- Paperback: 256 pages
- Publisher: Picador; 1st edition edition (Mar 19 2002)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0312420064
- ISBN-13: 978-0312420062
- Product Dimensions: 20.6 x 14.2 x 1.8 cm
- Shipping Weight: 522 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,929,866 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Little is known about Ovid's life in exile in the first century A.D., and only two lines of his acclaimed Medea survive today. In this strong debut novel, Alison reimagines Ovid's sojourn on the east coast of the Black Sea, where Emperor Augustus, in the middle of a campaign to restore morality to his new empire, has banished the poet, displeased by the success of his Loves and The Art of Love. Here Ovid meets Xenia, a wild-eyed young woman who lives in isolation. The only literate person in her community, Xenia acts as town mystic, casting spells, healing the sick and telling futures. Ovid, who admits he believes in Amazons, with "their strong sweating thighs clutching galloping horses, wild howls coming from their parched, cracked mouths," is eager to be stunned by the "fishy, monstrous, unreal." He imagines the jealous, stormy Xenia to be his Galatea and sweeps her back to Rome, where she unwittingly becomes the muse for the lost Medea, his darkest work. From Alison's depiction of a trio of gossips at a patrician's dinner party, "dark eyes flying from one to the other like torches," to her description of an evening walk in Rome freighted with the knowledge that thousands of animals are "denned beneath the city's streets until they were let out, half starved, to devour terrified criminals or be speared in the emperor's shows," she demonstrates familiarity and ease with her subject; and her historic detail is never pedantic. Even those unfamiliar with Ovid and Roman history will delight in this tale of romantic intrigue, rife with blood, jealous rage and the consciousness of human frailty.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.From Library Journal
Contemporary soap opera meets Ancient Rome in Alison's passionate first novel about the renowned poet Ovid's fall from imperial grace. At once inventive and historically accurate, the book chronicles Ovid's infatuation with Xenia, a young witch/healer he encounters while vacationing on the Black Sea. A steamy fling is followed by the pair's return to Rome, where Ovid intends to craft a masterwork inspired by his latest muse. Unfortunately, his desires are thwarted by a potent mix of greed, jealousy, narcissism, and the desire for immortality. Alison's feminist take on the outcome of the couple's conflicts is exhilarating. So, too, are her vivid descriptions of Rome, from narrow streets lined with bookstalls to sumptuous feasts served to the elite by slaves. Fascinating and clever, this is essential reading for anyone who has ever wondered what happened to Ovid's Medea or pondered his abrupt banishment to the edge of the Roman Empire. Highly recommended for all libraries.DEleanor J. Bader, Brooklyn, NY
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
It was a very hot day in June when Ovid first saw Xenia, nude and blue, on the farthest coast of the Black Sea, in the corner of the maps where sea monsters coiled and the river Ocean bit its own tail around the world; where he had collapsed upon a fallen tree trunk, his hair thick with salt and his sandals full of needles, exhausted from his journey. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
It was a very hot day in June when Ovid first saw Xenia, nude and blue, on the farthest coast of the Black Sea, in the corner of the maps where sea monsters coiled and the river Ocean bit its own tail around the world; where he had collapsed upon a fallen tree trunk, his hair thick with salt and his sandals full of needles, exhausted from his journey. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most helpful customer reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
OK,
By Barxrockingm (Wolfville, NS) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Love-Artist: A Novel (Paperback)
I was disappointed. You'd think that Ovid would be more interesting. The story itself is OK, I just found that the characters weren't very well developed. They seemed one-dimensional and I didn't feel like I got to know them.
1.0 out of 5 stars
Boring,
This review is from: The Love-Artist: A Novel (Paperback)
This book is so boring that it makes other boring things seem interesting. Nothing happens - it is just a bunch of pretty description. Characters are vague and uninteresting. Plot is boring. I didn't even read the book - I wasted my time just scanning over the page praying to be done soon. And it is finally over. I never knew that 240 pages could strench on for sooooooooooooo long. Even 'Lord of Flies' seems interesting comparing to this. Hell, I'd rather be reading Stephen King than this. That is how bad it is.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Judge a book by its cover,
By
This review is from: The Love-Artist: A Novel (Paperback)
I admit, I sometimes judge a book by its cover. In this case, I was not disappointed."The Love-Artist" is a rich work. During his banishment from Rome, the great writer Ovid meets Xenia (no, she's not a warrior princess). Xenia is known for her healing talents. She intrigues and inspires Ovid, who returns with her to Rome. But when Ovid decides to use her as the subject for his play "Medea," he creates situations meant to drive Xenia to the brink of madness. How does his muse cope with these manipulations and has Ovid take the charade too far? Jane Alison's writing is eloquent and full of great imagery and exacting emotion. The characters themselves are well developed and believable. I highly recommend this book.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Want to see more reviews on this item?
|
Most recent customer reviews |
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
