Long Live Latin
The Pleasures of a Useless Language
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
A lively exploration of the joys of a not-so-dead language
From the acclaimed novelist and Oxford professor Nicola Gardini, a personal and passionate look at the Latin language: its history, its authors, its essential role in education, and its enduring impact on modern life—whether we call it “dead” or not.
What use is Latin? It’s a question we’re often asked by those who see the language of Cicero as no more than a cumbersome heap of ruins, something to remove from the curriculum. In this sustained meditation, Gardini gives us his sincere and brilliant reply: Latin is, quite simply, the means of expression that made us—and continues to make us—who we are. In Latin, the rigorous and inventive thinker Lucretius examined the nature of our world; the poet Propertius told of love and emotion in a dizzying variety of registers; Caesar affirmed man’s capacity to shape reality through reason; Virgil composed the Aeneid, without which we’d see all of Western history in a different light.
In Long Live Latin, Gardini shares his deep love for the language—enriched by his tireless intellectual curiosity—and warmly encourages us to engage with a civilization that has never ceased to exist, because it’s here with us now, whether we know it or not. Thanks to his careful guidance, even without a single lick of Latin grammar readers can discover how this language is still capable of restoring our sense of identity, with a power that only useless things can miraculously express.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this spirited linguistic jaunt, novelist Gardini (Lost Words) makes a strong argument for studying a supposedly "dead language" to unlock its beauty, history, and continued liveliness. Like the best linguists, he exhibits a knack for unpacking the meanings that can be hidden in a single word. Yet, Gardini takes his project a step further, and in short chapters, sums up the essential facts about an ancient author (say, Lucretius, whose "De rerum natura reveals the atomic structure of the universe in six books") or the significance of a classic text. He describes in simple, clear terms the Aeneid's impact on literature "as a condensation of the Iliad and the Odyssey" that in turn informed later literary luminaries, and elucidates the passages that bring him the most delight. Gardini's defense of Latin is not novel, and in fact, most people who pick this up will likely already be convinced that Latin is far from a "useless language." The book's real value is to assist and encourage during the reader's own exploration of ancient Latin texts. Anyone who embarks on such a voyage will find this a helpful and contagiously enthusiastic companion.
