Metamorphoses (Penguin Classics)

This Penguin Classics edition of Metamorphoses is one of those books you can keep coming back to and still find something new each time. What makes it stand out is how readable it is. Ovid’s stories move quickly, and this translation keeps that momentum without making the language feel stiff or overly academic. The transitions between myths are seamless—you move from one transformation to the next, and before you realize it, you’re deep into the world of gods, mortals, and constant change. The range of stories is incredible. You get everything from well-known myths to lesser-known transformations, all tied together by that central idea of change—physical, emotional, and cosmic. Some stories are beautiful, some are unsettling, and some are surprisingly dark in ways that stick with you. What I appreciated most is how vivid everything feels. The imagery is strong without being overwhelming, and the emotional beats land in a way that still feels relevant. There’s a strange mix of elegance and brutality throughout the text that makes it hard to put down. As a physical edition, it’s what you’d expect from Penguin Classics—simple, clean, and functional. Not flashy, but reliable. The notes and introduction are helpful without getting in the way of the reading experience. If you’re interested in mythology, literature, or just want something that’s both rich and surprisingly readable, this is a great edition to pick up. Overall, it’s a timeless collection that still feels alive, strange, and compelling from beginning to end.

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.

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.

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.

One of my favorite classic books. It has short stories, but each is a very good read.

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This is a great translation. Each book is proceeded by an explanation of what is to come. It is helpful to have a background in mythology to keep track of the large cast of characters.

Wonderful book of a great poet, very well printed and high quality binding!

The book has 723 numbered pages and another 41 pages of introduction. All of this for a cover price of £9.99 (I paid €11.34). There have to be compromises at this price point, and if I have to find a defect it's that the cover could be sturdier. As for the contents, the book finishes with 34 pages of notes, a 50-page glossary, and two maps. I suppose it was an editorial choice to put the notes at the end of the book, so as not to interrupt the flow of the story, rather than putting them at the bottom of the page they refer to. This means I have to use two bookmarks, one to keep my place in the book, the other to keep my place in the notes. I would have prefered the notes as footnotes, but that is my personal preference. Anyway, it's something I can live with. Regarding the translation, I don't read Latin so I have no way of knowing how faithful it is, but it seems fine to me. If you want an inexpensive copy of one of the world's classic books, this is a good choice.

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.

Highly recommend for mythology lovers!

Se ve bien en contenido del libro, tiene notas, glosario y mapa del mediterraneo al final del libro, asi como el material complementerio al inicio del libro, lo que más me puedo quejar de él es que llego maltratado de la portada, pero me lo esperaba por tan barato, aun así deberían de especificar si tiene algún desperfecto o es usado, el tamaño de letra es bueno, al igual que la impresión pero el papel no me agrada nada lo más parecido que lo puedo comparar es a un delgado papel periódico, un color gris y un tacto parecido.

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!