First published 2023
Psyche's extraordinary beauty catches the eye of Cupid, who takes her as his bride. Their marriage sends Venus into a fury. The goddess of love refuses to accept that a mortal woman has captured her son's devotion. Venus devises a cruel plan to destroy their bond by forcing Psyche through a series of deadly challenges. The young bride must sort enormous piles of mixed grains, gather fleece from ferocious rams, and journey into the underworld itself. Each trial becomes more dangerous than the last. Psyche stretches herself beyond what she thought possible as she struggles to reunite with her divine husband. The ordeals reveal strengths within her that she never knew existed. This verse translation by H. Gurney brings fresh life to Apuleius's ancient tale of a woman prepared to risk everything for love.
Genres: classics, romance, mythology, fantasy, poetry, epic-poetry
Vibes: emotional, lyrical, mythic, romantic, transformative
Tropes: divine-wrath, forbidden-love, transformation-through-suffering, trials-of-devotion
Period: Ancient
256 pages · Paperback · Cambridge University Press
Content warnings: death