Rating:  Summary: Dryden not Ovid Review: (This review relates ONLY to the Wordsworth edition. Amazon.com lumps all translations together under Ovid as the author). This edition is the "translation" by Dryden and some helpers into rhyming iambic pentameter couplets. It displays a certain viruosity but I am reminded of what someone said about Pope's Iliad "It is a very pretty thing, sir, but you must not call it Homer." Apart from being rather too free, you have the added difficulty of trying to read early eighteenth century English so that you have to translate the translation so as to understand stuff like: "Now, with remorse his conscience deeply stung, He drew the faulchion that beside her hung" The excellent and erudite introduction by Garth Tissol is worth the price (which is commendably low)
Rating:  Summary: Dryden not Ovid Review: (This review relates ONLY to the Wordsworth edition. Amazon.com lumps all translations together under Ovid as the author). This edition is the "translation" by Dryden and some helpers into rhyming iambic pentameter couplets. It displays a certain viruosity but I am reminded of what someone said about Pope's Iliad "It is a very pretty thing, sir, but you must not call it Homer." Apart from being rather too free, you have the added difficulty of trying to read early eighteenth century English so that you have to translate the translation so as to understand stuff like: "Now, with remorse his conscience deeply stung, He drew the faulchion that beside her hung" The excellent and erudite introduction by Garth Tissol is worth the price (which is commendably low)
Rating:  Summary: Readable, yes, but for the wrong reasons Review: As the translator (Mary M. Innes) herself will tell you in the introduction, many of the standard conventions of Latin poetry have been stripped out of this prose translation. While this certainly makes the stories more readable, it also removes everything which makes this work "Ovidian." If you're reading the book simply for its description of classical mythology, you probably won't mind. Anyone attempting to get a handle on Ovid himself should look elsewhere (I personally recommend the Mandelbaum translation, but as with all translated literature, nothing is quite perfect. Learning some latin wouldn't hurt you anyway, now would it? :-) ).
Rating:  Summary: Readable, yes, but for the wrong reasons Review: As the translator (Mary M. Innes) herself will tell you in the introduction, many of the standard conventions of Latin poetry have been stripped out of this prose translation. While this certainly makes the stories more readable, it also removes everything which makes this work "Ovidian." If you're reading the book simply for its description of classical mythology, you probably won't mind. Anyone attempting to get a handle on Ovid himself should look elsewhere (I personally recommend the Mandelbaum translation, but as with all translated literature, nothing is quite perfect. Learning some latin wouldn't hurt you anyway, now would it? :-) ).
Rating:  Summary: This prose translation is the most readable of Ovid's myths Review: I know it is heresy, but of the three major translations of Ovid's "Metamorphoses" popularly available, I really find this prose translation by Mary Innes to be the most readable of the bunch. But then this work has always been somewhat problematic for students of classical mythology. "Metamorphoses" is the most comprehensive look at the myth by any of the ancient writers, but Ovid's work is inherently flawed in the sense that he is clearly not a believer. He is relating the ancient myths in the same manner that the Brothers Grimm collected the fairy tales of their day. Both Hesiod and Pindar reference the myths in their odes and hymns, but without the narrative details that Ovid supplies in abundance. However, to think of Ovid's tales as accurately representing the Greek myths is a mistake and using "Metamorphoses" to teach the classical myths needs to be put in that perspective. Still, as "primary" sources go, this is obviously the best single text available both in terms of breadth and depth. You can check out the sample pages for the specifics on what is included, but I will comment that Ovid's story of the creation is an ideal place to start a mythology class. Consequently, given the primarily utility of the text, I do not think it must necessary be in poetic form, which is why this translation is the one I am planning on using in my course.
Rating:  Summary: Fascinating tales of murder, mayhem and wrathful gods Review: I really don't know about how faithful this was to the original, because I don't speak Latin. I read this book solely because I like mythology. This book is very good reading with tales of murders, rapes, betrayals, honour, battles, incest and you name it! If it was made into a movie it probably would be NC-17! I must warn you that the author has a habit of referring to gods and goddesses by multiple names. For example one god will be referred to by his name, son of x, grandson of y,etc. There are also tons of characters that are introduced. It might help if you take some notes while reading this book, but it is well worth the read if you like mythology.
Rating:  Summary: The Translation Makes the Difference Review: If I got one thing from reading this book, was that for the first time ever I realised how much difference a translation makes. I feel this is more a review of the translation rather than Ovid's work. This book, a linking of all the greek and roman myths of importance, is probably great if you're a mytho-phile, it is a great reference, also wonderful is Ovid's use of storytelling, and his under running current of metamorphosis that he uses to transfer from one tale to another. In some passages Ovid shines, the creation, the tales of the greek scholar (a precursor to militant vegans) are prime examples. When Ovid is good, he's brilliant, but when he's bad, it can be painful reading...or so I thought, now I'm not so sure. I was reading Gregory's translation, which I didn't know at the time is a bit dumbed down...I picked up another version (I don't remember the translator) just to compare to the one I had been reading. The same passages which had seemed deadly dull before, sprung to life, with beautiful eloquent verse. Gregory's translation for some reason seemed to be shooting for the lowest common denominator. And the difference between the two was amazing, it was like comparing a real book to the cliff notes. The one thing that I did enjoy about Horace's version was his subdivision of books, with the title of the myth being told, which in a continuous narrative can be hard to spot. However, these "titles" probably ultimately, destroy the gradual metamorphoses from one myth to the next, which I have to admit are very cleverly done. So I say, don't discount Ovid completely, but maybe just this translation.
Rating:  Summary: Buy it, read it, then read it again Review: If you're wondering which translation to buy here's my opinion: get either the A.D. Melville (which has great notes about the text) or the Mendelbaum. Avoid Horace Gregory like the plague.
Rating:  Summary: Cumbersome translation Review: My rating is for the translation. It lacks vigor and elegance. The Mandelbaum translation is a far more involving and poetic rendering.
Rating:  Summary: The Most Charming of Story-tellers Review: Ovid gives wonderful accounts of the most famous mythological characters and their exploits.It is a poem, and should be #3 on the list of important authors of Classics poems: 1)Homer 2)Vergil. Ovid is however, very easy to read and should be used as a source--not merely for knowledge of stories--for enjoyment. Rudolfe Humphries' translation seems to be the most readable.
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