthony Weiner, Matt Gaetz, Madison Cawthorn, to name a few.
Now over in the United States with the midterms and thanksgiving a stone’s throw away, Theophrastus Characters: An Ancient Take on Bad Behavior, arrives in the nick of time for wicked bipartisan gifting—and now as an eBook and audiobook. In his first audiobook narration, Tony and Primetime Emmy Award-winner Billy Crudup vividly capture the contemporary scene in these ancient characterizations! See and hear it all here.
Billy Crudup:
“It was a pleasure working with Pam Mensch on this recording. Her modern translation of Theophrastus breathes new life into these classic characters. This literary gem captures human nature with timeless relevance, mirroring human foibles that are as recognizable in hometown USA as they were on the streets of Athens more than two-thousand years ago.”
Published by Callaway Arts & Entertainment, Theophrastus presents thirty characters, each crystalizing a human flaw that all readers will immediately recognize. It is a humorous roundup of failings, follies, and bad behaviour taken straight off the streets of Athens and brought into our contemporary, divisive milieu. These Characters are people we know―they’re our quirky neighbours, our creepy bosses, our blind dates from hell. Sharp-tongued Theophrastus is made sharper than ever in this fresh translation by Pam Mensch and narration by Billy Crudup, reminding us that Athenian weirdness is as ageless as Athenian wisdom.
Brilliantly illustrated by acclaimed caricaturist Andre Carrilho, this is an irresistible treasure of an audiobook, eBook, and hardcover. His wry, inventive drawings help invoke the cankered wit of this most modern of ancient texts. Annotated by classicist James Romm, these thirty thumbnail portraits are startlingly recognizable today. The characters of Theophrastus are archetypes of human nature that remain insightful, caustic, and relevant.
The book is on sale now, in all the usual places.
