Apuleius
Sarah Ruden · 2011
Sarah Ruden's 2011 translation is the one I'd start with — reviewers call it both the most faithful and the most entertaining yet, catching the novel's farce and verbal excess where staider versions flatten it. This is where I'd start.
E. J. Kenney · 1998
E. J. Kenney's Penguin edition has the best notes you can get for the price, in a clear, reliable translation. The study-friendly standard if you want guidance through Apuleius's tangle of stories.
Joel C. Relihan · 2007
Joel Relihan's Hackett version leans hard into Apuleius's weirdness — alliteration, coinages, anachronism — to recreate the original's showmanship. Divisive and fun; the choice if you want the style foregrounded.
William Adlington · 1566
William Adlington's 1566 translation is public domain and free — the Elizabethan English of Shakespeare's era. A historical pleasure more than a smooth first read. Free and complete.
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