This book is extremely difficult. In each chapter, Auerbach compares two texts. Usually at least one of the texts is in another language besides English, and many of the points he makes have to do with language usage, puns, and so forth, in the other language. For example, Auerbach will refer to a sense of humor evident in the Latin descriptions or sentence constructions - alas, untranslatable - that we non-polymaths can only imagine. In the bits and pieces I could understand, he makes some interesting points about how different types of historical consciousness are evinced by different works; that is, the farther back in time one goes, the less sense there is that there is a past and a future, and that there are historical trends or forces. Auerbach also makes an effort to don the authors' conceptual lenses when he examines the ethics invoked, or what is visible and invisible to the author, for instance . He frequently uses passages from the Bible to illustrates his points, and this should be of great interest to those fond of exegesis. I am such a fan, and yet I just could not make it through all of this book. Perhaps if I were smarter, younger, spoke at least ten languages, or all of the above...?
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(JAF)