The Metamorphosis, or Golden Ass, by Lucius Apuleius (c. 125 – c. 180). Translated by Thomas Taylor (1758–1835)
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The Metamorphosis, also known as The Golden Ass, is one of the very few novels of the Ancient World that survived to our days; one of the two novels of Roman Literature that we can still read; and the only one preserved in its entirety (the other one being the extremely fragmentary Satyricon).
The story of the Metamorphosis, the tale of a man turned into a donkey that goes through many adventures to become a man again, inspired many other similar ones later on. However, more than just the plot, the style of the Golden Ass also made it famous.
Considered one of the precursors of the picaresque novel, The Metamorphosis was written in a language that can be humorous and energetic, while telling the misadventures of the credulous and curious main character, but also powerfully poetic, in moments such as in the episode of Cupid and Psyche, one of the most famous parts of this book, and of Latin literature as a whole.
(Summary by Leni)
- How to claim a part, and 'how it all works' here
To find a section to record, simply look at point 5. below at the sections. All the ones without names beside them are “up for grabs.” Click "Post reply" at the top left of the screen and tell us which section you’d like to read (include the section number from the left-most column in the reader list, please). Read points 6. to 8. below for what to do before, during and after your recording. - New to recording?
Please read our Newbie Guide to Recording! - Is there a deadline?
We ask that you submit your recorded sections within 1-2 months of placing your claim (or by the target completion date, whatever is sooner). Please note that to be fair to the readers who have completed their sections in a timely way, if you haven't submitted your recording(s) after two months, your sections will automatically be re-opened for other readers to claim, unless you post in this thread to request an extension. Extensions will be granted at the discretion of the Book Coordinator. If you cannot do your section, for whatever reason, just let me know and it’ll go back to the pool. There’s no shame in this; we’re all volunteers and things happen. The target completion date for this project is August 7th 2010. - Where do I find the text?
Source text (please only read from this text!): http://www.archive.org/details/metamorphosisor00apulgoog
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: This book will be read from an Internet Archive image file. Click on the link above and choose your format. Personally, I use the Read Online option, but the PDF and the Djvu work just fine as well. The number of the page is the same in the three formats. Look for the page number and chapter indicated in the Magic Window. Stop reading when the chapter has ended, or when you arrive at the sentence indicated in the Window.
All sections are around 10 pages long, except the preface.
If you find any difficulties, please do PM me, I'll be glad to help.
PLEASE, DO NOT READ THE FOOTNOTES. - Please claim sections (the numbers in the first column below)!
If this is your first recording, please let me know under which name or pseudonym you'd like to appear in the LibriVox catalogue. We can also link to a personal website/blog.
Prospective Prooflisteners: Please read the Listeners Wanted FAQ before listening! Level of prooflistening requested: Standard
MAGIC WINDOW:
(BC admin) - BEFORE recording:
Please check the Recording Notes:
http://librivox.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6427#6430
Set your recording software to:
Channels: 1 (Mono)
Bit Rate: 128 kbps
Sample Rate: 44.1 kHz - DURING recording:
Please leave no more than 0.5 to 1 second of silence at the beginning of your recording!
Make sure you add this to the beginning and end of your recording:
Start of recording (Intro)- "Chapter [number] part [number] of The Metamorphosis, or Golden Ass. - This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information, or to volunteer, please visit: librivox DOT org"
- If you wish, say:
"Recording by [your name]" - Say:
"The Metamorphosis, or Golden Ass, by Apuleius. Translated by Thomas Taylor. [Chapter, part]"
- At the end of the section, say:
“End of [Chapter, part]" - If you wish, say:
"Recording by [your name], [city, your blog, podcast, web address]" - At the end of the book, say (in addition):
"End of The Metamorphosis, or Golden Ass, by Apuleius. Translated by Thomas Taylor."
Also, please remember to check this thread frequently for updates! - AFTER recording:
Need noise-cleaning?
Listen to your file through headphones. If you can hear some constant background noise (hiss/buzz), you may want to clean it up a bit. The new (free) version 1.3.3. of Audacity (Mac/Win) has much improved noise-cleaning. See this LibriVox wiki page for a complete guide.
Save files as
128 kbps MP3
goldenass_##_apuleius.mp3 (all lower-case) where ## is your section number. (e.g. goldenass_01_apuleius.mp3)
ID3 V2 tags
(To find out more about ID3 tags, go to our wiki: http://wiki.librivox.org/index.php/What_is_ID3)
Add the following tags to your .mp3 file (how you do this depends on which software you use – if you are unsure about ID3 tags, send me a message). Please mind upper and lower case!
Title: ## - [Section title, copy from the Magic Window, please]
Artist: Lucius Apuleius
Album: The Metamorphosis or Golden Ass
Please ignore tags for Genre and Track Number - these will be filled in automatically at the cataloguing stage.
Transfer of files (completed recordings)
Please always post in this forum thread when you've sent a file.
Also, post the length of the recording (file duration: mm:ss) together with the link.- Upload your file with the LibriVox Uploader (when your upload is complete, you will receive a link - please post it in this thread):
http://upload.librivox.org
(If you have trouble reading the image above, please message an admin)
You'll need to select the MC, which for this project is: le - Leni - If this doesn't work, or you have questions, please check our How To Send Your Recording wiki page.
- Upload your file with the LibriVox Uploader (when your upload is complete, you will receive a link - please post it in this thread):
Please post below or PM me.