Filia Regis et Monstrum Horribile (Comprehensible Classics) (Latin Edition)

I am an adult who is learning Latin in my spare time for fun and bought Filia Regis to shore up my sight reading skills. For those who have completed Chapter 25 in Orberg's Lingua Latina Per Se Illustrata, Olimpi's text should pose little difficulty, and the ability to read a text in Latin swiftly, with minimal gloss, is a great boost to one's confidence while practicing familiar vocabulary in new contexts. The story is drawn from Apuleis's Tale of Psyche and makes for engaging bed time reading. Olimpi's illustrations, while somewhat quaint, shares certain features with the work of Sir Quentin Blake.Unfortunately, the text is marred by a number of typos throughout and in the footnotes. Additionally, the glossary in the back of the novella only gives the nominative form of the word, which means you'll have to consult a dictionary to find the genitive case to tell you the declension. These are minor quibbles, however, as Mr. Olimpi has done the beginning Latin student a great service in providing a readable supplemental text that will serve as a foundation for transitioning to more advanced material.

Definitely a pleasant read for early Latin students. This is the story of Pysche and Cupid.As the author wrote, the vocabulary is limited, but the use of grammar was not especially simplified. Long marks are given in the text, which I personally appreciate. Footnotes appear on virtually every page defining difficult expressions or vocabulary items which appear in bold. There is a small dictionary of terms in the back as well, which consists of both the footnoted items and the so-called "core vocabulary" (words like "who", "to love", "food", "to hear" that are typically learned in the first year). There are illustrations help to demonstrate words so that flipping to the dictionary isn't always needed. There is no translation of the Latin text provided, but honestly, the sentences are so simple that I never found myself unsure of the meaning.The story is well-written and the cliffhangers at the end of the chapters pushes the reader to want to see what happens next. I wish we had novellas like this ten years ago; I don't know why people insist on teaching Latin the the hard way. The author is clearly familiar in the second-language acquisition TPRS ("Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling"), which if I'm not mistaken, now has actual research that demonstrates its superiority over traditional grammar-translation methods. TPRS books have very sheltered vocabulary but high repetition of vocabulary items. In other words, though there are just 125 unique words, the story is approximately 71 pages long (in large font + illustrations), so probably a few thousand words in total.The short version: perfect for students or young readers (if they have been exposed to Latin). If you have passed your first year Latin course and will be continuing to the second year, this book is excellent. The number of pages and the ease with which you can read the book helps build confidence and reading fluency. There is a sense of progress and achievement that can really motivate the reader.

This is a GREAT story. Loved it. It starts out like "Beauty and the Beast" and then Psyche has to do Labors like Hercules. And the ending is unexpected.What's good about it.It is 71 pages of interesting easy reading Latin. You can read it without translating!Limited vocabulary (around 125 words). I don't know how he managed to write such an interesting story with so few words!The chapters are short, and end with cliff hangers.Year 2 Latin: includes future, past, ad + gerund, and a few subjunctives. All make sense in context, and there are footnotes for anything challenging.The Glossary has lively English definitions "consilium capit" "adopts a plan, seizes on an idea" "Esto bono animo" "Cheer up!" and includes phrases "vestimenta nuptialia" "wedding clothes". It is easier to read than "Itinera Petri: Flammae Ducant" (also good).1 Please make an audio version too. We need audio Latin too.2 Please write more books on year 2 or 3 to level. (How about Caesar and the Pirates!)Remember to re-read novellas. That's when the real learning happens. Read it until you can read it at speed without translating. Maybe 7 times. JacobulusIt's based on a Latin Story "Cupid et Psyche" by Apuleius. I liked Filia Regis so much I bough "Apuleius Cupid et Psyche An intermediate Latin Reader" Karen Krumpak et al. But it's still too hard for me (I would have to de-code it, instead of read it for enjoyment.).

Completely delightful retelling of a classic myth. Thoroughly enjoyable and easy to follow. I love that the vocabulary is carefully selected, but the grammar is not sheltered - I find that exposure to natural grammar really helps me to grasp how Latin functions as a language on an intuitive level.

Very fun read. Well-written and helpful for building fluency and reinforcing what has already been studied.

These books make learning fun

Das Lesen dieser lateinischen Geschichte hat mir wirklich Spaß gemacht. Ich kann dieses Buch jedem bzw. jeder empfehlen, der/die es liebt lateinische Texte zu lesen, die abseits von Cicero, Caesar & Co sind ... Es ist toll, dass die lateinische Sprache auf diese Art wiederbelebt wird!