The Golden Ass
The Golden Ass by Apuleius, published by Yale University Press in 2011, is a notable translation that spans 272 pages. This edition brings to life Apuleius’s comic tale through the skillful work of translator Sarah Ruden, who captures the essence of the original text while maintaining its humor and wit. The narrative follows Lucius, a curious young man who, after meddling with witchcraft, is transformed into a donkey. His journey through various misadventures and mistreatment by different owners ultimately leads to his restoration to human form with the aid of the goddess Isis.
Readers will find that this translation not only preserves the farcical elements of the story but also highlights the literary richness of Apuleius’s work. The Golden Ass is recognized as the first Latin novel to survive in its entirety, and Ruden’s rendition showcases the inventive style associated with the Second Sophistic literary movement. This edition offers insights into themes of transformation and the interplay between human and animal experiences, making it a significant contribution to the genres of fiction, classics, and mythology.
Official synopsis Publisher
Acclaimed poet and translator Sarah Ruden brilliantly brings Apuleius’s comic tale to life
“A rollicking ride well worth the fare, . . . marvelously, sidesplittingly ridiculous. . . . It’s a story, not a homily, and Sarah Ruden has re-bestowed it with artful aplomb.”–Tracy Lee Simmons, National Review
“A cause for celebration. . . . We owe Sarah Ruden a great debt of thanks for [this] English translation that is no less inventive, varied, and surprising than the original.”–G. W. Bowersock, New York Review of Books
With accuracy, wit, and intelligence, this remarkable new translation of The Golden Ass breathes new life into Apuleius’s classic work. Sarah Ruden, a lyric poet as well as a highly respected translator, skillfully duplicates the verbal high jinks of Apuleius’s ever-popular novel. It tells the story of Lucius, a curious and silly young man who is turned into a donkey when he meddles with witchcraft. Doomed to wander from region to region and be mistreated by a series of deplorable owners, Lucius at last is restored to human form with the help of the goddess Isis.
The Golden Ass, the first Latin novel to survive in its entirety, is related to the Second Sophistic, a movement of learned and inventive literature. In a translation that is both the most faithful and the most entertaining to date, Ruden reveals to modern readers the vivid, farcical ingenuity of Apuleius’s style.
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