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    The Golden Ass
    The Golden Ass
    The Golden Ass
    Audiobook9 hours

    The Golden Ass

    Written by Apuleius

    Narrated by David Timson

    4.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    ‘In this hapless state I looked myself over and saw that I was now no bird, but an ass...’ In this ancient picaresque adventure, Lucius, an insatiably curious young man, finds himself transformed into a donkey after his fascination with black magic and witchcraft goes awry. While trapped in his new body, he becomes the property of thieves, farmers, cooks, soldiers and priests, and observes the hypocrisy and ineptitude of Imperial Roman society. The Golden Ass is considered the only novel to survive the Roman period, and the earliest novel to survive complete in the Western literary tradition. It is brimming with slapstick humor and sexual escapades, and foreshadows later works by Boccaccio, Rabelais, Cervantes and Chaucer, upon whom it was a direct influence.

    David Timson has directed, produced and read a great number of Naxos AudioBooks recordings, and undertaken this task with meticulous preparation. He is well versed in the history of ancient Rome, having read the complete Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire for Naxos AudioBooks.

    Translator: E. J. Kenney
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherNaxos Audiobooks
    Release dateJun 9, 2017
    ISBN9781781980590
    Author

    Apuleius

    Apuleius (124 – AD 170), also credited as Apuleius of Madaurensis was a prose writer and philosopher formally educated at Carthage, Athens and Rome. He studied the works of Plato as well as religion, becoming inundated with several cults. He was fascinated by the mystical arts, which led to public criticism and a charge of sorcery. Apuleius was eventually acquitted but his interest in magic continued to influence his writing. His most notable achievement is the novel, The Golden Ass, also known as the Metamorphoses of Apuleius, which highlights the dangers of spells and the supernatural.

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    Reviews for The Golden Ass

    4.5/5

    31 ratings4 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Excellent, understandable translation in contemporary English rather than the regrettable convention of translating ancient classical texts into stilted Old English. Mr. Timson’s reading is also top notch. He employs appropriate modulations of vocal pitch for different characters, and his dynamics and emphases show sensitivity to the meaning of the text. Great overall production.
    • 5/5
      Wonderfully read, excellent story, fascinating for the history and the narrative itself. I have become a huge fan of Naxos audiobooks. Check this one out!
    • 5/5
      Wonderful reading by Timson in many voices, truly masterful. The translation chosen Kenny excellent more entertaining than Graves, great!!
    • 5/5
      Instantly one of my favorite books/audiobooks. Well translated, written, and read!