This volume investigates the concept of metalepsis within ancient texts, questioning how classical authors manipulated narrative boundaries to engage their audiences. The editors, Gail Trimble and Sebastian Matzner, curate a collection of scholarly essays that apply modern narratological frameworks to Greek and Latin literature. By examining the intersection of authorial voice, character perspective, and reader interaction, the contributors argue that ancient writers employed sophisticated techniques to collapse the distance between the fictional world and the reality of the audience.

Scholars in the field of classics recognize this work as a significant contribution to the application of narratology to ancient literature. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which is intended for researchers and advanced students of classical philology.