The Metamorphoses

By: Ovid

Narrated by: Charlton Griffin

Length: 16 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

An undeniable masterpiece of Western Civilization, The Metamorphoses is a continuous narrative that covers all the Olympian legends, seamlessly moving from one story to another in a splendid panorama of savage beauty, charm, and wit. It marked the first attempt to link all of the Homeric and pre-Homeric myths into a single work and to carry the entire chronology into the Roman pantheon. All of the gods and heroes familiar to us are represented. Such familiar legends as Hercules, Perseus and Medusa, Daedelus and Icarus, Diana and Actaeon, and many others, are breathtakingly recreated.

Ovid was probably the most popular of all the Roman poets during the Renaissance and Baroque periods, and his verse was the inspiration for countless artistic and literary masterpieces of the time. Shakespeare, Bernini, and Rubens were only a few of those who mined his work to extraordinary effect.

Ovid has left mankind a magnificent achievement, and his sparkling poetry is a tour de force of Homeric and Roman myth. As Ovid himself wrote: "As long as Rome is the eternal city, these lines shall echo from the lips of men."

©2006 Audio Connoisseur

good

good Book very well read would recommend it to family and friends take a listen in the enjoy

The Best of the Best

This is the version of the Greek myths that stuck, and for good reason. It's a delight and a wonder. It reads like a novel, feels like a romance, is full of anthropological surprises, defines nature, and introduces psychology, all against a backdrop of monumental action. Charlton Griffin is a masterful reader, who dramatizes these fabulous stories to perfection. The cataclysmic descriptions of creation, chaos, war and love, unfold like the most elaborately graphic CGI effects in the most spectacular epic ever filmed, that's how vivid this book is, with respect to the physical and supernatural world. As for the gods and goddesses - here's where the battle of the sexes began. In short, this Roman classic, penned by the poet who survived the reigns of Augustus, Tiberius and Claudius - but not Nero, is a jewel for the ages.

Baby steps...

Any additional comments?

I wanted to get listen to Ovid's classic text to understand some of Shakespeare's references more easily- I can't say I was entirely successful- stopped 1/3 of the way through- but I will likely pick it back up again.

Excellent

now i know why this book is timeless
enjoyed it thoroughly. Charltonn Griffith is an excellent narrator. He does justi e to all classics

An exceptional story telling of Greek mythology.

If you love Greek mythology you will love this audiobook. Ovid spins his history spanning tales of metamorphoses with stunning intricacy and style, often telling stories within stories, and with great lyrical beauty despite the often brutal, violent and tragic subject matter. There are some wonderfully memorable highlights such as the debate between Ajax and Odysseus over Archilles' armour that ultimately leads to Ajax's death before the fall of Troy and Pythagoras expounding on the nature of the universe and the virtues of a vegetarian diet. A classic of literature that has had a huge influence on many writers and is well worth the experience as an audio book.

Augustus's Fingerprints There at the End

This is an excellent work, and handsomely read. If you're familiar with the true character of Augustus, you may chuckle at the end to see how Ovid portrays him. It's as hilariously fawning as Virgil's description of Augustus's nephew Marcelus in the Aenied. Fun work all around.

Werid pauses and skips mar good reading

The reading is mostly great but there are weird pauses and accelerations. Some of it sounds computer-generated. It goes great for a minute or two, then there are lines rendered like directory assistance. The rhythm of the poetry is ruined.

Could not finish

Good voice but “soft” is not “sorft”, gone is not “gorn”, and truculent is “truck-u-lent” not “true-suh-lent” ... etc., etc. Horrible. So distracting I gave up after persisting to the half-way point and will abandon the rest.

Hated it

This is the first time I've disliked a mythology book like this. All of the stories highlighted the patriarchal views of the time, and it was highly disturbing. Not to mention how repetitive the stories are. Everyone either gets turned into a bird or raped by a God.

Disappointing

This audio book was very disappointing and the narrator presented the material in a boring manner. If mythology is your interest, check out
"Song on Bronze" by Nigel Spivey. That audiobook is excellent!