French Literature Reviews - 2026
The Metamorphoses, or The Golden Ass. Bilingual Edition
Novel and Narrative Prose
Apuleius
The Metamorphoses, or The Golden Ass.
French-Latin bilingual edition translated by Olivier Sers
Les Belles Lettres
Classiques en poche
2007
Isbn : 978-2-251-79993-3
576p
19€
Publisher's overview:
Reeling in baroque excess at the crossroads of eroticism, fantasy, and death, Apuleius's Metamorphoses (2nd century)—the only ancient Latin novel to survive in its entirety—recounts in the first person the misadventures of an overly curious youth who, transformed into an ass by a botched spell, retains his human consciousness. Weaving together a multitude of styles, the work parodies the human comedy, culminating in a resolution brought about by the intervention of Queen Isis, the Most Exalted Goddess. "This book is a masterpiece. It leaves me dizzy and dazzled; nature for its own sake, the landscape, and the purely picturesque side of things are handled in a spirit that is remarkably modern yet simultaneously timelessly classical and Christian. It smells of incense and urine, bestiality blends with mysticism, and we are still a long way from such moral decadence." (Gustave Flaubert, 1852).
Olivier Sers has also published new translations with Les Belles Lettres of the Kisses of Johannes Secundus, Petronius's Satyricon, Juvenal's Satires, and the poetry of Catullus (Le Roman de Catulle).
The Metamorphoses, also known as The Golden Ass, occupies a singular position in the history of Latin literature as the sole ancient novel to have reached the modern era in its entirety. Written in the second century, the narrative follows a protagonist whose transformation into a donkey serves as a vehicle for exploring themes of curiosity, eroticism, and the supernatural. By blending diverse stylistic registers, the text provides a perspective on human behavior, transitioning from its fantastical misadventures toward a conclusion centered on the intervention of the goddess Isis.
This bilingual edition by Olivier Sers presents the Latin original alongside a French translation. The text is situated within the broader tradition of ancient prose fiction, reflecting the interplay between the profane and the divine that characterizes the period. Readers interested in the development of the ancient novel or the evolution of Latin narrative forms may find this edition relevant. Sers has also published translations of works by Petronius, Juvenal, Johannes Secundus, and Catullus.