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The Golden Ass
- Narrated by: David Timson
- Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins
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The Golden Ass
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Summary
"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.
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What listeners say about The Golden Ass
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Tabby Cat
- 16-07-23
Glorious
What a perfect reading, beautifully performed by David Timson, of an extremely funny book, excellently translated by EJ Kennedy. Highly recommended.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- The_price_of_bottled_water
- 16-04-23
Excellent
Very good performance from David Timson. I hadn't come across the story before, but decided if had survived a couple of thousand years then it was likely worth a listen.
Interesting background on pagan Roman times, mystery cults and attitudes. I also thought that this story had probably influenced many more modern classics (Chaucer's tales, Tolstoy's Холстомер, Franz Kafka Die Verwandlung probably many others etc)
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- KC
- 09-02-24
Great story wonderfully narrated!
This beautifully written forever classic was even more enjoyable thanks to the fantastic narrator! I absolutely loved it!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- DidiGogo
- 20-11-17
Just like Monty Python
David Timson was perfect as Lucius - very, very funny. This audio book is a wonderful way to experience Apuleius. Highly recommended
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2 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 21-10-21
Newer isn't always better
For one of the oldest complete novels in history, It certainly isn't boring. A great read.
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- Prof. Paul Williams, Bristol, UK
- 30-06-21
Wonderful!
A super translation and reading of a very entertaining and amusing story. It also gives a fascinating insight into Roman daily life and religion. Highly recommended.
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1 person found this helpful