Richard A. LaFleur

I'm super into this!

As a Cambridge Latin student in my youth, I developed a healthy scepticism of Wheelock's. But in recent years I have come to appreciate its approach to teaching the language in a first-year course. This volume is a healthy supplement, keyed to each of the chapters in that volume, and with the same learned but goofy tone. Here, however, the focus is on brief excerpts, inscriptions, and graffiti.

What I enjoy about this is its well-researched flair, the range of emotions show more and jokes from all of this authentic Latin material, and the way this introduces more cultural elements to a course than perhaps the main body of Wheelock's allows. And, rather than stopping there, it includes a healthy dose of commentary and elaboration to make this a rewarding book in its own right.

Perhaps for students taking Latin at the end of highschool or in first-year university, this could be a textbook associated with the course. However my recommendation is for the teacher to use this as a source of information - alongside the answer key one can obtain from the publisher - for in-class lessons and homework. It can be a benefit for the teacher to provide "fun" things the students haven't previously seen, and allow them to cherrypick rather than take the whole volume. The style allows for this very easily.

A satisfying addition to my Latin collection. show less

It seems odd to rate this book at all, given it's essentially unedited (or minimally edited) existing texts.

This is a neat collection of intermediate-level authentic Latin texts. There's no Caesar in sight, and little of the regular poets one might think of for highschool learners. The level here is consistently difficult. A student who has got through all of the Wheelock's texts including the unedited excerpts at the end, would still need some guidance here from a teacher and a good show more dictionary. (And one hopes, some additional fun translating Catullus and, yes, even a bit of Caesar, on the side!) But this is a good test of one's skill. Also a nice reminder for students - whether in classroom or on their own - that, on the other side of this text, lie hundreds of authentic Roman plays, essays, histories, and non-fiction books to be (slowly) (very slowly) (verrrrry slowly) devoured. show less

(Sciibblers, Sculptors, and scribed, a companion to Wheelock's Latin and other introductory textbooks)

Here is everything that the beginning student in Latin needs, from the
simplest graffiti to epitaphs, and from letters home to poetry, it's everyday stuff of life that helps one to remain engaged, and interested. Many items require only a rudimentary knowledge, and all are enormously approachable. Where was this text when I was first learning Latin grammar, in the long ago years? I'd have show more loved it.

This is an excellent resource for the beginning student, and also for those who simply enjoy reading for pleasure. show less

This was the best book I've ever had to translate from. The translation notes are on the opposite page from the text, so no annoying flipping back and forth! The notes themselves are very thorough. Everybody in the class loved this book. We even went so far as to discuss sending love letters to the author, editor, and publisher. There's also a poem in the introduction that I quite like. It was written by one of the author's students I think.