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Metamorphoses

The New, Annotated Edition
By Ovid
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Metamorphoses by Ovid is a seminal collection of Roman myths, woven together by the central theme of transformation. It journeys from the creation of the world to the deification of Julius Caesar, featuring tales like the fall of Troy and the birth of the minotaur. This edition presents these timeless stories in Rolfe Humphries's acclaimed ten-beat unrhymed lines, capturing the original's wit and spirit for contemporary readers.

This annotated volume is enhanced by detailed commentary from Joseph D. Reed, offering valuable insights into the myths and their enduring influence on Western literature.
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Format: Hardback
$19500

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This edition is ideal for readers interested in classical mythology, students and scholars of ancient literature, and anyone seeking a beautifully rendered and accessible introduction to one of Western literature's foundational texts.

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Now available for the first time in an annotated edition, Rolfe Humphriess legendary translation captures the spirit of Ovid's swift and conversational language, bringing the wit and sophistication of the Roman poet to modern readers. These are some of the most famous Roman myths as youve never read them before—sensuous, dangerously witty, audacious.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Ovid's Metamorphoses is one of the most influential works of Western literature, inspiring artists and writers from Titian to Shakespeare to Salman Rushdie. These are some of the most famous Roman myths as you've never read them before—sensuous, dangerously witty, audacious—from the fall of Troy to the birth of the Minotaur, and many others that only appear in the Metamorphoses. Connected together by the immutable laws of change and metamorphosis, the myths tell the story of the world from its creation up to the transformation of Julius Caesar from man into god.

In the ten-beat, unrhymed lines of this now-legendary and widely praised translation, Rolfe Humphries captures the spirit of Ovid's swift and conversational language, bringing the wit and sophistication of the Roman poet to modern readers.

This special annotated edition includes new, comprehensive commentary and notes by Joseph D. Reed, Professor of Classics and Comparative Literature at Brown University.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Praised as "one of the most captivating books ever written," Humphries's translation is lauded for its directness, clarity, and lively tone (New York Times). The translation is described as "fresh, racy, and vivid," successfully conveying the speed and animation of Ovid's narrative (Classical Review). Reviews highlight its accessibility, noting readers may be surprised these stories are nearly 2,000 years old (Washington Post). The comprehensive annotations are commended for their authenticity and depth, enhancing the reading experience.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780253033697

Publisher: Indiana University Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 13 April 2018

Country: United States

Imprint: Indiana University Press

Edition: New Annotated Edition

Contributors:

  • Translated by Rolfe Humphries

Audience: Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 229.0mm

Weight: 953g

Pages: 536

Collections

Classic Fiction Classic General Fiction Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Ovid

About the Author

Poet and critic Rolfe Humphries (1894–1969) also translated Virgil's Aeneid, Lucretius's On the Nature of Things, Ovid's Art of Love, and Juvenal's Satires.

Joseph D. Reed is Professor of Classics and Comparative Literature at Brown University. He is the author of Virgil's Gaze: Nation and Poetry in the Aeneid.

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