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A review by fishreads
Zlatni magarac by Apuleius
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
The reason I borrowed this book in the first place from my library was because the day before I borrowed 'Psyche and Eros' by Luna McNamara the day before and when I read that Psyche and Eros' story was originally told in Golden Donkey by Apuleius I decided I needed to read the original first.
This was an interesting story about a young man Lucius, traveling the world and wanting to experience what the world has to offer him. He meets a lot of people who tell him their own stories and experiences a lot of things on his own as well (the most notable being getting turned into a donkey). Maybe, I was too naive about classic literature, but I was quite surprised by almost lascivious descriptions of sexual intercourse between Lucius and a young maid. I also felt incredibly sad by people's cruel treatment of a donkey Lucius and his animal companions. Psyche and Eros story which makes for substantial chunk of the book was interesting and definitely made Golden Donkey a worthwhile read for me.
Themes: ancient world, animal transformation, mythology
This was an interesting story about a young man Lucius, traveling the world and wanting to experience what the world has to offer him. He meets a lot of people who tell him their own stories and experiences a lot of things on his own as well (the most notable being getting turned into a donkey). Maybe, I was too naive about classic literature, but I was quite surprised by almost lascivious descriptions of sexual intercourse between Lucius and a young maid. I also felt incredibly sad by people's cruel treatment of a donkey Lucius and his animal companions. Psyche and Eros story which makes for substantial chunk of the book was interesting and definitely made Golden Donkey a worthwhile read for me.
Themes: ancient world, animal transformation, mythology
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Murder