Long Live Latin
by Nicola Gardini
translated by Todd Portnowitz
Farrar, Straus and Giroux : 12 November 2019 : 224 pp. : 9780374284527
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.
Nicola Gardini teaches Italian and comparative literature at Oxford University. He has translated works by Catullus and Marcus Aurelius into Italian, and his most recent novel, Lost Words, was awarded the Viareggio Literary Award and the Zerilli-Marimò/City of Rome Prize.
Listen to the audiobook of Long Live Latin
Narrated by the translator
Praise for Long Live Latin
“Nicola Gardini’s paean to Latin belongs on the shelf alongside Nabokov’s Lectures on Literature. With a similar blend of erudition, reverence, and impeccable close reading, he connects the dots between etymology and poetry, between syntax and society. And he proves, in the process, that a mysterious and magnificent language, born in ancient Rome, is still relevant to each and every one of us.” ―Jhumpa Lahiri, author of In Other Words
“Nicola Gardini’s Long Live Latin is not only a learned crash course in the splendors of Latin literature, but also an inspiring demonstration on why Latin still matters. Passionate, wise, and, finally, ennobling, this is a must read for anyone with even a passing interest in the subject.” ―Ann Patty, author of Living with a Dead Language: My Romance with Latin
“Fascinating . . . [Gardini’s] precise, writerly descriptions of the texts are often exciting and infectious in themselves.. . . Part of the appeal of a book like Long Live Latin is the promise of escaping the tumult and babble of our contemporary discourse . . . For Gardini, the promise of Latin is that getting to the root of words, understanding what they meant before they got into Italian or English or any other Romance language, is getting at what underlies and defines our vexing Western culture . . . [The] translation ably captures Gardini’s bombast and fussiness alike.” —Will Boast, Los Angeles Review of Books
“Gardini is a very good close reader. His chapters on individual authors demonstrate convincingly how particular writers push Latin to its linguistic limits . . . Many of the book’s best moments are deeply personal.” —Shmoit Dutta, Times Literary Supplement
”Gardini explains lucidly, compellingly and passionately how and why [Latin] is so elegant, beautiful, expressive and succinct. Go seek out your Aeneid parallel text and remind yourself.” —Susan Hill, The Spectator (“Best Books of 2020”)
“I am moved by Gardini’s fine writing, and the exceptional translation from the Italian by Todd Portnowitz . . . [The book’s] organizing principle is literary: it is a collection of beautiful passages, exquisitely turned out and deftly mined for their stylistic differences, interwoven with biographical reflections on Gardini’s experience with the language . . . His selections of passages are worth the cover price of the book alone, especially in his chapters on Propertius, Juvenal, and Horace. Gardini makes you want to turn back to Seneca’s letters, or to marvel at the novels of Apuleius and Petronius again, if not for the first time. In this vein, he is movingly clear on the formal achievements of Lucretius, and equally powerful in his rumination on semantic shifts from Latin cura (‘concern, dedication’) to English care. ‘The most ancient words in our language,’ he writes, ‘are like haunted houses.’” —Joel Christensen, Boston Review
“An important and informative book . . . Each chapter . . . feels like an encounter. Offering numerous personal anecdotes from his own life, Gardini’s writing is warm and conversational yet scholarly.” —Diane Scharper, National Review
“This fine book weaves philosophical and social history together with Latin’s linguistic development . . . Straightforward and guileless in its aim and opinion, [it] is a love letter to an ancient tongue.” —Mary Spencer, The New Criterion
“It's a genuine pleasure to hear spoken Latin—lots of it, and by many of the great classical authors, including Cicero, Ovid, and Virgil—and to follow the story of Gardini's lifelong infatuation with a language that is nowhere and everywhere in our modern lives. Portnowitz is a steady and effective narrator . . . This is an audiobook to appreciate on many levels.” —AudioFile (on the audiobook of Long Live Latin)
“Who knew a book on language could be so freshly informative and inspirational? . . . Gardini articulates the intricacies of Latin grammar and vocabulary, the complexities and pleasures of language acquisition and translation, the joys of reading and contemplating . . . He provides a plethora of passages, insights into literary analysis and translation, helpful etymological notes, and pointers for beginning Latin language study. Gardini’s musings on the Latin language are a glorious harmony of light-hearted personal memories, cultural history, and linguistic commentary. While literati and students in the Humanities would be the first to appreciate it, I believe everyone should read Long Live Latin, regardless of their chosen subjects, university majors, and professions.” —Azariah Alfante, NZ Booklovers
“[Gardini’s] essays are elegantly phrased, invariably perceptive and stimulating . . . A superb book.” —Roger Barnes, Classics for All
“Long Live Latin invites and entices you to delve into the devalued language, to come face to face with the language of civilization . . . A formidable mix of history, memoir and criticism . . . Gardini communicates passionately the beauty of Latin and why this ancient language is still essential to our lives today.” —Richard Cotter, Sydney Arts Guide
“A loving tribute to Latin as well as a compelling response to those who would call the language ‘useless’ . . . [Gardini’s] enthusiasm is infectious. Whether new to the study or remembering Latin lessons from years ago, interested readers will appreciate his insights, both translational and social.” —Jennifer Oleinik, Shelf Awareness (starred review)
“[A] spirited linguistic jaunt . . . Gardini 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.” —Publishers Weekly
“This love letter to Latin enthralls, illuminates, and convinces. Nobody could possibly describe Latin as a dead or useless language after reading it.” ―David Crystal, author of How Language Works
“A brilliant reminder that the supposedly dead language is alive and kicking―and still the most influential language in the world.” ―Harry Mount, author of Carpe Diem: Put a Little Latin in Your Life
“Highlighting the particular charms in the styles and attitudes of Latin’s greatest writers, this book will open many eyes to the unexpected pleasures of Latin.” ―Nicholas Ostler, author of Empires of the Word: A Language History of the World