Golden Ass Book Review

Apuleius. The Golden crumb. Translated by Joel C. Relihan. Indianapolis/Cambridge Hackett Publishing Company Inc, 2007. Acknowledgements. Introduction. Maps. Index. Pp. xlv, 254. Apuleius The Golden Ass describes the trials and tribulations of Lucius, a privileged man whos extreme curiosity leads to his unfortunate geological fault into an ass. His journey as an ass leads to a newfound perspective, enlightenment, and eventual salvation. Relihans translation is vividly descriptive and allows the modern reader to relate to the tale.Although extremely complex and vulgar at times, The Golden Ass is an entertaining, humorous, and inspiring story which go outs expensive insight into ancient Greco-Roman society. The Golden Ass consists of many stories which argon all interconnected. Apuleius weaves folk tales and myths into the primary(prenominal) story of Lucius, which draw parallels to the main theme of The Golden Ass. The reader must pay tight attendance to such tales, particular ly that of Cupid and Psyche, as they are important in understanding Lucius redemptive journey. Although the format is practically difficult to follow, it is crucial to the significance of the story .Lucius intense curiosity and inability to control his desires lead to his rendering and all the negative consequences which follow. Apuleius may have been attempting to convey the downfalls of greed and lust, showing that they always 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 of a slave after his transformation to an ass. He experiences a way of life he never thought of before his transformation.He is abuse and fears for his life on some(prenominal) occasions. This perhaps reveals a nonher moral of The Golden Ass, that is, treat others how you would like to be treated. The Golden Ass serves as an excellen t historical document. It describes ancient Greco-Roman societys morals, loving classes, and overall way of life. Apuleius offers insight into all sectors of society. Wealthy upper classes, thieves, artisans, and slaves are all depicted 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 group of robbers, the reader gets to see how their society functions democratically, as well as their discouragement 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 both Lucius and the slaves. This makes his journey more(prenominal) meaningful and effective at the end. The enactment of women in The Golden Ass shows that women were viewed very negatively. The Tale of the Wifes Tub, Millers Wife, and Drycleaners Wife, all describe women as adulterous and manipulative.Another story, the Tale of th e Oppressive Land Owner, shows the tyrannical spirit of the small land 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 run low and important background information about Apuleius. The maps and index are helpful to the reader, as they provide more detailed information 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. unmatched must pay close attention to the story, as there are many details which could substantially be missed. The Golden Ass is witty, descriptive, and historically relevant. Readers will be entertained by Lucius journey to salvation and gain information about ancient society. As stated in the first chapt er, pay close attention and joy shall be yours. (p. 3).