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The Metamorphoses of Ovid (Paperback)

~ (Author), (Author) "MY SOUL WOULD SING of metamorphoses..." (more)
Key Phrases: Black Sea, Golden Fleece, King Ceyx
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Publius Ovidius Naso, whom we know as Ovid, was already established as a writer when The Metamorphoses was published in A.D. 8, when he was 52 years old. It had taken him a decade to compose his great poem, during which time he published little, but the Roman world was still abuzz with excitement over his richly erotic Art of Love. So, unfortunately, was the court of Augustus Caesar, and the emperor banished the poet to what is now Romania. Augustus may have taken exception to the poet's turn to the impolite realm of the body--or he may have objected to a rumored affair between Ovid and the emperor's nymphomaniacal daughter Julia, who figures so prominently in Robert Graves's Claudius novels. The poet who had declared Rome to be his only home could have found no worse punishment than exile, but no amount of pleading could sway Augustus, and Ovid died on the shores of the Black Sea a decade later. Full of veiled political and historical references, The Metamorphoses lived on to become a permanent fixture in the canon of European literature. In Allen Mandelbaum's hands, it lives on for a new generation.


From Publishers Weekly

Translator and poet Mandelbaum offers his rendition of Ovid's classic work of mythology and change.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 576 pages
  • Publisher: Mariner Books (April 15, 1995)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0156001268
  • ISBN-13: 978-0156001267
  • Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #53,636 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

    #4 in  Books > Literature & Fiction > Authors, A-Z > ( O ) > Ovid
    #6 in  Books > Literature & Fiction > Classics > Roman
    #15 in  Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Mythology > Greek & Roman

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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
MY SOUL WOULD SING of metamorphoses. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Black Sea, Golden Fleece, King Ceyx
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Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
62 of 65 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Something everyone must read, especially if you love myth, January 14, 2000
By KTB "KTB" (NYC) - See all my reviews
  
On Ovid: This is one of the best poems ever written. Period. I'm a big mythology buff and many of the Greek and Roman myth versions we know today come from this work. It also tells a compelling story. Shakespeare thought it was great, enough said.

On Mandelbaum: I've read about 4 different translations of this work and Mr. Mandelbaum's is my favorite. He remains precise without being choppy. He keeps it poetic, which I like. There is a fine line translators must walk, being true to the original text while making the english understandable and keeping the imagery, flow, music and intent intact. This version does all of those.

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22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An invaluable piece of Literature!, January 25, 1999
By A Customer
For any one interested in truly understanding the development of literature, no book except the Bible, has had more influence. The profoundly entertaining tales of Adonis, Midas, Apollo, Icarus, and many others come to life in this illustrious translation. At first, I was a little indifferent and disinterested in the topic; but I thought of all of those references to Ovid in Dante, Chaucer, and Shakespeare and figured go ahead read it. Well, it was the best decision in long time for me. Before I had finished reading half of the tales, I opened creative doors and answered literary questions that I had never knew existed. If you are interested in the classics of Homer, Virgil and many others, I highly recommend this translation!!
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully translated, poetic, absorbing, January 2, 1999
By A Customer
A marvelous translation of the Metamorphoses, difficult to put down, very poetic and evocative, leading one into one's own personal associations to the myths while being true to Ovid. I recommend reading it aloud....
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!
I bought this book for a class and I have enjoyed it. A must read!
Published 3 months ago by K Day

5.0 out of 5 stars Well Done, Attractive Volume
Lovely cover, pleasant font type, fabulous translation, plenty of space in the margins.

Few will criticize the translation. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Philip Mohr

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Translation
This translation really captures the humor of the poem-I got it for college english and have really enjoyed the read.
Published 21 months ago by J. E. Atkinson

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent translation, but no annotations
Mandelbaum's translation of Ovid's Metamorphoses is the best I have seen so far. It is a very accurate and original rendition of the poem, while also being very readable. Read more
Published on June 26, 2007 by Jerry L. the Bibliophile

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Mythology and a Strong Translation
Most mythology I have read has been in a prose format. Reading Ovid was a bit of a challenge but I found this translation much cleaner then several of the others I tried to read... Read more
Published on June 17, 2007 by J. A Carty

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything a book should be
Sumptuous, gorgeous. From the creation of the world to the birth of Julius Caesar. If only the Bible was written as well or made as much sense. Read more
Published on January 14, 2006 by stemper

5.0 out of 5 stars Your next "ought to read that" read
Ovid is something that people interested in Shakespeare and mythology and Western culture in general ought to read, and Mandelbaum's translation will make you glad while you read... Read more
Published on February 19, 2005 by Nathan P. Gilmour

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Myths
The Metamorphoses is an excellent work and Mandelbaum does a great job of translating. The book is full of the ancient greek myths of hero's, gods, and regular individuals... Read more
Published on September 5, 2001 by MG

5.0 out of 5 stars The Literary foundation for almost everything ever since
Did you ever wonder where Keats garnered the inspiration for Endymion? Or why Shakespeare's plays always make reference to the Greek and Roman gods instead of the Judeo-Christian... Read more
Published on April 22, 2001 by josefp

3.0 out of 5 stars Good but . . .
I'm sorry I must disagree with all other reviewers on this edition. First of all let me quickly say I'm not really rating Ovid, but this specific translation. Read more
Published on March 5, 2001

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