--- product_id: 7756283 title: "Metamorphoses (Penguin Classics)" price: "€ 25.94" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.pt/products/7756283-metamorphoses-penguin-classics store_origin: PT region: Portugal --- # Metamorphoses (Penguin Classics) **Price:** € 25.94 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Metamorphoses (Penguin Classics) - **How much does it cost?** € 25.94 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.pt](https://www.desertcart.pt/products/7756283-metamorphoses-penguin-classics) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Ovid’s sensuous and witty poem, in an accessible translation by David Raeburn In Metamophoses , Ovid brings together a dazzling array of mythological tales, ingeniously linked by the idea of transformation—often as a result of love or lust—where men and women find themselves magically changed into new and sometimes extraordinary beings. Beginning with the creation of the world and ending with the deification of Augustus, Ovid interweaves many of the best-known myths and legends of ancient Greece and Rome, including Daedalus and Icarus, Pyramus and Thisbe, Pygmalion, Perseus and Andromeda, and the fall of Troy. Erudite but light-hearted, dramatic and yet playful, Metamorphoses has influenced writers and artists throughout the centuries from Shakespeare and Titian to Picasso and Ted Hughes. 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. Review: Myth After Myth, and It Never Gets Old - This Penguin Classics edition of Metamorphoses is one of those books you can keep coming back to and still find something new each time. What makes it stand out is how readable it is. Ovid’s stories move quickly, and this translation keeps that momentum without making the language feel stiff or overly academic. The transitions between myths are seamless—you move from one transformation to the next, and before you realize it, you’re deep into the world of gods, mortals, and constant change. The range of stories is incredible. You get everything from well-known myths to lesser-known transformations, all tied together by that central idea of change—physical, emotional, and cosmic. Some stories are beautiful, some are unsettling, and some are surprisingly dark in ways that stick with you. What I appreciated most is how vivid everything feels. The imagery is strong without being overwhelming, and the emotional beats land in a way that still feels relevant. There’s a strange mix of elegance and brutality throughout the text that makes it hard to put down. As a physical edition, it’s what you’d expect from Penguin Classics—simple, clean, and functional. Not flashy, but reliable. The notes and introduction are helpful without getting in the way of the reading experience. If you’re interested in mythology, literature, or just want something that’s both rich and surprisingly readable, this is a great edition to pick up. Overall, it’s a timeless collection that still feels alive, strange, and compelling from beginning to end. Review: Excellent edition and translation - After reading the old Penguin edition of this work, I was amazed at the improvement in not only the translation, but the organization and supplemental material as well. The old edition I read was written in prose (yuck), the translation was was dry and boring, the text was not broken up into sections, and there were no notes to speak of. This edition, however, has really come a long way. The text has been translated into a more modern voice, making it much more user friendly and fun to read. And it's written in verse form (as is should be). The organization is top-notch: not only is it divided into "books", but is further divided into the individual stories with appropriate headings (like "Mars and Venus" and "Pyramus and Thisbe"), so it's easy to find your favorite myth and know where you are in the epic. There's also an excellent introduction to the entire work as well as introductions to each individual book, providing insights and background information. The notes in the back of the book are very comprehensive and helpful, adding greatly to your understanding of the work. On top of all that, there's a glossary of the characters in the back which not only tells you who they are, but where they are featured in the epic. And finally, as if there wasn't enough already, there's even a map in the back of Rome during Ovid's time. Needless to say, this edition is chock full of stuff to please both casual readers of the work and scholars looking to get a little more in-depth. I believe this is one of the most important and influential works of Western civilization, and everyone should have a copy. It's especially great for those who love Greek and Roman myths, since it's packed full of just about every classical myth ever conceived. And since it's broken down so nicely into individual stories and books, you can read a story here and there instead of the whole thing at once, if you choose. Though since all the stories are connected and flow seamlessly into one another, reading it through from beginning to end is very rewarding and highly recommended. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #16,380 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #24 in Ancient & Classical Poetry #539 in Classic Literature & Fiction #1,273 in Literary Fiction (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,472 Reviews | ## Images ![Metamorphoses (Penguin Classics) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91IoewhdENL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Myth After Myth, and It Never Gets Old *by R***L on March 31, 2026* This Penguin Classics edition of Metamorphoses is one of those books you can keep coming back to and still find something new each time. What makes it stand out is how readable it is. Ovid’s stories move quickly, and this translation keeps that momentum without making the language feel stiff or overly academic. The transitions between myths are seamless—you move from one transformation to the next, and before you realize it, you’re deep into the world of gods, mortals, and constant change. The range of stories is incredible. You get everything from well-known myths to lesser-known transformations, all tied together by that central idea of change—physical, emotional, and cosmic. Some stories are beautiful, some are unsettling, and some are surprisingly dark in ways that stick with you. What I appreciated most is how vivid everything feels. The imagery is strong without being overwhelming, and the emotional beats land in a way that still feels relevant. There’s a strange mix of elegance and brutality throughout the text that makes it hard to put down. As a physical edition, it’s what you’d expect from Penguin Classics—simple, clean, and functional. Not flashy, but reliable. The notes and introduction are helpful without getting in the way of the reading experience. If you’re interested in mythology, literature, or just want something that’s both rich and surprisingly readable, this is a great edition to pick up. Overall, it’s a timeless collection that still feels alive, strange, and compelling from beginning to end. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent edition and translation *by S***A on January 9, 2006* After reading the old Penguin edition of this work, I was amazed at the improvement in not only the translation, but the organization and supplemental material as well. The old edition I read was written in prose (yuck), the translation was was dry and boring, the text was not broken up into sections, and there were no notes to speak of. This edition, however, has really come a long way. The text has been translated into a more modern voice, making it much more user friendly and fun to read. And it's written in verse form (as is should be). The organization is top-notch: not only is it divided into "books", but is further divided into the individual stories with appropriate headings (like "Mars and Venus" and "Pyramus and Thisbe"), so it's easy to find your favorite myth and know where you are in the epic. There's also an excellent introduction to the entire work as well as introductions to each individual book, providing insights and background information. The notes in the back of the book are very comprehensive and helpful, adding greatly to your understanding of the work. On top of all that, there's a glossary of the characters in the back which not only tells you who they are, but where they are featured in the epic. And finally, as if there wasn't enough already, there's even a map in the back of Rome during Ovid's time. Needless to say, this edition is chock full of stuff to please both casual readers of the work and scholars looking to get a little more in-depth. I believe this is one of the most important and influential works of Western civilization, and everyone should have a copy. It's especially great for those who love Greek and Roman myths, since it's packed full of just about every classical myth ever conceived. And since it's broken down so nicely into individual stories and books, you can read a story here and there instead of the whole thing at once, if you choose. Though since all the stories are connected and flow seamlessly into one another, reading it through from beginning to end is very rewarding and highly recommended. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Horror and wonder *by K***N on December 28, 2012* I got the book to use for an online course in Greek and Roman Mythology. For the course, we only read books 3, 12, and 13. But I wanted MORE! I found Ovid's METAMORPHOSES addictive. In 15 books, Ovid presents fabulous stories about humans or demigods that undergo miraculous transformations. These stories were mostly familiar to its original audience. It was Ovid's take on the material that made it a literary sensation. The metamorphoses invariably take place at a time of extreme emotional stress, usually terror or grief, and come about as a deity's reward for behavior that pleases or displeases him or her. Most often the change is to some kind of bird and the protagonist flies away from his troubles. But characters change to all sorts of other fauna, including dolphins, swine, spiders, frogs, and fish. Others turn into trees or flowers. A few turn into rocks or mountains. More than a few are transformed into rivers or streams. Some characters change sexes. While these stories may have originally been intended as moral lessons, Ovid turns them into something deeper and more affecting. He makes us feel what it's like to have one's skin turn into tree bark and one's feet stuck in the ground and unable to move while fingers sprout leaves. In the final book Ovid ties all the stories together thematically and expounds some potent philosophy in the work's most magnificent poetry. It is easy to see Ovid's influence on Shakespeare throughout the book. Ovid's METAMORPHOSES is a major building block in Western culture. It contains virtually all of the major Roman myths that are referred to constantly by the writers and artists of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Familiarity with Ovid is guaranteed to enhance one's appreciation of Western art, literature, and music. A trip to the library, the concert hall, or the art museum is bound to be enriched. Raeburn's verse translation uses heightened language that is nevertheless unpretentious. He hits just the right tone. I wish I had read this several decades ago. Five stars. ## Frequently Bought Together - Metamorphoses (Penguin Classics) - The Aeneid (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) - The Odyssey --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.pt/products/7756283-metamorphoses-penguin-classics](https://www.desertcart.pt/products/7756283-metamorphoses-penguin-classics) --- *Product available on Desertcart Portugal* *Store origin: PT* *Last updated: 2026-06-06*