"Long Live Latin" Book

iamrian

Member

Location:
California
I am thinking of reading "Long Live Latin" by Nicola Gardini. Has anyone here read it? It's pretty new so maybe not.

On that topic, does anyone have any Latin-focused easy-reading texts? Looking for something fun but not overpowering.
 
I am almost done with that book.

It is a little odd--translated from Italian. And the author...thinks a lot of himself.

But I like it. First, I like books like it because it has blocks of Latin every few pages. I find it tiring, and I would say I am Intermediate (self taught), to read page after solid page of Latin. So any book, and I have found many, some very old, which scatter the Latin over multiple pages, is more interesting to me. (He has the English translations--but, of course, those are only a help. Wiktionary and his translation in hand I dive into the more literal meaning of the Latin. It is like having a crossword puzzle with the answers at the end of the book--use it as you wish.)

Second, he covers a wide variety of writers, and their Latin. So I also get the Roman culture and history, and part of the entire heritage. That is a large reason why I am learning Latin, so it is a big plus--and, with no offense, why Ritchie Fabulae was not as exciting for me--have not finished it--again, if you are learning Latin, it depends deeply on why you are doing it.

Being exposed to Jerome's Vulgate, for example, and seeing how it so utterly different (simpler, easier, not in a bad way) was a.....revelation.

And, frankly, since few are eating out, the money saved means any book is ridiculously cheap.
 
 

Terry S.

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Location:
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And, frankly, since few are eating out, the money saved means any book is ridiculously cheap.
That's how I price things these days, not in Euros, but in Loebs.
 

iamrian

Member

Location:
California
I am almost done with that book.

It is a little odd--translated from Italian. And the author...thinks a lot of himself.

But I like it. First, I like books like it because it has blocks of Latin every few pages. I find it tiring, and I would say I am Intermediate (self taught), to read page after solid page of Latin. So any book, and I have found many, some very old, which scatter the Latin over multiple pages, is more interesting to me. (He has the English translations--but, of course, those are only a help. Wiktionary and his translation in hand I dive into the more literal meaning of the Latin. It is like having a crossword puzzle with the answers at the end of the book--use it as you wish.)

Second, he covers a wide variety of writers, and their Latin. So I also get the Roman culture and history, and part of the entire heritage. That is a large reason why I am learning Latin, so it is a big plus--and, with no offense, why Ritchie Fabulae was not as exciting for me--have not finished it--again, if you are learning Latin, it depends deeply on why you are doing it.

Being exposed to Jerome's Vulgate, for example, and seeing how it so utterly different (simpler, easier, not in a bad way) was a.....revelation.

And, frankly, since few are eating out, the money saved means any book is ridiculously cheap.

David,

Thanks for the post!

I am also self-taught and am looking for an easy-to-read book that will just engage me with the great writers of that time. It sounds like this book does that, so I am excited to give it a go. Thanks for confirming that for me!

I am curious how you have gone about the "self-taught" method. For me, it has been: Wheelock's Latin, Duolingo Latin and I am now using Commentary from Geoffrey Steadman (Latin with lots of helps on each page). I also use Quizlet to keep my vocabulary fresh.

I would love to know what you do to keep your Latin going.
 
David,

Thanks for the post!

I am also self-taught and am looking for an easy-to-read book that will just engage me with the great writers of that time. It sounds like this book does that, so I am excited to give it a go. Thanks for confirming that for me!

I am curious how you have gone about the "self-taught" method. For me, it has been: Wheelock's Latin, Duolingo Latin and I am now using Commentary from Geoffrey Steadman (Latin with lots of helps on each page). I also use Quizlet to keep my vocabulary fresh.

I would love to know what you do to keep your Latin going.
Almost the same course. All the Wheelock books (1 1/2 years). Lingua Latina Per Se Illustrata (started this later--still pecking at book 2) Duolingo (but at that point that was too easy--but it was nice to just have regular practice). My children gave me Pharr's Aeneid--book 4 was almost life changing.

Then I just started ordering just about everything Roman/Latin on Amazon. Also turns out the local public library had many books--very interesting to see the world's perspective from the 1930s, or late 1800s. The Blackwell History of the Latin Language gave some excellent background info.)
 

iamrian

Member

Location:
California
Almost the same course. All the Wheelock books (1 1/2 years). Lingua Latina Per Se Illustrata (started this later--still pecking at book 2) Duolingo (but at that point that was too easy--but it was nice to just have regular practice). My children gave me Pharr's Aeneid--book 4 was almost life changing.

Then I just started ordering just about everything Roman/Latin on Amazon. Also turns out the local public library had many books--very interesting to see the world's perspective from the 1930s, or late 1800s. The Blackwell History of the Latin Language gave some excellent background info.)
David, thanks for the update! It is satisfying to hear how other people are making their way into the world of Latin. I also gave the Lingua Latina a try, but found it a little too tedious. It showed me that a good story is critical in the desire to translate. And, I agree with your assessment of Duolingo too. It had some pretty hilarious sentences! Thanks, also, for the note on the Blackwell History of Latin. That might be my next one!
 
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