What do readers think of The Latinist by Mark Prins? Write your own review.

I'll confess that after the first section I put the book down for at least a week. Not another "academia is a snake pit" book, I thought, only this time with Latin. But I enjoyed the book when I picked it up again. The author does a good job of making both main characters alternately admirable and repugnant. The twist on the myth of Daphne and Apollo at the end was quite amusing.

I really enjoyed the parts of this novel dealing with Tessa's search for the Silver Age poet, Marius. The scholarly discussions and the scenes at the archaeological site were exciting and illuminating. The author has clearly researched ancient sources (although Marius is fictional). The story of obsession/love in the book I found less compelling overall. Prins does describe an interesting twist on the Apollo and Daphne story, but I found Tessa's motivations somewhat confusing especially toward the end of the book. Chris's feelings are more straightforward, though misplaced, and his actions are truly horrifying. I enjoyed the book and found it complex, thought-provoking, but ultimately somewhat unsatisfying at the end.

A novel exploring an obsessive professor/mentor relationship and the competitive world of academia set around the subject of classical mythology was initially difficult for me to get into as my knowledge of the Latin classics is limited and at times the authors details became tedious. However the author's modern day retelling of Apollo and Daphne myth was an interesting way to explore the complex relationships within the novel and I became more invested in the story as I continued reading.

I found The Latinist to be an intriguing tale of obsession but did not consider it a "mystery" in the truest sense of the word, because we know who did what to whom from the start. Having earned a doctorate myself, I recall the delicate balance between mentor and student and how easily the lines can be blurred. Tessa and Chris' relationship delves perfectly with the fate of Apollo and Daphne. Mr. Prins prose is lovely to read and I appreciated the additional illustrations and bold print to delineate emails and epigraphs. However, the many references to early Roman poetry were a tad tedious as Latin was never an interest of mine. Yet, I found the book hard to put down and what an ending! This book is for the reader who wants and enjoys an intellectual challenge but not likely for mass market.

The novel, The Latinist, is a modern day retelling of the story of Daphne and Apollo. The story line is very engaging as Tessa learns that her trusted mentor, Chris Eccles, has written a very unflattering letter of recommendation for her as she searches for post-doctorate employment. She soon makes an important literary/archaeological discovery, and the tides slowly start to turn. That portion of the novel really becomes fast paced and exciting.
It has been years since I have studied any type of Greek mythology so I found myself looking up and learning a lot about the Greek myths and their ancient culture. The book was compared to the Da Vinci Code, of which I am a huge fan, but I think Dan Brown is better able to bring artists and complex ideas down to a layperson's understanding. I found myself somewhat lost in the deeper layers of this novel. I would recommend this to an audience fairly familiar with academia and classic literature.

I found the Latinist to be a very unique and a bit confusing psychological thriller. The academic setting was exceptional and the plot points set in Italy was thrilling.
The trials of young , female academics seemed genuine.
Sacrifice for career opportunities is certainly examined.
This novel has many references that would appeal to true lovers of classical literature. This novel is not for someone wanting a quick gone girlesque read.
If you are seeking a novel that is complex but ultimately satisfying, The Latinist is a good choice. It succeeded in transporting me away from current affairs and for that, I am grateful.

i really wanted to like this book because it was billed as being a good mystery/thriller with a theme based upon a myth. Too bad it wasn't a mystery/thriller at all. It could have been so much better.

I think the author is a good writer, but I wondered if he was being paid by the word and got extra if he threw in words constantly that the reader has to look up in the dictionary. It was incredibly dense and the few parts that moved the story along were few and far between. Reading it felt like trying to wade through concrete.

The other main problem I had was with the main character. She was quite unlikable (selfish and self-centered) and I wondered why her mentor was obsessed with her. She was also supposed to be brilliant and I never figured out that either. We learn early on in the book that her boyfriend has dumped her and we never are told why. I understand totally why he dumped her even if the author doesn't let us know.

Sorry I can't give a better review, but if you like a bunch of $100 words, this is the book for you. Hard to read and easy to forget.

The author presents an intricate twist of words in this debut novel to engage the reader in the age old story of love, obsession, exploitation of power and intense ambition using the myth of Apollo and Daphne as his backdrop. It is a difficult book to immediately like--it will take the reader over 100 pages to really become "hooked"! Although the complex character studies are outstanding, the description of locales in England and Italy are breathtaking, the use of the English language is beautiful, this novel would not be appreciated by those with no training in academia or classical literature. I would recommend The Latinist for book clubs as it lends itself to much discussion.