Synopses & Reviews
Why was Ovid, the most popular poet of his day, banished from Rome? Why do only two lines survive of his play Medea, reputedly his most passionate, most accomplished work? Between the known details of Ovids life and these enigmas, Jane Alison has created a haunting drama of
psychological manipulation, and an ingenious meditation on love, art and immortality. When Ovid encounters a woman who embodies the fictitious creations of his soon-to-be published Metamorphoses, he is enchanted, obsessed, and inspired. Part healer, part witch, she seems to be myth come to life, and Ovid lures her away from her home by the Black Sea to Rome. But the inexorable pull of ambition leads him to make a Faustian bargain with fate that will betray his newfound muse.
Review
“A small, twinkling jewel of a novel...wonderfully seductive...[Alison] has found a voice, at once modern and archaic, lyrical and potent, that mesmerizes the reader.” Michiko Kakutani,
The New York Times“Stunning...a swirling parable that touches on the opposed sorceries of art and magic, on tyranny and rebellion, and on the struggle of male and female.” Richard Eder, The New York Times Book Review
“Exquisitely direct and moving...a powerful love story.” Michael Sheldon, Baltimore Sun
“Brings alive Ovids genius for poetry and savage thirst for immortality.” Deirdre Donahue, USA Today
About the Author
Jane Alison has a degree in classics from Princeton University and an M.F.A. from Columbia University. She lives in Germany.