Perseus et Medusa: A Latin Novella

Puer ex Seripho #2

by Andrew Olimpi

Perseus and his friends Xanthius and Phaedra face monsters, dangers, and overwhelming odds in this exciting conclusion of "The Boy from Seriphos." This novel, consisting of only 300 unique Latin words (including close English cognates), is an adaptation of the myth of Perseus and Medusa, retold in the style of a young adult fantasy novel. Suitable for intermediate students of Latin

108 pages, Paperback

Published July 28, 2017

Reviews

[Addie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Latin sequel to its first book (Perseus et Rex Malus) gets 5 stars! The story line was perfect. It was about Perseus (with his friends) finding Medusa in order to bring Medusa's head to the king so he can save his mother from the awful fate of marrying the king. The interest of the story hooked me. The amount of Latin words used was a great step up from the easier readers I had been reading to push me further in my ability to recall and reuse the same words with enough repetition that they sunk in well. I know Olimpi uses Greek and Roman mythology as his basis for these readers, but he has such a good way of adapting them for the modern reader that he definitely needs credit for his work! This reader had way less pictures, and was longer than the first book, so it really felt much more like reading a novel instead of a beginner reader. I believe that's one of the reasons I liked this one too. It feels good to read a book in a new language you're learning, and reading this book gave me that feeling.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second part of Andrew Olimpi’s “retelling of an ancient myth in the style of a modern young adult fantasy novel” is every bit as good as the first. It’s mostly written in classical Latin but Olimpi is also influenced by later writers. The result is an immediately engaging voice and a page-turning narrative.

[Dana Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Level E (Intermediate Mid)

[Garrett Saul · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read for intermediate Latin students! The chapters were short and the story was exciting.

[Kieran Reid · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great book for Latin beginners. My class had so much run reading this together. We really improved on our latin and had a lot of fun with the plot.