Ovid: Amores I

Rating:
Summary: the classic "rulebook" of love
Review: Ovid's Amores, like so many of the classics, is referred to by modern scholars as "timeless" in that the issues dealt with therein are as prevalent today as when it was first written. But the untold truth behind the Amores is that it REALLY IS timeless, even by the standards of today's lovers! Dipsas, the old crone who instructs the narrator's girlfriend on how best to snag a man is hilarious because we've all met her. The narrative, itself, exudes egocentrism but is enjoyable because Ovid the Narrator refuses to take anything seriously outside of his love of Love. I've read few books that kept me nodding along with the text, agreeing wholeheartedly and laughing my ass off at the same time as much as Ovid's Amores. While technology may be racing ahead, while work may be draining our souls, and while sports stars may make more in a day than the rest of us can in a year, it's nice to know that we really aren't as far removed from the important things as we think. Ovid helps to remind us of this and THAT is why the Amores is truly timeless.

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful guide through LOVE
Review: This book provides both the Latin and an English translation of Ovid's "Amores I" with wonderfuly detailed comentary. The introduction has a brief, but very good, summary of Ovid's life, Love-Elegy, The "Amores", the metre of the poem, and a bit about Ovid's style. I highly recomend this book for anyone who has an interest in learning why the Amores are such a great work. A knowledge of Latin, though it is by no means needed, is helpful.