How to Drink, Vincent Obsopoeus
How to Drink, Vincent Obsopoeus
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How to Drink
A Classical Guide to the Art of Imbibing

Author: Vincent Obsopoeus, Michael Fontaine, Michael Fontaine, Michael Fontaine

Narrator: Roger Clark

Unabridged: 3 hr 34 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/14/2020

Categories: Cooking, Nonfiction


Synopsis

A spirited new translation of a forgotten classic, shot through with timeless wisdom

Is there an art to drinking alcohol? Can drinking ever be a virtue? The Renaissance humanist and neoclassical poet Vincent Obsopoeus (ca. 1498–1539) thought so. In the winelands of sixteenth-century Germany, he witnessed the birth of a poisonous new culture of bingeing, hazing, peer pressure, and competitive drinking. Alarmed, and inspired by the Roman poet Ovid's Art of Love, he wrote The Art of Drinking (De Arte Bibendi) (1536), a how-to manual for drinking with pleasure and discrimination. In How to Drink, Michael Fontaine offers the first proper English translation of Obsopoeus's text, rendering his poetry into spirited, contemporary prose and uncorking a forgotten classic that will appeal to drinkers of all kinds and (legal) ages.

Arguing that moderation, not abstinence, is the key to lasting sobriety, and that drinking can be a virtue if it is done with rules and limits, Obsopoeus teaches us how to manage our drinking, how to win friends at social gatherings, and how to give a proper toast. But he also says that drinking to excess on occasion is okay—and he even tells us how to win drinking games, citing extensive personal experience.

About Vincent Obsopoeus

Vincent Obsopoeus (ca. 1498-1539) was a German humanist, Latin poet, and translator active in the Reformation.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Maddy

This was good, but not as interesting as the other books in this Princeton University Press series.......more

Goodreads review by Massimo

How could one possibly resist picking up a book entitled "How to Drink"? It's part of the Princeton Press ongoing "Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers" series, which I am commenting on systematically and extensively at my Substack newsletter. This particular entry isn't really "ancient," since Vincent......more

Goodreads review by Ender

an entertaining reminder that moderation is always key, and how foolish drunkenness can be.......more

Goodreads review by Anne

Irritantste vertaling die ik ooit heb gelezen......more