Lovely cover, pleasant font type, fabulous translation, plenty of space in the margins.

Few will criticize the translation. Some readers may complain about Mandelbaum's lack of footnotes and introductory essay. Mandelbaum doesn't provide footnotes; he only gives what Ovid gives. If there were notes, the volume would be too bulky. It's already 550+ pages, and the translator does offer closing remarks (much more tasteful and appropriate than an introductory essay). I think the space in the margins is more important than editor's/translator's footnotes; that way, if a question arises, the reader can do his own research and annotate his copy beside the text for himself.

This translation really captures the humor of the poem-I got it for college english and have really enjoyed the read.

Mandelbaum's translation of Ovid's Metamorphoses is the best I have seen so far. It is a very accurate and original rendition of the poem, while also being very readable. This is my most highly recommended edition of Ovid's Metamorphoses because of its highly readable, enjoyable verse translation. Mandelbaum, who won the National Book Reward for his classic verse translation of Virgil's Aeneid, displays his unmatched skill and heart at translating Latin classics in this edition of Ovid's poem.

My only complaint about this book is that the book does not have any footnotes or table of contents whatsoever. The book has to be navigated by looking at the top margins.

I personally do not recommend the Oxford and Penguin editions of this book, as they are not as close to the original Latin, and the rhetorical quality is also not as good. Focus Classical Library's edition of
Ovid's Metamorphoses is very highly annotated with indispendable footnotes, outlines, headings, and index, but unfortunately its translation complicated is not as readable as Mandelbaum's.

For serious mythology learners who want an accurate, original rendition of the poem, I would recommend getting both this book and Mandelbaum's translation. Because of the Focus Classical Library edition's indispensable annotations and more literal translation (which includes all of the proper names Ovid uses in his original poem) and outline, serious readers might want to also buy that one in addition to the Mandelbaum translation.

Overall, this is THE edition of Ovid's Metamorphoses that you should get, whether you are a new reader or longtime classicist. This vivid, accurate, readable, page-turning book is truly a modern masterpiece.

Most mythology I have read has been in a prose format. Reading Ovid was a bit of a challenge but I found this translation much cleaner then several of the others I tried to read.

If you think by reading one mythology text you have already encountered everything you needed to know, you are of course wrong, I found new characters, new stories that I am weaving into my own writing.

I highly recommend this translation.

Sumptuous, gorgeous. From the creation of the world to the birth of Julius Caesar. If only the Bible was written as well or made as much sense. And how thrilling to discover Shakespeare stealing wholesale from it: eg. Titania's "Nine men's morris" comes from Medea. One of the great reading experiences of a lifetime. And this translation sings and stuns and entertains. Buy it. And give it to all your friends. If you love them and fear for their souls.