Living with a Dead Language: My Romance with Latin
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15
Ratings2
Average rating3
“A delightful mix of grammar and growth, words and wonder.” – The Washington Post An entertaining exploration of the richness and relevance of the Latin language and literature, and an inspiring account of finding renewed purpose through learning something new and challenging After thirty-five years as a book editor in New York City, Ann Patty stopped working and moved to the country. Bored, aimless, and lost in the woods, she hoped to challenge her restless, word-loving brain by beginning a serious study of Latin at local colleges. As she begins to make sense of Latin grammar and syntax, her studies open unexpected windows into her own life. The louche poetry of Catullus calls up her early days in 1970s New York, Lucretius elucidates her intractable drivenness and her attraction to Buddhism, while Ovid’s verse conjures a delightful dimension to the flora and fauna that surround her. Women in Roman history, and an ancient tomb inscription give her new understanding and empathy for her tragic, long deceased mother. Finally, Virgil reconciles her to her new life—no longer an urban exile, but a rustic scholar, writer and teacher. Along the way, she meets an impassioned cast of characters: professors, students and classicists outside of academia who keep Latin very much alive. Written with humor, heart, and an infectious enthusiasm for words, Patty’s book is an object lesson in how learning and literature can transform the past and lead to an unexpected future.
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I really enjoyed this book. It was like a nostalgia tour of my six years studying Latin in middle and high school, and made me regret anew that I did not continue my studies in college. The vocab and grammar expositions, while at times getting a little too into the weeds, were interspersed with enough anecdotes and personal reflections to keep the narrative moving. It is brave of Ann Patty to have written so frankly about her life experiences. Now I want to go audit some Latin classes!
If you're interested in learning more about what goes into learning Latin, this may be a good way to dip your toe into the water. However, proceed with caution if you have a low tolerance for secondhand embarrassment because this book definitely provides.
Overall I enjoyed following along with the author's language learning process, but I found myself cringing at many of her observations towards her peers. I can't help but wonder if she put any thought into how these professors, students, and her loved ones would feel about the way she was describing them in this very public book. I felt uncomfortable with how often she was describing young college freshmen as “oozing sex” - if this were a male author describing young female students the same way how would people feel? She also included statements from professors talking about the private lives of their students in regards to learning disabilities etc. - which is downright illegal.
I also felt bad for her boyfriend, George. While her previous husbands were given practically glowing anecdotes, George was constantly pushed to the side and described as if he were a blundering, unintelligent fool. At one point she even compared him to her previous husbands to point out how “unrefined” he was.
Her self-professed need to constantly have at least one gay “husband” in her social sphere was also cringey and outdated. I understand that the author is coming from a different era, but you'd think someone along the publishing lines would have pointed out her lack of self-awareness on occasion. Though perhaps the fact that the author herself is in publishing is what caused this.
