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The Golden Ass (Penguin Classics) Paperback – Illustrated, January 1, 1999

by Apuleius (Author), E. J. Kenney (Translator, Introduction)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 205 ratings
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An enchanting story that has inspired generations of writers, including Boccaccio, Shakespeare, Cervantes and Keats 

Written towards the end of the second century AD, The Golden Ass tells the story of the many adventures of a young man whose fascination with witchcraft leads him to be transformed into a donkey. The bewitched Lucius passes from owner to owner - encountering a desperate gang of robbers and being forced to perform lewd 'human' tricks on stage - until the Goddess Isis finally breaks the spell and initiates Lucius into her cult. It has long been disputed whether Apuleius meant this last-minute conversion seriously or as a final comic surprise, and the challenge of interpretation continues to keep readers fascinated. Apuleius' enchanting story has inspired generations of writers such as Boccaccio, Shakespeare, Cervantes and Keats with its dazzling combination of allegory, satire, bawdiness and sheer exuberance, and The Golden Ass remains the most continuously and accessibly amusing book to have survived from Classical antiquity.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    304 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Penguin Classics
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 1999
  5. Dimensions
    5.1 x 0.75 x 7.8 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0140435905
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0140435900
  8. Lexile measure
    1350L
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lucius Apuleius (2nd Century AD) was a North African fubulist who Latinized the Greek myths and legends. He travelled widely, visiting Italy and Asia, where he was initiated into numerous religious mysteries. He drew on the knowledge he gained about the priestly fraternities to write the Golden Ass, which Cupid and Psyche is extracted from. 

 E.J. Kenney is Emeritus Kennedy Professor of Latin in the University of Cambridge. His publications include a critical edition of Ovid's amatory works. He is a Fellow of the British Academy.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Classics (January 1, 1999)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0140435905
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0140435900
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1350L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.1 x 0.75 x 7.8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 205 ratings

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Apuleius

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
205 global ratings
Damaged Cover
1 Star
Damaged Cover
The story’s great, but the cover came in scratched and damaged. Definitely returning.
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Top reviews from the United States

KEVIN AMUNDSEN
5.0 out of 5 stars Great bedtime reading
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2021
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This classic novel transports you back to the 16th century. If this was really translated from Greek and first published 500 years ago, then I like it even more. The old English spelling is quaint and charming, as are the stories, they're reminiscent of Rabelais but a lot more believable (except of course for the central premise). The down to earth prose warms the soul, describing the joys and problems of early society. I've found it quite satisfying and about ten times easier to read than Shakespeare. May not be suitable for young children, there is some death and dismemberment, but it is integrated well into the stories and speaks to the relatively primitive civilization of the time. There are some surprising clues to a few early word origins, which was enlightening. Sometimes bawdy, but never vulgar. A precious, antique gem, I'm still savoring it.
3 people found this helpful
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King_Lear
5.0 out of 5 stars A GREAT ASS
Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2017
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You’ll find inspiration for everything from the transformation of Bottom in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Nights Dream to the tub of Chaucer’s “The Miller’s Tale” and even the fate of the unfortunate Lampwick in Collodi’s The Adventures of Pinocchio in the chapters of Apuleius’ The Golden Ass. It’s bawdy and beastly (although not as consistently so as some reviews may lead one to believe), imaginative, and unexpectedly romantic in its tale of Cupid and Psyche. And even if the late arrival of Isis plays like the driest deus ex machina—and we’re treated to a healthy helping of didacticism with our oats at the story’s close—The Golden Ass remains indispensable to any scholar seeking to study the evolution of the modern novel. The Penguin edition translated by E. J. Kenney is exemplary—by turns, lyrical and laugh-inducing. Buy it, then kick up your hooves, and enjoy.
7 people found this helpful
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Neil Gilmour III
4.0 out of 5 stars A classic from the time of the Roman Empire
Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2024
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I really enjoyed reading this book and the fact that it was written 1800 years ago adds to the experience. This translation does not make for easy reading, many words are misspelled and the sentence structure can be difficult. My assumption that this is intentional to provide the reader with a sense that this is an old book.
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N.B.
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow--sex, violence, a fast-paced adventure story, and a profound moral & spiritual allegory all rolled into one!
Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2017
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It's a shame they don't give this to high-school students in the original language. It would sure make them a whole lot more interested in learning Latin than reading Caesar or Catullus ever could. (I'm guessing that the human-donkey sex scenes--narrated by the donkey--make it a tough sell to local school districts.)

Which is too bad, because those scenes AREN'T gratuitous. The whole fast-moving adventure tale is actually a moral and spiritual allegory about the need for Man (and Woman) to transcend his animal, human nature in order to obtain true wisdom and divine Love. (Yes, the pagans--or at least Apuleius--seemed to have a pretty good idea that divine Love was/is,indeed, a "thing.") And the gender-neutrality of the message is reinforced by the inclusion of the Cupid/Psyche story in the middle of our hero's (mis-)adventures. Where Lucius (the human-turned-animal narrator) is male, (the human) Psyche is female; where Lucius learns that he must submit himself to the great goddess (Isis) in order to be saved from his animal fate, Psyche learns that she must submit herself to the punishments of Aphrodite (the goddess of Desire), including a trip to hell, before she can be reunited with Aphrodite's son, the god of Love, and become divine herself. And BOTH of them learn that you cannot gain knowledge of true, divine LOVE until you have a) been kind to others and b) bravely endured suffering first.
Highly recommended.
16 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars The Golden Ass revisited.
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2023
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I first read this book when I graduated from the children's section of the library to the adult section in Wichita of the early 50's. The times were different then and I'm sure I didn't understand all of the situations. I enjoyed the read anew as I didn't remember much except for the violent parts. Interesting.
One person found this helpful
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Blotterhead
3.0 out of 5 stars Looks like Old English but I'm not sure
Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2018
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Interesting translation... Looks like Old English but I'm not sure. Easy to read, but how some things are translated completely confuses me.
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G. L. Patterson
5.0 out of 5 stars The Golden Ass
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2013
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Using this book as one of William Shakespeare's classical sources, I wrote my major English essay using comparisons between this book and Bottom in "A Midsummer Night's Dream." As a source, the book was excellent as a source but also a very enjoyable read. This book has been added to my personal library.
4 people found this helpful
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Christian Karl
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful
Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2021
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Great prose. A little hard to read because of the old English, but still great fun. Very well written novel. Short chapters make for easy reading.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Djalma M. Argollo
5.0 out of 5 stars Um clássico da literatura
Reviewed in Brazil on August 31, 2021
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Um clássico é um clássico. Ele nos informa dos usos e costumes de uma determinada época
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Jared Thomas
5.0 out of 5 stars Faithful to the classic Story
Reviewed in Canada on June 15, 2021
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The book told the Story of the Golden Ass faithfully. If you are a fan of Ancient Roman Literature, this is the only complete Ancient Roman Novel.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars The Great Goddess Isis makes her appearance.
Reviewed in India on October 4, 2018
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This is a classic of Western literature.
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Mrs Katharina Grossniklaus
5.0 out of 5 stars Golden book
Reviewed in Germany on February 29, 2016
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It's my aim to read as many Greek literature book as possible - thus I'm really looking Forward to reading 'The Golden Ass'!
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Proops
5.0 out of 5 stars A great romp and great translation
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 10, 2010
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This is 2nd century AD sex and drugs and rock'n'roll.

I'll echo the previous reviews by saying that this is great fun and a really engaging read. The notes are excellent too which really helps in a work like this, drawing out many allusions.

Poetry is often said to be lost in translation but the translator has captured a real sense of the Latin while retaining the fluency of the English.
7 people found this helpful
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