Synopses & Reviews
A powerful version of the Latin classic by England's late Poet Laureate, now in paperback.When it was published in 1997,
Tales from Ovid was immediately recognized as a classic in its own right, as the best rering of Ovid in generations, and as a major book in Ted Hughes's oeuvre. The
Metamorphoses of Ovid stands with the works of Homer, Virgil, Dante, and Milton as a classic of world poetry; Hughes translated twenty-four of its stories with great power and directness. The result is the liveliest twentieth-century version of the classic, at once a delight for the Latinist and an appealing introduction to Ovid for the general reader.
Review
"Brilliantly succeeds at bringing Ovid's passionate and disturbing stories to life."--James Shapiro,
The New York Times Book Review"One of the few unquestionable successes in the revolutionary vein Pound opened at the start of the century."--Donald Lyons, The Wall Street Journal
"Hughes is as broad as Ovid and as subtle, as violent and as erotic, as elegant and as folksy-and often all at the same time. It is simply a beautiful match."--Michael Hofmann, The Times (London)
About the Author
Ted Hughes was Poet Laureate of England and the author of many books of poetry. His works include
Phedre,
Birthday Letters, and
Oresteia of Aeschylus, among others. He died in 1998.