Book description
A bold, transformative new translation of Ovid's classic
Ovid's epic poem has, with its timeless stories, inspired and influenced generations of writers and artists, from Shakespeare and Chaucer to Picasso and Ted Hughes. The events it describes - the flight of Icarus, the music of Orpheus, Perseus' rescue of Andromeda,…
Why read it?
2 authors picked Metamorphoses as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
MCCarter’s translation is the one I would recommend to anyone encountering Ovid for the first time. It is clear and readable and conveys the colour and excitement in the original.
The Metamorphoses, or Transformations, by the Roman poet Ovid is one of the most-read books of ancient literature because of its hundreds of wonderful stories as well as the charm of its witty and ironic author.
Since the stories he relates are all myths and legends, the Metamorphoses amounts to a virtual handbook of classical mythology. The theme of supernatural transformation runs through them all, portraying a world forever in flux, as someone or something is marvelously and surprisingly changed in some large or small way.
I like the vibrant new translation by Stephanie McCarter.
From William's list on The best books on classical mythology and folklore.
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