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A review by readingoverbreathing
Metamorphoses by Ovid
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It's been a while since I've dabbled in some classical literature, and I'm always down for a refresh of my Percy Jackson-based mythological knowledge. I thought Ovid's theme — of metamorphosis — was quite interesting, and while I found his verse much more readable than Homer, I was overall a little disappointed.
I think it was down to this translation. I was expecting something much more lyrical and flowery — something, I realized, a lot like Paradise Lost, an obvious comparison. Again, I found this very readable, but the language itself was disappointing.
I find Penguin Classics to generally be very reliable as far as definitive texts go, but I was not impressed with the commentary of this version. For example: "The mysterious atmosphere of this passage," writes Denis Feeney (I believe) in the opening summary for Book 6, "is particularly good." Particularly good? I would not have been able to get away with a sentence like that even in my first-year university English course! I was baffled to find it included so matter-of-factly in a Penguin Classic.
This text also made me realize just how much of Greek/Roman mythology is focused on sexual assault, usually at the hands of Jupiter/Zeus or another god. In fact, I think there were only one or two out of fifteen books that didn't include some kind of sexual assault narrative. After the first few, it just felt like I was being hit over the head with them. I didn't find any of these passages particularly graphic, but I definitely think this is something to keep in mind, especially if you're planning to read the whole text through, as at times, these stories felt just relentless. Some were handled more deftly and ended more justicially than others, but none, in my opinion, are handled with the sensitivity we'd expect in the twenty-first century, not even in the commentary.
Overall, this was definitely an interesting read, especially in thinking about how it has influenced two millennia of art and literature, but I was less than impressed with the text itself and especially this edition.
I think it was down to this translation. I was expecting something much more lyrical and flowery — something, I realized, a lot like Paradise Lost, an obvious comparison. Again, I found this very readable, but the language itself was disappointing.
I find Penguin Classics to generally be very reliable as far as definitive texts go, but I was not impressed with the commentary of this version. For example: "The mysterious atmosphere of this passage," writes Denis Feeney (I believe) in the opening summary for Book 6, "is particularly good." Particularly good? I would not have been able to get away with a sentence like that even in my first-year university English course! I was baffled to find it included so matter-of-factly in a Penguin Classic.
This text also made me realize just how much of Greek/Roman mythology is focused on sexual assault, usually at the hands of Jupiter/Zeus or another god. In fact, I think there were only one or two out of fifteen books that didn't include some kind of sexual assault narrative. After the first few, it just felt like I was being hit over the head with them. I didn't find any of these passages particularly graphic, but I definitely think this is something to keep in mind, especially if you're planning to read the whole text through, as at times, these stories felt just relentless. Some were handled more deftly and ended more justicially than others, but none, in my opinion, are handled with the sensitivity we'd expect in the twenty-first century, not even in the commentary.
Overall, this was definitely an interesting read, especially in thinking about how it has influenced two millennia of art and literature, but I was less than impressed with the text itself and especially this edition.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault