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A review by laura_eppinger
The Metamorphoses by Ovid
5.0
What a strange and wonderful read. This 15-part poem took me through Greek myths and their Roman retellings. (It's weird to call the deities "Juno" and "Jove" and "Venus" etc., when really I know and think of them by their Greek names.) The last quarter of this book is a weaving back and forth between stories from the Iliad, the Odyssey, and the Aeneid. Except we have to say "Ulysses."
This book was in my life from Aug-Nov, so all the themes about agriculture and harvest, grain and corn, the rhythms of seasons, and the oaks losing their leaves, was pretty magical. THOSE are metamorphses, don't you see? Every season change is a transformation, for every plant, animal, and person.
The changes in gods and mortals can be supernatural, and in that case, are horrifying. How had it never occurred to me that all these Greek myths are monster stories? Most times a mortal appeals to a god or goddess for help. With no warning that god/ess dreams something up to turn them into and just transforms them without warning--animal, tree, water spout monster, whatever. The mortal gives no permission and has no time to prepare, so they are MISERABLE and try to fight the transformation. Fighting never works. Those transformed keep their human consciousness, so they are aware that they have become beasts. That is the classic existential monster problem. Straight up HORROR.
I found the most surprising theme to be the gender exploration in these stories. It's recorded here that if one goes into a forest and sees two serpents mating, they can strike them with a stick and change their gender. But don't worry, should this person want to change again, they can just find more snake-monsters boning and whack 'em with a stick.
Characters change genders and aren't punished, but celebrated. I'd never heard the tale of Iphis: a girl raised as a boy because her father only wanted sons. On the cusp of adolescence, Ihpis realizes she's a girl .... who loves girls. Never fear, a god granted Iphis's wish to be a boy and all is well. "The boy-Ihpis gained his Ianthe" and they get to live happily ever after.
(LITERALLY the next story is one about Orpheus, who is so heartbroken over losing Eurydice twice, that he goes around seducing and f*cking so many young boys he becomes a legend at it. Why ... was two brides an issue but two grooms appears not to be? I get there are many cultural forces I didn't grow up steeped in but. While the cultural MORALITY is perplexing, the fluidity of gender is quite familiar to me!)
I always love stories about Medea or Circe making potions using herbs, and otherwise being witchy.
Loved it, queer AF, thank you public library for the loan!!
This book was in my life from Aug-Nov, so all the themes about agriculture and harvest, grain and corn, the rhythms of seasons, and the oaks losing their leaves, was pretty magical. THOSE are metamorphses, don't you see? Every season change is a transformation, for every plant, animal, and person.
The changes in gods and mortals can be supernatural, and in that case, are horrifying. How had it never occurred to me that all these Greek myths are monster stories? Most times a mortal appeals to a god or goddess for help. With no warning that god/ess dreams something up to turn them into and just transforms them without warning--animal, tree, water spout monster, whatever. The mortal gives no permission and has no time to prepare, so they are MISERABLE and try to fight the transformation. Fighting never works. Those transformed keep their human consciousness, so they are aware that they have become beasts. That is the classic existential monster problem. Straight up HORROR.
I found the most surprising theme to be the gender exploration in these stories. It's recorded here that if one goes into a forest and sees two serpents mating, they can strike them with a stick and change their gender. But don't worry, should this person want to change again, they can just find more snake-monsters boning and whack 'em with a stick.
Characters change genders and aren't punished, but celebrated. I'd never heard the tale of Iphis: a girl raised as a boy because her father only wanted sons. On the cusp of adolescence, Ihpis realizes she's a girl .... who loves girls. Never fear, a god granted Iphis's wish to be a boy and all is well. "The boy-Ihpis gained his Ianthe" and they get to live happily ever after.
(LITERALLY the next story is one about Orpheus, who is so heartbroken over losing Eurydice twice, that he goes around seducing and f*cking so many young boys he becomes a legend at it. Why ... was two brides an issue but two grooms appears not to be? I get there are many cultural forces I didn't grow up steeped in but. While the cultural MORALITY is perplexing, the fluidity of gender is quite familiar to me!)
I always love stories about Medea or Circe making potions using herbs, and otherwise being witchy.
Loved it, queer AF, thank you public library for the loan!!