Preface
Introduction
1. Diversity, Idiosyncrasy, and Self-Discovery in the
Metamorphoses
2.The Liabilities of Language: Change and Instability in Ovid’s
World of Words
3. The Path of Deviance: Sexual Morality and the Incestuous Urge in
the Metamorphoses
4. Rough Justice: Victimization, Revenge, and Divine Punishment in
the Metamorphoses
Epilogue
Further Reading
Index
Gareth Williams is Anthon Professor of the Latin Language and Literature at Columbia University. He has published extensively on Ovid, Roman philosophy, and classical reception.
Smart close readings abound, and Williams’s punchy analyses make
the book fun to read, though they never obscure his mastery of the
subject.
*Publishers Weekly*
The perfect sidekick to accompany readers on their journey through
Ovid’s epic—whether approaching the Metamorphoses for the very
first time or revisiting this ever-changing kaleidoscope of a
poem.
*Genevieve Liveley, author of Ovid’s Metamorphoses: A
Reader’s Guide*
Lucid, insightful, and lively, this book offers compelling new
interpretations of Ovid that speak to current issues such as fake
news, deceptive speech, sexual violence, gender inequity, and
strategies of resistance within an autocracy. These are serious
themes, but Williams adopts some of Ovid’s own wit and
psychological nuance, providing an accessible and intellectually
exciting approach to the Metamorphoses.
*Carole E. Newlands, author of Playing with Time: Ovid and
the Fasti*
This is a wonderful book. It offers an introduction to Ovid's
Metamorphoses and the life of the poet, guiding the reader through
some of the epic’s most memorable moments. The primary pleasure of
the book is to read about a great poem through the words of a
sensitive and experienced teacher, who wears his erudition very
lightly. The writing frequently sparkles, with contemporary
allusions and wicked puns throughout.
*James Uden, Boston University*
The book is full of lively and provocative readings of Ovid’s
greatest work, careening through its changing tales and tales about
change to portray a work which, having endured throughout the two
millennia since its composition, find a deep resonance even in—or
especially in—the 2020s.
*Bryn Mawr Classical Review*
A delightful volume....highly recommended.
*Choice*
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