The Golden Ass or Metamorphoses

De: Apuleius

Narrado por: Jonathan Keeble

This tale of a man who, when tinkering with magic, becomes changed into an ass is one of the most entertaining and remarkable stories from classic Latin literature. It is funny, bawdy and completely approachable - but also shows life from the point of view of a beast of burden in the Roman Empire of the second century CE.

Lucius is an active young man enjoying life - and the favours of an attentive maid, one Fotis - when the temptation to experiment with a magic potion proves too great.

Life is very different as a four-footed animal, and he goes from one drama to another, in danger of his life at one point, facing seduction at another.

Within this account of these adventures, Apuleius (c124-c170 CE) places ribald stories which are more familiar through retellings by Boccaccio and Chaucer. But there are also passages of considerable literary beauty, particularly in the extended account of Cupid and Psyche.

The Golden Ass, in this lively performance by Jonathan Keeble, is a delight from start to finish.

Translation: Bohn (1853), revised for this production.

Public Domain (P)2016 Ukemi Productions Ltd

Delightful

It has been about twenty years since I last read this and I'm so glad I decided to try the Audible version. It is a very different experience listening. I very much enjoyed the narrator. He really brought the book to life.

One of the best audiobooks I have listened to

This is a great audiobook. First, this is one of the great novels of the ancient world. It tells of the ribald misadventures of a traveler turned into a donkey as a result of his curiosity in magic and the supernatural. The translation is from 1914, Bohn Classical Library. Second, Jonathan Keeble narrates an innumerable set of English accents that is simply a wonder to listen to. This is one of the best narrations I have ever listened to! It really adds a liveliness to the translation that I would never have experienced by reading it to myself. A tour de force.

Anthology of myths

Apuleius manages to weave several myths and stories into his tale of transformation. Keeble is an excellent narrator and brings the characters alive.
Note for the faint of heart, there is a shocking amout of animal abuse described in graphic detail in the tales. It really shows the horrid conditions animals had in the past, and tragically some still do.

Bawdy Tales from Roman Times

What did you love best about The Golden Ass or Metamorphoses?

Anyone who thinks that "classic" = dull should read this story of sex, magic, and donkey poo.

What about Jonathan Keeble’s performance did you like?

I will never understand why audiobook publishers make it so hard to figure out which translation they are using. For anyone who cares, this is the original translation into English by William Adlington. It dates from the 1500s so the language can be difficult at times. Fortunately the narrator pulls you along so well that words like 'peregrination' don't give you much trouble.

Masterful on several levels

Most enjoyable translation, performance and production very entertaining.

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excellent narration

For those who think this might be a dry work, it has moments where it would be if not for the narrator. His impressions of women, although funny and slightly silly, are balanced and really help drive the story.

Do not, however, listen to this with sensitive people or young children. It has a sprinkling of very adult and sexual material.

Excellent work, translation, and performance.

This now vies with Homer's Odyssey and Ovid's Metamorphoses as my favorite works of antiquity.

such a fantastic story with masterful narration

Would you consider the audio edition of The Golden Ass or Metamorphoses to be better than the print version?

I generally prefer audio editions, because it's more convenient for me.
Besides, the narration of this book is very very well done!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Lucius the main character, of course!
His relentless curiosity and his naive attitude towards challenges make the story even more engaging.

What does Jonathan Keeble bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Jonathan expresses the emotions so beautifully, it makes the scenes even clearer and funnier.
For example, in the scene when Lucius is turned into an ass, instead of an owl as he was expecting to be; Jonathan tells it so well with all emotions, the genuine humour of the author becomes even better by the masterful narration.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The magic of the Ass! :D

Any additional comments?

Such a beautiful book!
I've read it many times, and still it makes me laugh big time.

best read form the past years yet 👏

a great gem 💎 from the past best comedy I've ever read rufus fears would be proud 👏 😄

A must read for all Platonists.

Keeble gives remarkable life to an already lively book. A hidden Gem of the middle platonist corpus.