The Latinist

A Novel

De: Mark Prins

Narrado por: Sasha Higgins

Tessa Templeton has thrived at Oxford University under the tutelage and praise of esteemed classics professor Christopher Eccles. And now, his support is the one thing she can rely on: her job search has yielded nothing, and her devotion to her work has just cost her her boyfriend, Ben. Yet shortly before her thesis defense, Tessa learns that Chris has sabotaged her career - and realizes their relationship is not at all what she believed.

Driven by what he mistakes as love for Tessa, Chris has ensured that no other institution will offer her a position, keeping her at Oxford with him. His tactics grow more invasive as he determines to prove he has her best interests at heart. Meanwhile, Tessa scrambles to undo the damage - and in the process makes a startling discovery about an obscure second-century Latin poet that could launch her into academic stardom, finally freeing her from Chris's influence.

A contemporary reimagining of the Daphne and Apollo myth, The Latinist is a compelling exploration of power, ambition, and the intertwining of love and obsession.

©2022 Mark Prins (P)2022 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Terrific story

Even laden with Latin and snippets of classical lore, this is accessible as a complex story of passion and its consequences. One needn’t be a classicist to enter this world, nor even an academic. It’s about domination and submission, imposed or self-created, and the devastating consequences of obsession—not only to “love,” but also to “work.” It is both unsettling and satisfying, depending, of course, on one’s own outlook. For me, it is both—a good outcome.

Excellent

This audiobook is excellent and nuanced. Very plot driven in the second 2/3rds of the book. Looking forward to the next one!

An insufferable narrator

I don’t know if I would have liked this book better if it were read by someone else. The young woman who narrates switches in and out of a grating millennial American teenager’s voice for most of the novel. The vocal fry alone was enough to drive me crazy. Also the novel pays way too much attention to the tiny details of Silver Age Latin poetry. The details of college life at Oxford are Terry accurate. But the novel crawls slowly toward a « crime » that doesn’t happen until in the last ten pages. The protagonist is annoying, egocentric, and arbitrary in her behavior. I was always aware of a male novelist trying too hard to create a feminine consciousness and ending up with a sociopath. Intentional? Who knows? But it’s unpleasant to spend time with her thoughts.

The reader is ruining this for me

Well, this one will teach me to never purchase an audiobook without sampling it first. I can’t even describe the voice of this narrator. It emphasizes the wrong words, it pauses in the wrong places, it is gratingly nasal, the only good thing I can say is that at least the British accent sounds good. I hate to do this to a narrator, but it really is ruining this read. I’m only two hours in and I may have to give up.

Narrator with vocal burn

Narrator is one annoying reader. She ends every sentence with vocal burn. Hard to understand how she landed this gig. Ouch on the ears.

Researchers will get it.

If you’ve ever done research, academic or industrial, you know this scenario as a junior researcher to someone more senior. Every thought you have belongs to them.
This story was very relatable to anyone who has ever had to write papers or give a presentation at a conference. That might be a niche audience but it’s a niche that needs to be occupied. This is a first rate story. It would make a great movie- for the geeky types.
The narration occasionally took me out of the narrative. Maybe it was because accents changed. Maybe it’s because the narrator sounded too young. I’ll bet she got the Latin right though.

A disbalance of relationship story in an academic setting

I enjoyed the metaphor and the storytelling. But it is always difficult to end your story it seems. I have yet to make up my mind whether I like the ending. But up to that point the story was gripping, although it did have an entrance threshold — you have to care for Latin poets and their translations to continue reading.

Though provoking, psychologically fascinating

I really enjoyed the parallels to the story of Apollo and Daphne, but more than that I enjoyed the differences…the new perspective provided by a modern but similar relationship. Anyone who likes the Classics will probably enjoy the intellectual depth and exploration of history and it’s study. At the same time, the psychology and emotional turmoil of both main characters was extremely well portrayed. Trigger warnings: manipulative narcissism, sexual harassment/abuse of power, stalking, sexual assault. I enjoyed it and look forward to Mark’s next book.

Terrific story- great potential for depth if you look for it

I loved the contemporary themes (authorship, gaze, consent, etc.) that this book addressed — but also the insight into the minds of the main characters. It elicited empathy where there might have been none — and made the ending a true surprise.
I disliked the reader at first, however, came to appreciate the narration by the third chapter; it grew on me.
Enjoyed this book immensely.

English-accented monotone. Yikes!

Except for a few characterizations of men, there was no level changes, no speed changes, no indication of change in focus. Story ended in very disappointing fashion. Read it for yourself even if you can’t read the Italian or Latin.