Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
New York : Modern Library, 2002.
Description
In the first century a.d., Ovid, author of the groundbreaking epic poem Metamorphoses, came under severe criticism for The Art of Love, which playfully instructed women in the art of seduction and men in the skills essential for mastering the art of romantic conquest. In this remarkable translation, James Michie breathes new life into the notorious Roman’s mock-didactic elegy. In lyrical, irreverent English, he reveals love’s timeless dilemmas and Ovid’s enduring brilliance as both poet and cultural critic.
User reviews
LibraryThing member the.ken.petersen
This book is amazing: it is nearly 2000 years old and yet, it reads as if it were written yesterday. Ovid expresses views that any young lad has held throughout history. They are not all politically correct, or indeed, acceptable but, they have an immediacy that few writings from the past can
I only have the ability to read the Art of Love in translation, but it is a window into the mind of a man who lived before the date had three, never mind four, digits. It is light, amusing and full of interesting sections that remind us that we sophisticated twenty-first century people are not so enlightened in comparison.
I recently heard Ovid described as the Bob Dylan of his age: I am not sure as to which should be more flattered by the link. Both are great poets, both are worth reading and, perhaps, both are great enough to stand in their own right.
A must read book.
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offer.I only have the ability to read the Art of Love in translation, but it is a window into the mind of a man who lived before the date had three, never mind four, digits. It is light, amusing and full of interesting sections that remind us that we sophisticated twenty-first century people are not so enlightened in comparison.
I recently heard Ovid described as the Bob Dylan of his age: I am not sure as to which should be more flattered by the link. Both are great poets, both are worth reading and, perhaps, both are great enough to stand in their own right.
A must read book.
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LibraryThing member gbill
If it were published today, I would probably think of this collection of works as silly fluff. But as it’s Ovid, writing from the time of Augustus Caesar, I found it quite interesting. I don’t believe a whole lot in the advice he doles out for the heartsick, which spans beauty cream recipes,
If it were someone today bragging about their sexual exploits, I would probably roll my eyes, but I can’t help but smile when Ovid boasts that “my record was set, if I remember correctly, with Corinna – nine times, all in a short summer night.” On the other hand, there are some cringe-inducing passages, like “Force is all right to employ, and women like you to use; what they enjoy they pretend they were unwilling to give”, though this sort of thing is certainly honest to the prevailing mindset, and explain the culture of violence against women that’s existed for thousands and thousands of years.
In general, though, Ovid is not violent, and just stands for screwing around for all one’s worth while one is still alive, and feels it’s his mission to tell others how to go about doing that. It’s not really love that he’s after, at least in the sense of romantic love, so the title is a misnomer.
However with all that said, his is a voice that is at once speaking to us out of the distant past, but also of the timeless struggle between the sexes. A day out at the horse races, where he admits “You watch the races, and I watch you”, silently imploring her that “That can’t be any fun, with your legs hanging over and dangling; why don’t you stick your toes into the railing in front?” is interesting aside from the fantasy we can all imagine in the present day, but also as the horse race with its procession of Roman Gods takes us back to a scene from everyday life from two thousand years ago.
Is he a profligate? Yes. Lecherous? Yes. Silly? Yes. Interesting? Yes.
Quotes:
On adultery:
“In the fields of our neighbor the grass forever is greener;
Always the other man’s herd offers the richer reward.”
On alcohol, when trying to forget love, from “The Remedies for Love”:
“Either get thoroughly drunk, or be a teetotal abstainer:
Anything in between causes the passions to rise.”
On the beauty of all women (or just Ovid’s desire to bounce around), from “The Loves”:
“There is no definite One whose beauty drives me to frenzy;
No: there are hundreds, almost, keeping me always in love.
If there’s a modest one, whose eyes are always cast downward,
I am on fire, in a snare, set by her innocent ways.
If one is forward and brash, I rejoice that she’s not country-simple;
I foresee quite a romp, bouncing around in her bed.
If she seems cold and austere, behaving like one of the Sabines,
I suspect that she craves more than she’s willing to show.
If she had read any books, I am overwhelmed by her culture;
Never read one in her life? – that makes her sweet and unspoiled.”
On dogs, from “The Remedies for Love”, interesting to me as it seems to predate other recognized sources:
“Man’s best friend is his dog.”
On rest, and ‘carpe diem’, from “The Loves”:
“For, stupid, what is sleep but old death’s twin?
The fates will give us ample time for rest.”
On sex advice for women, from “The Art of Love”:
“Let the woman feel the act of love to her marrow,
Let the performance bring equal delight to the two.
Coax and flatter and tease, with inarticulate murmurs,
Even with sexual words, in the excitement of play,
And if nature, alas! denies you the final sensation
Cry out as if you had come, do your best to pretend.”
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advice for adulterers (and cuckolds), how to make the most out of one’s physical attributes, where to find partners, and, once found, how to keep the flame of their desires on ‘high’. If it were someone today bragging about their sexual exploits, I would probably roll my eyes, but I can’t help but smile when Ovid boasts that “my record was set, if I remember correctly, with Corinna – nine times, all in a short summer night.” On the other hand, there are some cringe-inducing passages, like “Force is all right to employ, and women like you to use; what they enjoy they pretend they were unwilling to give”, though this sort of thing is certainly honest to the prevailing mindset, and explain the culture of violence against women that’s existed for thousands and thousands of years.
In general, though, Ovid is not violent, and just stands for screwing around for all one’s worth while one is still alive, and feels it’s his mission to tell others how to go about doing that. It’s not really love that he’s after, at least in the sense of romantic love, so the title is a misnomer.
However with all that said, his is a voice that is at once speaking to us out of the distant past, but also of the timeless struggle between the sexes. A day out at the horse races, where he admits “You watch the races, and I watch you”, silently imploring her that “That can’t be any fun, with your legs hanging over and dangling; why don’t you stick your toes into the railing in front?” is interesting aside from the fantasy we can all imagine in the present day, but also as the horse race with its procession of Roman Gods takes us back to a scene from everyday life from two thousand years ago.
Is he a profligate? Yes. Lecherous? Yes. Silly? Yes. Interesting? Yes.
Quotes:
On adultery:
“In the fields of our neighbor the grass forever is greener;
Always the other man’s herd offers the richer reward.”
On alcohol, when trying to forget love, from “The Remedies for Love”:
“Either get thoroughly drunk, or be a teetotal abstainer:
Anything in between causes the passions to rise.”
On the beauty of all women (or just Ovid’s desire to bounce around), from “The Loves”:
“There is no definite One whose beauty drives me to frenzy;
No: there are hundreds, almost, keeping me always in love.
If there’s a modest one, whose eyes are always cast downward,
I am on fire, in a snare, set by her innocent ways.
If one is forward and brash, I rejoice that she’s not country-simple;
I foresee quite a romp, bouncing around in her bed.
If she seems cold and austere, behaving like one of the Sabines,
I suspect that she craves more than she’s willing to show.
If she had read any books, I am overwhelmed by her culture;
Never read one in her life? – that makes her sweet and unspoiled.”
On dogs, from “The Remedies for Love”, interesting to me as it seems to predate other recognized sources:
“Man’s best friend is his dog.”
On rest, and ‘carpe diem’, from “The Loves”:
“For, stupid, what is sleep but old death’s twin?
The fates will give us ample time for rest.”
On sex advice for women, from “The Art of Love”:
“Let the woman feel the act of love to her marrow,
Let the performance bring equal delight to the two.
Coax and flatter and tease, with inarticulate murmurs,
Even with sexual words, in the excitement of play,
And if nature, alas! denies you the final sensation
Cry out as if you had come, do your best to pretend.”
Show Less
LibraryThing member Unreachableshelf
Clever, although Ovid had an unfortunate tendency to digress during this phase of his career. The translator, Rolfe Humphries, did a good job of keeping it entertaining, even though at times I wish I could have seen what the Latin literarlly said.
LibraryThing member Osbaldistone
A seemingly tongue-in-cheek imitation didactic poem on seduction and love-making. The poem reads like an instruction manual, but Ovid uses the form of a love poem and numerous digressions to enhance the humour. However, given that he does make some strong points about how both sexes use deception
Regarding the Folio Society edition with James Michie's translation and Grahame Baker's illustrations - this is an excellent form for this work. The translation respects the form of the original poem without adhering so strictly as to loose the free-wheeling fun of the message. And Baker's illustrations capture the 'look and feel' of erotic art contemporary to Ovid. A highly desirable English edition of this ancient work.
Os.
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in courtship; a woman's pleasure adds to the overall enjoyment of love-making, etc., making one think that he wanted to educate while deflecting criticism by taking the humourous approach. It didn't work, apparently, as he was soon aftewards exiled.Regarding the Folio Society edition with James Michie's translation and Grahame Baker's illustrations - this is an excellent form for this work. The translation respects the form of the original poem without adhering so strictly as to loose the free-wheeling fun of the message. And Baker's illustrations capture the 'look and feel' of erotic art contemporary to Ovid. A highly desirable English edition of this ancient work.
Os.
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LibraryThing member Widsith
Short, sparkling, witty and sexy, this is a tongue-in-cheek comedy of the sexes dressed up as a how-to guide. It's best enjoyed on a hot afternoon, lounging somewhere comfortable with a fizzy cocktail in your other hand. Ovid is great company – a man of the world, funny and quotable and just the
On these occasions don't trust the lamps – they can lie:
Darkness and drink blur the judging eye.
This is James Michie's 1993 translation, whose jaunty rhyming couplets make every couple of lines seem like something you want to put on a business card.
The last book is aimed at women readers trying to pin down their man – he's nothing if not even-handed in his approach. It's strange to reflect that for the best part of two millennia, Western Europe essentially pretended female sexuality didn't exist, and yet if you go back a bit further you can find Ovid cheerfully stressing the crucial importance that both partners manage to get themselves off satisfactorily.
Sentiat ex imis venerem resoluta medullis
Femina, et ex aequo res iuvet illa duos.
which Mozley in 1929 rendered cautiously as
Let the woman feel love's act, unstrung to the very depths of her frame, and let that act delight both alike.
...but which in Michie's translation is more robust:
A fucked woman should melt to her core, and the pleasure
Be felt by both in equal measure.
It sums up Ovid's basic theme here: pleasure for all. Not least for the reader, because this is great fun.
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right side of disreputable. He takes the would-be lover through the whole process of finding, winning, and keeping a partner, covering such crucial areas as the perfect level of drunkenness, the trustworthiness of servants, and the need to be cautious if you hook up with someone on a boozy night out:On these occasions don't trust the lamps – they can lie:
Darkness and drink blur the judging eye.
This is James Michie's 1993 translation, whose jaunty rhyming couplets make every couple of lines seem like something you want to put on a business card.
The last book is aimed at women readers trying to pin down their man – he's nothing if not even-handed in his approach. It's strange to reflect that for the best part of two millennia, Western Europe essentially pretended female sexuality didn't exist, and yet if you go back a bit further you can find Ovid cheerfully stressing the crucial importance that both partners manage to get themselves off satisfactorily.
Sentiat ex imis venerem resoluta medullis
Femina, et ex aequo res iuvet illa duos.
which Mozley in 1929 rendered cautiously as
Let the woman feel love's act, unstrung to the very depths of her frame, and let that act delight both alike.
...but which in Michie's translation is more robust:
A fucked woman should melt to her core, and the pleasure
Be felt by both in equal measure.
It sums up Ovid's basic theme here: pleasure for all. Not least for the reader, because this is great fun.
Show Less
LibraryThing member booksandwine
One word review: Sexy.
LibraryThing member Smiley
Completely light. I think this book is considered "classic" because of Ovid's Metamorphosis, not because it has any independent value. Don't waste your time.
LibraryThing member unclebob53703
Advice to would-be lovers and more. Some of it is quite funny.
LibraryThing member reganrule
Who knew Ovid's the Machiavelli of love "advice." But don't worry--it's equal opportunity! Both men and women should deceive each other.
LibraryThing member JosephCamilleri
Forget agony aunts and tips on sex and love in glossy magazines - two millennia ago, Ovid had already been there and done that in his Ars Amatoria. Ostensibly a manual for would-be lovers, the Art of Love is also a witty and irreverent satire on a society obsessed with wealth and physical pleasure.
Ovid's entertaining prose does tend to get bogged down in copious classical and mythological references, which is where translator Cesare Vivaldi's erudite notes come in handy. This edition presents the original Latin prose alongside an Italian translation.
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In this amoral context, it is praiseworthy to be as promiscuous as possible, as long as you do not get caught out by any of your lovers, just as it is recommendable to seduce the maid to get to her mistress. Gifts are the surest way to a women's heart, Ovid cynically observes, and he suggests some presents which provide good value for money. All's fair in love and war, as long as one gets to enjoy the spoils.Ovid's entertaining prose does tend to get bogged down in copious classical and mythological references, which is where translator Cesare Vivaldi's erudite notes come in handy. This edition presents the original Latin prose alongside an Italian translation.
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Subjects
Original language
Latin
Original publication date
1 CE
1929 (English: JH Mozley)
1993 (English: James Michie)
-1
Physical description
xxvii, 171 p.; 21 inches
ISBN
9780375761171
Local notes
FB