Customer Reviews

Fairy Tales in Latin: Fabulae Mirabiles (Latin Edition)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
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Victor Barocas does miraculous thing with the language here. Not only does he capture the imagery of the fairy tales presented, be he does so with perfect accuracy. There is no question; This is the authoritative work on the subject. I would recommend this book for anyone; From people with small children, to whom they wish to read in latin, to the adult student who wishes to see a prime example of the latin language in use. On a side note, the fairy tales presented here are fabulous. Thier moral imperatives, financial planning, and general life examples are touching for any generation.

I teach Latin, and picked this book up to spice up the bonecrushing and endless grammar. The students (high schoolers) love it. Where else can you read "huffabo et puffabo et tuum domum inflabo"? (I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house down.) It's fun because they already know the stories, and can fit the Latin to memories. So the grammar insinuates itself painlessly.

But be warned, the first two little pigs DON'T survive. Disney lied.

I stumbled across this in a very broad search for any book in Latin. I viewed the sample pages and noticed it was pretty easy to understand right away. I could read most of it using the little Latin that I learned from Latin I. And by looking at the context, I could figure out some of the words I had not already known. But, to make things better, the book has a glossary/dictionary in the back with ALMOST all of the words used in the selections. I really enjoy this book. I take it to school (I'm a high school senior), in the van on long or short trips, or I just carry it around in my hands in case I ever get the urge to read a fairy tale in Latin. It is well worth the price my parents paid to get this as a Christmas present for me!

One more thing. Before I used this book, I did not fully understand how the subjunctive worked, how to read "ut" in context (so that, in order that, etc), and I memorized a lot more of the passive verbs and their tenses. And now... I have a firm grip on the functions of the subjunctive and "ut"!

This is a delightful collection of twelve well-known fairy tales rendered in impeccable Latin. The familiar content and avoidance of complicated syntax or difficult words make them a fine choice for intermediate students. To see Latin used playfully at a time when they're not ready for Ovid should be a treat after slogging through gerundives and the like. Barocas's translations have the virtue of skillfully employing syntax Latin students should be able to understand and recognize; there's a relative clause of purpose in the very first sentence, for example. Seeing the Latin form of a sentence whose meaning you essentially know is an effective way to learn how the language works. One last note: included as a bonus is a very complete glossary!

I am studying out of Wheelock's Latin and have completed the first eight chapters. I find that I can understand almost every word within these fairly tales because the stories are already known to me, and I can anticipate the meaning of words that I do not know.
My son is a quarter of the way through First Year Latin by Smith and Thompson. Fabulae Mirabiles is a little more difficult for him, so he relies on the humorous pictures in some instances.

What do you do when you've completed a text of basic Latin grammar, but aren't ready yet for Cicero? For me, FAIRY TALES IN LATIN is a great solution:

1. I know the stories so well, they almost tell themselves.

2. I found myself breezing through grammar that gave me grief when I was learning it. I read right through the subjunctive, conditionals, and more without even realizing it!

3. The writers put to good use the repetition common to fairy tales by using different voices and vocabulary.

4. While you'll probably never again see a few of the new vocabulary (did the ancient Romans eat porridge?), there's *plenty* that you will.

Word order is more English than Latin. But at this stage of the game, I think that's a good thing. The experts may hold a different opinion.

All I know is that this book has solidified my ability to read selections that include many areas of grammar, and has expanded my vocabulary.

There are no macrons in either the stories themselves or the glossary. Don't panic! It becomes easy fast. Hey, we'll have to face de-macroned Latin sometime :-)

I just love that, with only a little effort, I can read through these stories. In Latin! Get this book.

I found this book to be an enjoyable, easy read. Only a few times have a had to look in the back dictionary. The stories are familiar to most people, and this helps, I believe in the Latin understanding. The style of writing is simple and also facilitates learning.
One should probably have studied at least a year of Latin before reading this book, although I imagine that even beginner students would be able to get something out of the book. The book uses subjunctive clauses often and so it would be good to be familiar with them.
It is a great way to make the transition from reading "stilted Latin" to "living Latin". A great preparation for reading classic texts.

Light and well known subject matter - I should think youngsters starting in Latin would like it, with help.

It's a very nice and readable book that is entertaining to read. I often read stories out to my son and he is happy to listen to them. The only downside are a number of spelling mistakes and sometimes wrong case endings. If you're looking for something a bit easier try "Puer Zingiberi Panis". There are loads of colorful pictures that my son loves to look at while I read to him.Puer Zingiberi Panis: et Fabulae Alterae (Latin Edition).

If you're up for something a bit harder try Fabulae Divales: Fairy Tales in Latin (Latin Edition). The stories are longer and there are no pictures, but the Latin is great (see translator in Insula Thesauraria).

I have one year of university level Latin, an out of practice intermediate reader. I don't grasp all the vocab in this book, but the fun part is that you already know the basic story so you can more easily figure out from your foggy memories of Latin and fairy tales. I think this sort of excercize makes you more creative and understanding in your Latin reading skills since you are reasoning it out with out a text book lesson in front of you. I read it to my daughter to give her exposure to another language. Great book, fun.