Golden Ass Book Review

Apuleius. The grand after part. Translated by Joel C. Relihan. Indianapolis/Cambridge Hackett Publishing Company Inc, 2007. Acknowledgements. Introduction. Maps. Index. Pp. xlv, 254. Apuleius The well-situated understructure describes the trials and tribulations of Lucius, a privileged man whos extreme rarity wind instruments to his unfortunate transformation into an ass. His journey as an ass leads to a new perspective, enlightenment, and eventual salvation. Relihans deracination is vividly descriptive and allows the modern reviewer to relate to the tale.Although extremely complex and vulgar at times, The Golden underside is an entertaining, humorous, and inspiring recital which proffers valuable insight into ancient Greco-Roman society. The Golden Ass consists of some(prenominal) stories which are all interconnected. Apuleius weaves folk tales and myths into the main story of Lucius, which draw parallels to the main theme of The Golden Ass. The reader must(prenominal) repair close attention to such tales, particularly that of Cupid and Psyche, as they are animation-and-death in get wording Lucius redemptive journey. Although the format is very much difficult to follow, it is crucial to the significance of the story .Lucius intense curiosity and inability to control his desires lead to his transformation and all the negative consequences which follow. Apuleius may have been attempting to convey the downfalls of avaritia and lust, showing that they al counselings lead to trouble. Lucius experiences as an ass are often very funny and explicit. Apuleius wit and use of sexual humor provide light-hearted entertainment for the reader. On the other hand, Lucius also lives the inhumane life-time of a slave after his transformation to an ass. He experiences a way of life he never thought of before his transformation.He is abused and fears for his life on several occasions. This perhaps reveals another moral of The Golden Ass, that is, come up to o thers how you would like to be treated. The Golden Ass serves as an excellent historic document. It describes ancient Greco-Roman societys morals, social classes, and overall way of life. Apuleius offers insight into all sectors of society. Wealthy upper classes, thieves, artisans, and slaves are all envisioned in great detail. The society portrayed in The Golden Ass is in chaos. Greed, immorality and crime are abundant.When Lucius is living with a concourse of robbers, the reader gets to see how their society functions democratically, as well as their despondency and greed. Lucius life as an ass shows his maltreatment as well as the abuse of the slaves around him. These descriptive passages cause the reader to empathize with twain Lucius and the slaves. This makes his journey to a greater extent meaningful and effective at the end. The portrayal of women in The Golden Ass shows that women were viewed very negatively. The Tale of the Wifes Tub, milling machines Wife, and Dryclea ners Wife, all describe women as adulterous and manipulative.another(prenominal) story, the Tale of the Oppressive Land Owner, shows the tyrannical nature of the small area owners of the time. These were likely the characteristics of the society in which Apuleius lived. Relihans translation offers several tools which are beneficial in helping the reader understand the text. The introduction provides a summary of the work and important background reading about Apuleius. The maps and index are helpful to the reader, as they provide more detailed data about place location and character description.A glossary of major characters is not included, but would have been helpful. The Golden Ass is not for the conservative reader, as it contains explicit sex and violence. One must requital close attention to the story, as there are many details which could easily be missed. The Golden Ass is witty, descriptive, and historically relevant. Readers pull up stakes be entertained by Lucius jou rney to redemption and gain information about ancient society. As stated in the first chapter, pay close attention and joy shall be yours. (p. 3).