{"product_id":"venus-and-adonis","title":"Venus and Adonis","description":"\u003ch4 class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe goddess of love pursues a mortal boy. He wants to hunt. She wants to seduce. Nobody wins.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShakespeare's first published work is an erotic narrative poem that became the sensation of the 1590s—a playful, passionate, and surprisingly tragic retelling of Ovid's myth.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVenus, the goddess of love, has fallen for Adonis, a beautiful young hunter who cares only for horses and boars. She corners him in a forest, kisses him, pleads with him, and tries to persuade him that love is better than glory. He resists. He is embarrassed. He wants to go home. When Venus faints, he panics and runs away. The next morning, Adonis ignores her warnings and hunts the wild boar, which kills him. A flower grows from his blood. Venus, heartbroken, returns to Cyprus, vowing that from now on, love will always be mixed with sorrow.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is Shakespeare at his most young and exuberant: a poem about desire, rejection, and the terrible fact that the things we love most refuse to love us back. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVenus and Adonis\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e was Shakespeare's biggest commercial success in his lifetime—more popular than any of his plays.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublished in 1593, dedicated to Henry Wriothesley, the Earl of Southampton (Shakespeare's patron)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWritten during the plague years, when London's theaters were closed\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOne of the most frequently reprinted works of the Elizabethan era, going through at least 16 editions before 1640\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAvailable in multiple formats:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePaperback \u0026amp; Hardcover:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Beautifully designed print editions presenting the complete, unabridged text made to last.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEbook:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e DRM-free EPUB compatible with Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, and all major e-readers.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAudiobook:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Professionally narrated, complete and unabridged, available on all major audiobook platforms.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA beautifully crafted edition for your shelf, your device, or your ears—or the perfect gift for anyone who knows that love is a hunter, and sometimes the prey escapes.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ds-markdown-paragraph\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWilliam Shakespeare\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e (1564–1616) was an English playwright, poet, and actor, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the English language. Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, he moved to London and became a shareholder in the Lord Chamberlain's Men (later the King's Men). \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVenus and Adonis\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e was Shakespeare's first published work, appearing in 1593 when he was 29 years old. The poem was an enormous success, reprinted frequently and praised by everyone from students to courtiers. It established Shakespeare's reputation as a poet before he was fully known as a playwright. The poem draws on Ovid's \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMetamorphoses\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, but Shakespeare expands Venus's speeches into a playful, frustrated, and surprisingly philosophical meditation on the nature of desire. The poem's erotic content was controversial, but its popularity never waned. Shakespeare's other major works include \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHamlet\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRomeo and Juliet\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Sonnets\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Tempest\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. He died in 1616 at the age of 52 and is buried in Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Casa Carlini","offers":[{"title":"Audiobook","offer_id":54423664296308,"sku":null,"price":10.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Ebook","offer_id":54423664329076,"sku":null,"price":4.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":54423664361844,"sku":null,"price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":54423664394612,"sku":null,"price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0988\/5561\/6884\/files\/casa-carlini-simple-audiobook-venus-and-adonis-53566708285812.png?v=1779965689","url":"https:\/\/casacarlini.com\/products\/venus-and-adonis","provider":"Casa Carlini","version":"1.0","type":"link"}