Review of Ziatar, Zdenko, 'The epic circle: allegoresis and the Western epic tradition from Homer to Tasso' (Sydney studies in society and culture, 10), Sydney, Sydney Association for studies in society and culture, 1993: paper; pp.180; R.R.P. AUS$25.00

This volume consists of two essays, the first and shorter entitled 'Lectura Dantis apud Gondolam' and the second given the wording which is the second part of the whole book's ascription. While the theme might seem totally literary, the treatment is historical, social, and biographic, as benefits the series in which the monograph is offered. Although it is not an easy book to read, partly because of the dense amount of text on any given page, the volume is a rewarding one, not least because of its amplification of Italian, Ragusan, and Slavic cultural themes.