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Metamorphoses

A Norton Critical Edition
By Ovid
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( 78,765 ratings, 3,260 reviews)
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 classical masterpiece that weaves together over 250 myths in a series of poetic transformations. The stories explore themes of change and power, capturing the fluid identities of gods and humans as they encounter love, revenge, and the whims of fate. This epic poem beautifully illustrates the rich tapestry of Greco-Roman mythology and its influence on the arts and culture throughout history.
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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 book may appeal to you if you're captivated by ancient myths and the art of storytelling. It's a masterpiece of transformation in both narrative and theme, weaving together tales of gods and mortals in a continuously evolving tapestry that has influenced countless artists and writers throughout history. If you appreciate poetry and the timeless exploration of human nature, you'll likely find this classical work compelling.

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In his award-winning translation, Charles Martin combines fidelity to Ovid’s text with verse that catches the speed and liveliness of the original.

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 epic poem—whose theme of change has resonated throughout the ages—is one of the most important texts of Western imagination, an inspiration from Dante's time to the present. Writers such as Salman Rushdie and Italo Calvino have found a living source in Ovid's work. The text is accompanied by a preface, a note on the translation, and detailed explanatory annotations.

Sources and Backgrounds includes Seneca's inspired commentary on Ovid, Charles Martin's essay on the ways in which pantomimic dancing—an art form popular in Ovid's time—may have been the model for Metamorphoses, as well as related works by Virgil, Callimachus, Hesiod, and Lucretius, among others.

From the enormous body of scholarly writing on Metamorphoses, Charles Martin has chosen six major interpretations by Bernard Knox, J. R. R. Mackail, Norman O. Brown, Italo Calvino, Frederick Ahl, and Diane Middlebrook.

A glossary of persons, places, and personifications in the Metamorphoses and a chronology and selected bibliography are also included.

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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?

Metamorphoses by Ovid is praised for its readability and accuracy. Reviewers commend it as charming and subtle, while also noting its clear and fluent rendition of the original poem, highlighting its captivating flow.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780393925340

Publisher: WW Norton & Co

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 30 November 2009

Country: United States

Imprint: WW Norton & Co

Edition: Critical edition

Contributors:

  • Translated by Charles Martin
  • Edited by Charles Martin

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 33.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 213.0mm

Weight: 486g

Pages: 592

About the Author

Charles Martin was born in New York City in 1942. He earned a Ph.D. in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo. The recipient of numerous awards, Martin has received the Bess Hokin Prize, the Literature Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Ingram Merrill Foundation. Three of his poetry collections—Steal the Bacon (1987), What the Darkness Proposes (1996), and Starting from Sleep: New and Selected Poems (2002)—have been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. His translation of Ovid’s Metamorphoses won the 2004 Harold Morton Landon Translation Award from the Academy of American Poets. Charles Martin was born in New York City in 1942. He earned a Ph.D. in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo. The recipient of numerous awards, Martin has received the Bess Hokin Prize, the Literature Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Ingram Merrill Foundation. Three of his poetry collections—Steal the Bacon (1987), What the Darkness Proposes (1996), and Starting from Sleep: New and Selected Poems (2002)—have been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. His translation of Ovid’s Metamorphoses won the 2004 Harold Morton Landon Translation Award from the Academy of American Poets.

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