The Golden Asse

Written in the second century A.D., this picaresque classic is the ancient world's only surviving complete novel. Concerning an inquisitive young man transformed into an ass by a magic potion, the narrative digresses into other tales of love, intrigue, and witchcraft ― a story-within-a-story technique that inspired many later authors, including Boccaccio, Cervantes, and Rabelais. This lavish hardcover edition reproduces the John Lane/Bodley Head version, first published in London in 1923. William Adlington's highly readable 16th-century translation from Latin to English is enhanced by 16 full-page plates, eight in color, and numerous black-and-white images by noted illustrator Jean de Bosschère.