Metamorphoses: Penguin Classics
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Metamorphoses: Penguin Classics Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Ovid (Author), Martin Jarvis (Narrator), John Sackville (Narrator),
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,215 ratings
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Brought to you by Penguin.

This Penguin Classic is performed by award-winning voice actor Martin Jarvis OBE, as well as John Sackville, Maya Saroya and the translator of this edition, David Raeburn. This definitive recording includes an Introduction by Denis Feeney.

Ovid's sensuous and witty poetry brings together a dazzling array of mythological tales, ingeniously linked by the idea of transformation - often as a result of love or lust - where men and women find themselves magically changed into new and sometimes extraordinary beings. Beginning with the creation of the world and ending with the deification of Augustus, Ovid interweaves many of the best-known myths and legends of Ancient Greece and Rome, including Daedalus and Icarus, Pyramus and Thisbe, Pygmalion, Perseus and Andromeda, and the fall of Troy. Erudite but light-hearted, dramatic yet playful, the Metamorphoses has influenced writers and artists throughout the centuries from Shakespeare and Titian to Picasso and Ted Hughes.

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  1. Listening Length
    18 hours and 25 minutes
  2. Author
    Ovid, see all
  3. Narrator
    Martin Jarvis, see all
  4. Audible release date
    April 23, 2020
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Penguin Audio
  7. ASIN
    B07VKPXFZK
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 18 hours and 25 minutes
Author Ovid, David Raeburn - translator, Denis Feeney
Narrator Martin Jarvis, John Sackville, Maya Saroya, David Raeburn
Audible.com Release Date April 23, 2020
Publisher Penguin Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B07VKPXFZK
Best Sellers Rank #29,159 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#11 in Ancient, Classical & Medieval Poetry (Audible Books & Originals)
#13 in Epic Poetry (Audible Books & Originals)
#62 in Ancient & Classical Poetry

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
1,215 global ratings
Wonderful book, cover came ripped
3 Stars
Wonderful book, cover came ripped
Love this book, but the cover came with a huge, very noticeable rip (picture attached). I bought this book new, and was very disappointed to find such noticeable damage.
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Top reviews from the United States

Salima
5.0 out of 5 stars this translation is a page turner ...
Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2023
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the translation is spunky, energetic, lively, current, a real page turner. I was bored when I had to study it in school (different translation), but honestly I cannot put down this translation's edition, and I am really enjoying the whole book! What a treat!
3 people found this helpful
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Sara
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent edition and translation
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2006
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After reading the old Penguin edition of this work, I was amazed at the improvement in not only the translation, but the organization and supplemental material as well. The old edition I read was written in prose (yuck), the translation was was dry and boring, the text was not broken up into sections, and there were no notes to speak of. This edition, however, has really come a long way. The text has been translated into a more modern voice, making it much more user friendly and fun to read. And it's written in verse form (as is should be). The organization is top-notch: not only is it divided into "books", but is further divided into the individual stories with appropriate headings (like "Mars and Venus" and "Pyramus and Thisbe"), so it's easy to find your favorite myth and know where you are in the epic. There's also an excellent introduction to the entire work as well as introductions to each individual book, providing insights and background information. The notes in the back of the book are very comprehensive and helpful, adding greatly to your understanding of the work. On top of all that, there's a glossary of the characters in the back which not only tells you who they are, but where they are featured in the epic. And finally, as if there wasn't enough already, there's even a map in the back of Rome during Ovid's time. Needless to say, this edition is chock full of stuff to please both casual readers of the work and scholars looking to get a little more in-depth. I believe this is one of the most important and influential works of Western civilization, and everyone should have a copy. It's especially great for those who love Greek and Roman myths, since it's packed full of just about every classical myth ever conceived. And since it's broken down so nicely into individual stories and books, you can read a story here and there instead of the whole thing at once, if you choose. Though since all the stories are connected and flow seamlessly into one another, reading it through from beginning to end is very rewarding and highly recommended.
132 people found this helpful
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krebsman
5.0 out of 5 stars Horror and wonder
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2012
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I got the book to use for an online course in Greek and Roman Mythology. For the course, we only read books 3, 12, and 13. But I wanted MORE! I found Ovid's METAMORPHOSES addictive. In 15 books, Ovid presents fabulous stories about humans or demigods that undergo miraculous transformations. These stories were mostly familiar to its original audience. It was Ovid's take on the material that made it a literary sensation. The metamorphoses invariably take place at a time of extreme emotional stress, usually terror or grief, and come about as a deity's reward for behavior that pleases or displeases him or her. Most often the change is to some kind of bird and the protagonist flies away from his troubles. But characters change to all sorts of other fauna, including dolphins, swine, spiders, frogs, and fish. Others turn into trees or flowers. A few turn into rocks or mountains. More than a few are transformed into rivers or streams. Some characters change sexes. While these stories may have originally been intended as moral lessons, Ovid turns them into something deeper and more affecting. He makes us feel what it's like to have one's skin turn into tree bark and one's feet stuck in the ground and unable to move while fingers sprout leaves. In the final book Ovid ties all the stories together thematically and expounds some potent philosophy in the work's most magnificent poetry. It is easy to see Ovid's influence on Shakespeare throughout the book. Ovid's METAMORPHOSES is a major building block in Western culture. It contains virtually all of the major Roman myths that are referred to constantly by the writers and artists of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Familiarity with Ovid is guaranteed to enhance one's appreciation of Western art, literature, and music. A trip to the library, the concert hall, or the art museum is bound to be enriched. Raeburn's verse translation uses heightened language that is nevertheless unpretentious. He hits just the right tone. I wish I had read this several decades ago. Five stars.
59 people found this helpful
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Christopher R. Travers
4.0 out of 5 stars Solid translation, but wasteful and annoying design
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2011
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I very much enjoyed the translation. It is clear, lively, and poetic both in form and sense.

This work is important as a treasure trove of mythological material and transformation of the self. It is deeply mystical and also important to the study of classical mythology. There is so much in the book that it is hard to summarize what I like about it in a review. It is an important work well translated. If that was all, I'd give it 5 stars.

However, the book design is another matter. The book wastes a LOT of whitespace and adds unnecessary line breaks which are jarring to the reading of the poetry. I have to wonder whether this was motivated by price (larger book, higher cost) or whether it was just simply due to lack of review of alternatives. For example, a slightly wider page, a slightly smaller font, or even a narrower margin could have avoided this problem. One gets the distinct impression that nobody was really reviewing the design. It's a shame really. The book could have used a lot less paper and been easier to read. For this I have deducted a star. It's still a book I'd recommend, but no longer as highly as I would have.
36 people found this helpful
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Lance Sterling
5.0 out of 5 stars Just Amazing
Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2023
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If you love reading ancient books and stories don't miss out on this one. It's highly poetic and dare I say - divinely inspired.
One person found this helpful
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Honey Bee
5.0 out of 5 stars Like it so far
Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2023
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I like the book so far! However, it did come with some pages and corners bent, but other than that, I'm pretty content with it!
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RJC
5.0 out of 5 stars Poetic Perfection from Antiquity
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2023
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Wow, this is a fantastic translation. Ovid’s prose flows off the paper like liquid gold in this edition. Really nice and short introduction to each section of the epic. This was a pleasure to read. I’ll die with this book in my possession. What a treasure!
6 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Mateen
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Book, Still damaged but who cares
Reviewed in India on March 10, 2024
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Ovid's metamorphoses is like a place in time where you just lose in those stories man, its so good coming from apollodorus its hard to get their roman names but nice book at this price point, great fonts the cover art is kinda explicit but well with that said worth 100%.
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Anna
5.0 out of 5 stars A comprehensive, full edition
Reviewed in Spain on August 8, 2022
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This verse translation of Ovid seems to be what I was looking for- it has a rich introduction to every chapter and notes providing additional information. Recommendable!
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Mike Thompson
5.0 out of 5 stars All the myths and legends in one grand epic!
Reviewed in Canada on September 11, 2020
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Along with the works of Homer, Aeschylus, and Sophicles, this epic masterpiece is a must read for anyone wanting to expand their understanding of ancient myths while at the same time gaining much more enjoyment out of modern poetry, from which these tales often refer. Ovid begins with Creation before going into the ancient world's legends and myths, and wraps it up with a tribute to Augustus. Translation is superb, and plenty of footnotes with useful information. A must read!
One person found this helpful
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Peter
5.0 out of 5 stars A great classic from the Ancient World.
Reviewed in Germany on July 11, 2020
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A great classic book. If people are still interested in reading today, after thousands years has been written, it means it has got an intrinsic beauty and meaning.
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G. Hutchinson
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a translation into fine English
Reviewed in Japan on February 22, 2022
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First, this translation probably doesn't "do justice" to Ovid's original. In the case of great poetry, translations just don't match the original without (in the manner of Ezra Pound) adding a personal element absent in the original poem. But this seems like a very honest attempt to satisfy the meaning of the original. It also does a very loose dactylic hexameter. The meter is far from metronomic, which is a bonus. As for the tales, they can all be viewed as short stories. No need to read the book straight through. Wherever you stop, there is no distortion. Ovid is extremely vivid, and he doesn't mind shocking us. The Philomela story, at about the one-third mark in the total "Metamorphoses," is the Roman equivalent of the film "Night of the Living Dead." The details are quite shocking, even if you have a general sense of the story. I recommend this to any lover of the ancient classics.
One person found this helpful
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