Young Ovid: An Unfinished Posthumous Biography

Middlebrook (Anne Sexton) died before she could complete this biography of the Roman poet Ovid, but what she did finish is certainly of great value. Using fictional passages (presented in italics) to depict Ovid’s life, she paints a vivid portrait of the poet’s birth in 43 B.C.E. and his upbringing, ascribing his storytelling in part to his mother’s narrative talents. Middlebrook’s well-researched work provides insights into the diverse elements of Roman life, from horses to education, and even divorce. But Middlebrook is most persuasive when she interprets how Ovid came to write his masterpieces, Metamorphoses and Amores—both excerpted in the book’s annotated selections of Ovid’s poetry. She also makes symbolic connections, such as between the myth of the weaver Arachne and the art of storytelling, and poses unresolved questions, such as whether Ovid’s wife provided the model for a character in Amores. Alas, Middlebrook was unable to complete her original plan to comprehensively chronicle Ovid’s life, and as it stands, the book leaves the poet at the age of 20. A touching afterword by Middlebrook’s husband, the writer and chemist Carl Djerassi, tells the story behind Middlebrook’s work on the project, which continued up to her death from cancer in 2007. [em](Dec.) [/em]