I first came across Ovid's Metamorphoses in a college art history class in which the book functioned as our only textbook. We had to read then entire thing before the semester started, and then spent the term examining visual representations of its narratives. It was a really engaging, rewarding class, and it sparked a lasting admiration for the text.

Practically every student reads some kind of mythology in school, especially Robert Graves or Edith Hamilton, and I can't really imagine a worse way of getting young people interested in Greek/Roman mythology. Above all else, Metamorphoses functions as a prose poem, and even reading it in translation is a sublime experience. It's structure is very conducive to re-readings and a good version will have an index, allowing you to read precisely the stories that interest you, which also makes it a handy reference tool. But nothing really compares to the experience of reading it cover-to-cover and engaging with it as a holistic narrative.

The Bookhive List is a weekly recommendation of my all-time favorite, must-read books.