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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Although Ovid is very liberal with his source material to put it lightly, the stories he produces are thoroughly entertaining, ranging from comical to deeply tragic (like the memorable Phaëton). The characters are often not particularly interesting or memorable, but Ovid makes up for it with surprising plotlines, always culminating (sometimes in a somewhat contrived way) in a metamorphosis of some sort. The stories are often only loosely connected to each other and long reading sessions can make one go dizzy with the number of names and epithets, so I'd recommend only reading one or two stories at a time. As far as I can judge, this is a quite good translation. The lyrical language flows nicely and the short introductions before each chapter help put everything into perspective. But, let's be honest, the best part is being able to sound smart by reciting the plots and characters from what is essentially a contrived but enjoyable fan-fiction of Graeco-Roman mythology.
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Just as beautiful and dark as I had hoped it would be.
One of the most instantly accessible of the ancient works, mainly due to its episodic structure that removes the reader from a lot of narrative constraints. It also contains what I'd reckon to be one of the most iconic final paragraphs (stanzas?) in all of literature, a parying statement that is as self-assured as it is prophetic.