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Metamorphoses (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) Library Binding – August 3, 2004

by David Raeburn (Author), Ovid (Author)

4.7 1,215 ratings

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FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Ovid's narrative poem embracing more than two hundred mythical tales dealing with the theme of transformation and change ranges from the creation of the world to the deification of the Emperor Augustus, incorporating many famed myths and legends of ancient Greece and Rome.

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Turtleback (August 3, 2004)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Library Binding ‏ : ‎ 768 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 060626583X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0606265836
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.25 pounds

Best Sellers Rank: #4,147,132 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #75,883 in Classic Literature & Fiction
- #148,297 in Literary Fiction (Books)

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4.7 1,215 ratings

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Ovid

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Publius Ovidius Naso (Classical Latin: [ˈpʊb.li.ʊs ɔˈwɪ.di.ʊs ˈnaː.soː]; 20 March 43 BC – AD 17/18), known as Ovid (/ˈɒvɪd/) in the English-speaking world, was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace with whom he is often ranked as one of the three canonical poets of Latin literature. The Imperial scholar Quintilian considered him the last of the Latin love elegists. He enjoyed enormous popularity, but, in one of the mysteries of literary history, he was sent by Augustus into exile in a remote province on the Black Sea, where he remained until his death. Ovid himself attributes his exile to carmen et error, "a poem and a mistake", but his discretion in discussing the causes has resulted in much speculation among scholars.

The first major Roman poet to begin his career during the reign of Augustus, Ovid is today best known for the Metamorphoses, a 15-book continuous mythological narrative written in the meter of epic, and for collections of love poetry in elegiac couplets, especially the Amores ("Love Affairs") and Ars Amatoria ("The Art of Love"). His poetry was much imitated during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, and greatly influenced Western art and literature. The Metamorphoses remains one of the most important sources of classical mythology.

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo by Ettore Ferrari [CC BY-SA 3.0 ro (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ro/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons.

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Salima

this translation is a page turner ...

Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2023

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the translation is spunky, energetic, lively, current, a real page turner. I was bored when I had to study it in school (different translation), but honestly I cannot put down this translation's edition, and I am really enjoying the whole book! What a treat!

3 people found this helpful

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Sara

Excellent edition and translation

Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2006

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After reading the old Penguin edition of this work, I was amazed at the improvement in not only the translation, but the organization and supplemental material as well. The old edition I read was written in prose (yuck), the translation was was dry and boring, the text was not broken up into sections, and there were no notes to speak of. This edition, however, has really come a long way. The text has been translated into a more modern voice, making it much more user friendly and fun to read. And it's written in verse form (as is should be). The organization is top-notch: not only is it divided into "books", but is further divided into the individual stories with appropriate headings (like "Mars and Venus" and "Pyramus and Thisbe"), so it's easy to find your favorite myth and know where you are in the epic. There's also an excellent introduction to the entire work as well as introductions to each individual book, providing insights and background information. The notes in the back of the book are very comprehensive and helpful, adding greatly to your understanding of the work. On top of all that, there's a glossary of the characters in the back which not only tells you who they are, but where they are featured in the epic. And finally, as if there wasn't enough already, there's even a map in the back of Rome during Ovid's time. Needless to say, this edition is chock full of stuff to please both casual readers of the work and scholars looking to get a little more in-depth. I believe this is one of the most important and influential works of Western civilization, and everyone should have a copy. It's especially great for those who love Greek and Roman myths, since it's packed full of just about every classical myth ever conceived. And since it's broken down so nicely into individual stories and books, you can read a story here and there instead of the whole thing at once, if you choose. Though since all the stories are connected and flow seamlessly into one another, reading it through from beginning to end is very rewarding and highly recommended.

132 people found this helpful

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krebsman

Horror and wonder

Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2012

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I got the book to use for an online course in Greek and Roman Mythology. For the course, we only read books 3, 12, and 13. But I wanted MORE! I found Ovid's METAMORPHOSES addictive. In 15 books, Ovid presents fabulous stories about humans or demigods that undergo miraculous transformations. These stories were mostly familiar to its original audience. It was Ovid's take on the material that made it a literary sensation. The metamorphoses invariably take place at a time of extreme emotional stress, usually terror or grief, and come about as a deity's reward for behavior that pleases or displeases him or her. Most often the change is to some kind of bird and the protagonist flies away from his troubles. But characters change to all sorts of other fauna, including dolphins, swine, spiders, frogs, and fish. Others turn into trees or flowers. A few turn into rocks or mountains. More than a few are transformed into rivers or streams. Some characters change sexes. While these stories may have originally been intended as moral lessons, Ovid turns them into something deeper and more affecting. He makes us feel what it's like to have one's skin turn into tree bark and one's feet stuck in the ground and unable to move while fingers sprout leaves. In the final book Ovid ties all the stories together thematically and expounds some potent philosophy in the work's most magnificent poetry. It is easy to see Ovid's influence on Shakespeare throughout the book. Ovid's METAMORPHOSES is a major building block in Western culture. It contains virtually all of the major Roman myths that are referred to constantly by the writers and artists of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Familiarity with Ovid is guaranteed to enhance one's appreciation of Western art, literature, and music. A trip to the library, the concert hall, or the art museum is bound to be enriched. Raeburn's verse translation uses heightened language that is nevertheless unpretentious. He hits just the right tone. I wish I had read this several decades ago. Five stars.

59 people found this helpful

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Christopher R. Travers

Solid translation, but wasteful and annoying design

Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2011

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I very much enjoyed the translation. It is clear, lively, and poetic both in form and sense.

This work is important as a treasure trove of mythological material and transformation of the self. It is deeply mystical and also important to the study of classical mythology. There is so much in the book that it is hard to summarize what I like about it in a review. It is an important work well translated. If that was all, I'd give it 5 stars.

However, the book design is another matter. The book wastes a LOT of whitespace and adds unnecessary line breaks which are jarring to the reading of the poetry. I have to wonder whether this was motivated by price (larger book, higher cost) or whether it was just simply due to lack of review of alternatives. For example, a slightly wider page, a slightly smaller font, or even a narrower margin could have avoided this problem. One gets the distinct impression that nobody was really reviewing the design. It's a shame really. The book could have used a lot less paper and been easier to read. For this I have deducted a star. It's still a book I'd recommend, but no longer as highly as I would have.

36 people found this helpful

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Lance Sterling

Just Amazing

Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2023

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If you love reading ancient books and stories don't miss out on this one. It's highly poetic and dare I say - divinely inspired.

One person found this helpful

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Honey Bee

Like it so far

Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2023

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I like the book so far! However, it did come with some pages and corners bent, but other than that, I'm pretty content with it!

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RJC

Poetic Perfection from Antiquity

Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2023

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Wow, this is a fantastic translation. Ovid’s prose flows off the paper like liquid gold in this edition. Really nice and short introduction to each section of the epic. This was a pleasure to read. I’ll die with this book in my possession. What a treasure!

6 people found this helpful

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Mateen

Amazing Book, Still damaged but who cares

Reviewed in India on March 10, 2024

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Ovid's metamorphoses is like a place in time where you just lose in those stories man, its so good coming from apollodorus its hard to get their roman names but nice book at this price point, great fonts the cover art is kinda explicit but well with that said worth 100%.

Anna

A comprehensive, full edition

Reviewed in Spain on August 8, 2022

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This verse translation of Ovid seems to be what I was looking for- it has a rich introduction to every chapter and notes providing additional information. Recommendable!

Mike Thompson

All the myths and legends in one grand epic!

Reviewed in Canada on September 11, 2020

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Along with the works of Homer, Aeschylus, and Sophicles, this epic masterpiece is a must read for anyone wanting to expand their understanding of ancient myths while at the same time gaining much more enjoyment out of modern poetry, from which these tales often refer. Ovid begins with Creation before going into the ancient world's legends and myths, and wraps it up with a tribute to Augustus. Translation is superb, and plenty of footnotes with useful information. A must read!

One person found this helpful

Peter

A great classic from the Ancient World.

Reviewed in Germany on July 11, 2020

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A great classic book. If people are still interested in reading today, after thousands years has been written, it means it has got an intrinsic beauty and meaning.

G. Hutchinson

This is a translation into fine English

Reviewed in Japan on February 22, 2022

Verified Purchase

First, this translation probably doesn't "do justice" to Ovid's original. In the case of great poetry, translations just don't match the original without (in the manner of Ezra Pound) adding a personal element absent in the original poem. But this seems like a very honest attempt to satisfy the meaning of the original. It also does a very loose dactylic hexameter. The meter is far from metronomic, which is a bonus. As for the tales, they can all be viewed as short stories. No need to read the book straight through. Wherever you stop, there is no distortion. Ovid is extremely vivid, and he doesn't mind shocking us. The Philomela story, at about the one-third mark in the total "Metamorphoses," is the Roman equivalent of the film "Night of the Living Dead." The details are quite shocking, even if you have a general sense of the story. I recommend this to any lover of the ancient classics.

One person found this helpful

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Metamorphoses (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) Library Binding – August 3, 2004

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