Labyrinthus: A Latin Novella

by Andrew Olimpi

Princess Ariadna’s family is . . . well . . . complicated. Her father Minos, king of Crete, ignores her. Her mother is insane. Her half-brother is a literal monster—the Minotaur who lives deep within the twisting paths of the Labyrinth. When a handsome stranger arrives on the island, Ariadna is faced with the ultimate should she stay on the island of Crete, or should she abandon her family and her old life for a chance at escape . . . and love? This Latin language novella is adapted from Ovid’s "Metamorphoses" and Catullus’ "Carmen 64," and is suitable for all novice readers of Latin. This novella was written using only 120 unique Latin words, 45 of which are close English cognates.

Genres: Fiction

90 pages, Paperback

Published May 18, 2018

Reviews

[Dana Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Level B (Novice Mid)
Like the other two Latin novellas by Andrew Olimpi that I’ve read, this story has a first person narrator. Like Ego, Polyphemus, the entire story is told from the narrator’s point of view, which works better than the multiple narrators in Famila Mala: Saturnus et Iuppiter. Olimpi’s Ariadna is not quite as loveable as his Polyphemus, and her story is darker, too (although losing an eye, especially one’s only eye, is more tragic than comic, I suppose). Telling the story from Ariadna’s point of view allows Daedalus and Icarus to come into the Theseus and the Minotaur story, although we do not read of their attempted escape from Crete in this volume. I think my students will enjoy reading this book, and they will relate to Ariadna, who is, at least in this version of the tale, very much a teenaged girl.

[Tom Willis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good novella for beginning Latin readers. Lots of more advanced grammar sprinkled throughout to good affect, without being overwhelming (future passive participles, subjunctive mood, indirect statement). I read through it aloud with a friend the other night - a very enjoyable evening.

[Michael Arnold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hic liber, tam bonus est. Latinus adhuc est simplex, sed iocosus et pro iuvenibus.

[Nadia Techaratanaprasert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the book simple to understand with the pictures to represent specific words making it easy to understand what was going on in the story line. And a couple of translations for certain texts at the bottom of the page which was helpful as well & the dictionary included at the back of the book was useful too.

The content revolves around the Labyrinthus where the Minotaur is living in and the princess who is the Minotaurs sister and tells about her family and how the story plays on and Ariadna which is the princess is also struggling with a decision.

[Ronan O'Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

The latin is clear and basic, while having something more for developing readers to dig into. The story is a bit hectic and a lot happens in very few pages, but is a nice expansion of the Theseus and the Minotaur story. Not his best book, but still a great read for beginners of the latin language.

[John Damon Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hic liber deos antiquos falsos colit. Sed aliud quam satis-benne erat

[Addie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Latin reader that tells the story of the labyrinth and the minotaur, and introduces us to Daedalus and Icarus. Easy to read and understand, just like Olimpi's other Latin readers.

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Latin novella retelling the myth of the Minotaur and the Labyrinth, told from the point of view of Ariadne . . .

[Kookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did NOT expect the ending

[Garrett Saul · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun and entertaining read for beginner Latin students! Poor Icarus, though!

[Rebecca Thomason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that this tale comes from Ariadne's POV. Fun story. I can't wait to show my students.

[Sky Jacobson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a text that I had to read for my Latin class. A simple myth about Ariadne. Whereas most of the Latin books for beginners are perhaps a little overly repetitive and lacking in plot, which I understand because one would be reading to get better at Latin, not reading to enjoy the story, I felt that this book did both. Overall, if are looking for a slightly challenging read as a Latin beginner and want something that is interesting but also includes richer vocabulary and more complex constructions, I definitely recommend spending a week or two learning from this book.