The Complete Book of the Art of Love

Name: The Complete Book of the Art of Love
ISBN: 9787507556339

奥维德 / 曹元勇Sino-Culture Press · ChinaFeb 2023

3.8

Word count: 139K words
Chapters: 16
ISBN: 9787507556339

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Summary

The Love Books of Ovid is a legendary and ill-fated classic of ancient Rome and world literary history—a famous work by the Roman poet Ovid and a classic exploration of love between men and women, imbued throughout with poetic beauty and romantic atmosphere. The book discusses the techniques and art of love, but it is not merely a dating guide; through these discussions it describes how to truly learn to love oneself and how to discover and recognize one's own beauty. The book addresses, from both male and female perspectives, how to find love when romance begins and how to sustain a relationship. It then offers techniques and methods for better coping with heartbreak when a relationship falls apart, helping the brokenhearted dispel their inner gloom and pain.

The translation uses the version by well-known Chinese publisher Cao Yuanyong, which is faithful to the original content and conveys the original's temperament and spirit to readers as fully as possible.

The illustrations are intended to use the color and black-and-white illustrations from the 1925 Bodley Head edition; the images are vivid in color without being vulgar, possess high artistic value, and form a harmonious pairing with the translated text.

Editor's review

As one of the representative works of the ancient Roman poet Ovid, The Love Books has long been shrouded in mystery. This edition from Huawen Publishing House presents this classical text in a relatively complete form. In terms of content, the book is far from a simple "love guide"; rather, it is Ovid's literary dissection—with his characteristic wit and poetry—of ancient Roman social customs, gender relations, and social etiquette. It contains both concrete advice on courtship and abundant irony, playfulness, and profound observation of human emotion, reflecting the complex dimensions of the author as a poet of the "art of love." Its reading value lies in allowing readers to glimpse the social and cultural landscape and the details of civic life in Rome at its height, while savoring Ovid's exquisite rhetorical art and the stirrings of humanism. It should be noted that many views in the book bear clear historical and cultural limitations; modern readers must interpret it with a historical and critical eye in order to strip away its surface narrative and draw nourishment from its insights into human nature, social interaction, and literary beauty. It is more like a mirror across time, reflecting the eternal debate over "love" and "rules" in different eras.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers with a strong interest in ancient Roman literature and social and cultural history
Thinkers who wish to explore the historical evolution of gender relations and social customs through classical texts
Literature lovers who appreciate classical poetic rhetoric and satirical art and are capable of close reading
Readers seeking to understand the origins of Western love poetics and related cultural concepts

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting practical guidance on modern relationships or emotional comfort
Readers lacking basic knowledge of and patience for classical literature, or unable to accept its historical limitations

Reading tips

Begin with the translator's preface or related introduction to learn about Ovid's life, creative background, and the special place and controversies of this book in literary history
When reading, consult materials on ancient Roman history and social customs and understand the text in its specific historical context, avoiding simple judgment by modern values
Focus on Ovid's poetic language and rhetorical techniques to appreciate how he transforms social observation into artistic literary expression

About the publisher

Sino-Culture Press China · Founded in 1987

Sino-Culture Press is known for publishing in history, social sciences and traditional Chinese culture, with a further reach into literary appreciation, classic works and foreign literature. Its library of 489 titles includes such works as The Road to Dongpo: The Evolution of Su Shi's Poetic Style, The Poetry and Life of Du Fu, The History of Qin and Han, and Six Hundred Years of the Forbidden City (collector's edition), while A Preliminary Survey of Ancient Architecture in Shanxi and Fen: Hand-drawn Records of Architectural Remains reflects an interest in documenting architectural heritage. Van Loon's Collected Classics and guided-reading editions of works such as Call to Arms and Notre-Dame de Paris serve general readers and classroom use. Its authors include scholars and popular writers such as Fu Junmai, Chen Linlin, Van Loon, Wang Longlin and Guan Ranrong, and biography is another direction. As public information is limited, this note focuses on the publishing profile shown by the titles in the library.

版权信息
出版说明
爱经
第一卷
第二卷
第三卷
爱药
美容
恋歌
箴言
第一卷
第二卷
第三卷
译后记
新版补记
限量珍藏版补记

FAQ

Is The Love Books a practical manual teaching dating techniques?

Not so. It is a literary poem born in a specific historical period of ancient Rome. Although presented in the form of "instruction," it is full of the poet's artistic exaggeration, social satire, and cultural observation. Modern readers should regard it primarily as a window into ancient Roman social life and Ovid's literary style, not as a practical action guide.

Is it true that Ovid was exiled because of The Love Books?

This is a famous unresolved case in literary history. The traditional view holds that Ovid's exile by Emperor Augustus was related to The Love Books and another work, which offended the moral reform edicts promoted by the emperor at the time. But the specific reasons are complex and may also involve court politics and other factors. It is an academic consensus that the content of The Love Books conflicted with the values officially promoted at the time.

What are the features of this edition of The Love Books?

This Huawen Publishing House edition typically includes The Art of Love, The Remedies for Love, On Facial Treatment for Ladies, and other related pieces, striving to present a relatively complete textual collection. The specific translation style and level of annotation depend on the edition; it is advisable to consult the preface, afterword, or introduction before reading to understand its editorial approach.

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About the author

奥维德 Author

Ovid was a poet of ancient Rome. Public information about his life and nationality is limited, yet his surviving works have had a lasting influence. Four of his works are included in this collection: The Art of Love, The Art of Love (complete edition), and Metamorphoses and The Art of Poetry in Yang Zhouhan's collected works; they are commonly classified under foreign literature and intimate relationships. His writing is mainly in verse and spans love instruction and mythological narrative. The former explores attraction, courtship techniques, and intimacy in a light, witty tone tinged with playfulness and irony; the latter weaves together a wealth of Greek and Roman myths in dense, imaginative storytelling that greatly influenced later European literature and art. Ovid embeds psychological observation and worldly wisdom in elegant lines, and his love poetry both entertains and reflects the social customs of his time, continuing to attract Chinese readers today.

曹元勇 Author

Cao Yuanyong: public information is limited, and his nationality, dates of birth and death, and educational background cannot be confirmed. Judging from the six works recorded in the database, his work is largely related to the translation and editing of foreign literature, including The Waves, No Country for Old Men, The Inside of the Wind, or the Novel of Hero and Leander, The Last Love of Constantinople: A Tarot Novel for Fortune-Telling, and The Complete Book of the Art of Love. These titles span classic fiction, suspense and mystery, and experimental love narratives, suggesting an interest in narrative form and foreign texts, with choices that balance literary quality and readability. In the absence of autobiographical or biographical materials, his editorial and translation direction can only be inferred from the list of works, and his writing style and personal influence await further documentation.