In the "Metamorphoses" of ApuleiusThe Golden Ass," we have the only
Latin novel which survives entire. It is truly enchanting: a
delightful romance combining realism and magic.
The hero, Lucius, eager to experience the sensations of a bird,
resorts to witchcraft but by an unfortunate pharmaceutical error
finds himself transformed into an ass. He knows he can revert to
his own body by eating rose-petals, but these prove singularly
elusive; and the bulk of the work describes his adventures as an
animal. He also retails many stories that he overheard, the most
charming being that of Cupid and Psyche (beginning, in true
fairy-tale fashion, '"Erant in quadam civitate rex et regina"').
Some of the stories are as indecent as they are witty, and two in
the ninth book were deemed by Boccaccio worthy of inclusion in the
"Decameron." At last the goddess Isis takes pity on Lucius. In a
surprising denouement, he is restored to human shape and, now
spiritually regenerated, is initiated into her mysteries. The
author's baroque Latin style nicely matches his fantastic narrative
and is guaranteed to hold a reader's attention from beginning to
end.
The Loeb Classical Library edition of Apuleius is in two
volumes.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
