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The Golden Ass

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The Golden Ass

Written by: Apuleius, E. J. Kenney - translator
Narrated by: David Timson
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About this listen

"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.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©1998, 2004 Translation copyright, E.J. Kenney (P)2017 Naxos AudioBooks
Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Fiction Witchcraft Witty Greek Classics
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Classic Lit is not too serious

Okay, I am still trying to process what I just listened too. This story is a wild ride and I enjoyed every moment of it. It is well written, you will not guess what happens next and David Timson was a joy to listen to.

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It's a damn shame...

...That this is the only surviving work of fiction from ancient Rome. Really makes you think what was lost when the only book that remains is basically the donkey from Shrek's origin story.

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1 person found this helpful