I would like to thank Netgalley and
Andrews McMeel Publishing for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautiful little book full of illustrations and Latin phrases. I love that the phrases are put back into context and looked at from a non white pov.

Perfect for Roman geeks!

I didn’t initially think of myself as the ‘target market’ for this book, but I tried it, and it was unexpectedly fun. My Latin is limited to a few and rare phrases (CARPE DIEM, MEMENTO MORI), and the really very annoying bits I had to learn in anatomy—or so I thought, because it turns out (of course, being a speaker of English) there are the fun ones hidden in plain sight, like in literature: ACTA EST FABULA, PLAUDITE, ALEA IACTA EST, and CYGNEA CANTIO, and of course OMNIA VINCIT AMOR. Then those completely new to me, like SATURA QUIDEM TOTA NOSTRA EST, INVISUS NATALIS ADEST, LUPUS IN FABULA, QUID SI COMANTUR?, TENEO TE AFRICA, PANEM ET CIRCENSES and AURIBUS TENEO LUPUM. Mainly, it was fun to read about the origins of all of these phrases.

I’m going to be so annoying to my friends and readers now. ODERINT DUM METUANT , haha! Thank you to Andrews McMeel and NetGalley for early access.

Motivator to learn more about Roman history. Beautifully entrancing artwork is coupled with direct punch-to-the-gut writing. Well-executed explanations are kempt and monumental. Engaging, aware, and honourable. Shortened elaboration of Latin phrases result in shallow coverage. Briefly teaches Roman culture, meanings, attributions, and history in an accessible way. Power of language is prevalent throughout. Induces a curious mixture of bespoken inspiration and inquisition. Recommended for onlookers who observe the difference of Roman life and modern life. Overall, a good read. "She is like Venus, born from blood and an angry sea."

Perfect little volume of words and phrases that have become archaic, but also essential. A jeopardy factor book. As in, you'll be wiser for having read it and full of random tidbits of language, history, literature, and more.

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC of this book. This book had beautiful illustrations and was very informative. I had never heard of a lot of the phrases in this book. I thought they might be more common ones, but it was interesting nonetheless.

Maia Lee-Chin's *Et Cetera: An Illustrated Guide to Latin Phrases* takes readers on a journey through ancient wisdom and contemporary relevance, proving that Latin is far from a "dead" language. The book is meticulously organized into thematic sections such as Literature, Love/Friendship/Family, Mythology, Military/Power, and Culture/Philosophy. Each section explores a curated selection of fifty Latin phrases, ranging from the well-known “carpe diem” to the more obscure “alea iacta est.” Each phrase is given a brief but insightful explanation, making the book suitable for both casual readers and those with a deeper interest in Latin and Roman history. The explanations are concise, never exceeding a page, which maintains the book's momentum and makes it easy to digest in small portions. *Et Cetera* also features stunning illustrations by Marta Bertello that use a minimalist color palette of black, white, and red.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Maia Lee-Chin's Et Cetera: An Illustrated Guide to Latin Phrases delves deeply into fifty Latin idioms, each vividly illustrated by Marta Bertello. This fascinating book delves into the cultural and historical backgrounds of expressions like memento mori and carpe diem, going beyond simple translations. It is arranged according to topics like philosophy, power, and love and shows how these antiquated sayings still have value today in addition to presenting their histories and definitions. Both aesthetically spectacular and intellectually challenging, this book is ideal for both novices and lovers of Latin culture. Explore this exquisitely illustrated compilation and learn how the age-old wisdom of Latin continues to speak to us.

A great book with lots of history contained in its short entries. Beautiful illustrations and captivating writing! A perfect gift for the classics or linguistic lover in your life. I do wish there had been a pronunciation guide, not for each phrase but just a general one to remind me of vowel sounds and the w/v sounds.

3.5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with an ARC of “Et Cetera” by Maia Lee-Chin in exchange for an honest review.

Well organized, insightful, and beautifully illustrated, this is one for the logophiles, trivia nerds, and anyone with an insatiable curiosity to learn new things!

As someone who stops to look up allusions, words, and phrases while reading, this book was a general delight. I especially appreciate that the selection explores a lot of lesser-known Latin phrases. Of course, it does cover some of the more popular ones like carpe diem and memento mori (and unfortunately doesn’t offer much more than can be found on Wikipedia for those entries). However, there’s enough of interest here that can’t as readily be found in a quick Google search.

That being said, at $33.99 CAD ($24.99 USD) for 144 pages that I likely wouldn’t be inclined to read again, I do think that the book is a bit pricey for what it is.

So, what is it and why do I say that?

It is a hardcover release. To give credit where credit is due, the book does look lovely with the limited use of colour and the gold foil on the cover. It would certainly be a nice addition to any collector’s shelf. There are 50 illustrations with 50 accompanying phrases and their explanations. The explanations never exceed one page and some of them are as short as 150 words. The remaining 44 pages are just front and back matter (and 5 pages of epigraphs dividing the sections).

As fun and interesting as the write-ups are, they cater more to a general audience and aren’t detailed enough to serve as an academic resource.

While I do think the book is well worth a read, it isn’t one that I would buy (at least not at list price).

Pretty informative read! I enjoyed the poetry section the most. The illustrations complement the phrases, which I can imagine, would look great in print form.

There are phrases here I am excited to use in the future, when the circumstances (or the instagram captions) call for it.

★★★★

A must-read for lovers of history, linguistics, and etymology.

This compilation of Latin phrases is accompanied by brief lessons in history, mythology, the arts, politics, language, etc. (pun-intended). I feel smarter having read this work because these phrases are steeped in historical / political / cultural meaning.

The best part: this book is short enough to read in one sitting.

Thank you NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the e-ARC!

This book was a short and fun romp through both well known and more obscure latin quotes including some history and commentary surrounding them. As someone who studied latin for many years in school this book still had new quotes and interesting commentary. You do not have to have any prior knowledge of latin or the time however, the book begins a map as well as a timeline of the people discussed for those with less background. The entries for each quote are also easy to follow, though I do wish some of them were longer. The illustrations with each quote are beautiful and compliment the them nicely.

-Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an eARC

A brief but delightful examination of the Early Roman Imperial era through the lens of Latin phrases in vogue back then and still popular today. Lee-Chin examines famous phrases such as "Fortune favors the brave," "holding a wolf by the ears" "seize the day" and more, explaining who they were originally attributed to, who wrote them down, and the context of the phrases in the time period, making for a very easy read of the tumultuous time period when Rome went from a Republic to Empire, and the poets had a lot to say about it!

It is truly an act of serendipity that led me to reviewing this book: as far as upcoming releases on my radar go, Et Cetera: An Illustrated Guide to Latin Phrases was most anticipated by a wide margin. The author, Maia Lee-Chin, has a healthy following on twitter that makes it easy to go viral whenever she’s shared sample pages full of the book’s beautiful artwork. My only concern was whether I’d be over my budget for the preventative cost of a coffee table book with all those glossy pages. As I was counting my pennies, Fortuna dropped a copy of this right in my lap through the review service I have recently begun to work with, and I’m happy to report that it lives up to the hype.

The gap in the market for a book of this kind has been evident for many years. It’s fairly easy to find examples of the subgenre of quote collections across a wide range of media; there are blog posts, Wikipedia articles, and book collections. Even this newsletter once made an attempt to begin a recurring series on the topic. The trouble arises when the author/curator is asked to justify their decisions in what they have included. Quantity, unfortunately, is often chosen over quality. At best, readers get a sentence or two about where they may encounter the relevant phrase. Rarely do they receive as much information about its original use in context as they would reading these pages. The context certainly exists in a legible format, but only as uncollected footnotes and scholarship found across multiple tomes. To present information in this way presents the reader with an understanding of why they ought to value classical studies, and inevitably will encourage more young minds to learn Latin.

Another decision the author makes to benefit the reader is to weave the chosen quotes into a narrative, rather than sorting them chronologically or by author. The broader subgenre considers itself to be under the wider umbrella of reference books, which is strange. The most broad quote-books need to do this because of the era we live in and the ability to transmit and record sound, because most people have heard the words of Churchill or MLK before they have read them. With the ancient world, it’s different. The fact that these quotes all exist not just in written form first, but further in editions that have been in the public domain since before the concept of such a thing existed means that if someone wanted to find these quotes, they’d consult the original written material. Reference books act as repositories of information, whereas Mrs. Lee-Chin has cultivated a garden. As with any proper garden, it is only natural, then, to construct a pathway through it. Functionally this provides access to readers that are otherwise unfamiliar with the stories at hand. Introducing Ovid through the phrase “Carmen et Error” allows the author to give a quick biographical overview of the poet and his reputation before exploring the intricacies of his work. Similarly, Propertius’ praise of the Aeneid preempts any quotes from that poem. It’s a feature hardly noticeable unless a reader is looking for it, but definitely intentional, as she mentions in the introduction.

In addition to the deftly curated phrases, this book contains a treasure of gorgeous artwork by Marta Bertello. The use of mixed media adds a layer of depth to each picture: the focus of the piece (people, columns, helmets, tigers, etc.) seems to be drawn and colored in grayscale with a pen or pencil, and more lofty or metaphorical objects (or even just backgrounds) are created digitally in large shapes of pure black, white, or cinnabar. For example, the drawing for Aeneid 2.48-49 depicts a sketch of the infamous Trojan horse at a high, peculiar angle, while it casts a deep, black shadow of a Corinthian helmet containing red footsteps that disappear into the white background. More impressive than the limited color palette is Bertello’s use of negative space in the art. The drawing for Thebaid 1.3 depicts a sketch of Statius at his writing desk being touched by a divine hand from above on a black background. The described “fire” bursts from his temple in streaks of negative space, while his scroll flies off the table at a perpendicular angle in a bolt of cinnabar. I would guess that a whole lot of thought was put into that particular shade of red as well: it’s light enough on a contrasting black background to look like fire, while also being dark enough on a contrasting white background to look like blood. On vases it’s orange enough to remind the reader of Greek red-figure pottery, while also being close enough to crimson to look like the oppressive rays of a hot sun. There’s also one particular sketch where the shade is absent, save for two dot-like pupils of a terrifying wolf that I especially liked.

This was an all-around enjoyable experience to read. It’s presumptuous to expect a sequel this early into the book’s lifespan, but the addition of Greek maxims and phrases is sort of a natural following point. The sole piece of criticism I could possibly come up with is that the map of the Roman world in the front pages uses the Latin names for all the general regions except for “Thrace,” which should be “Thracia.” Other than that, the nature of the work meant that the author came to a stopping point that left me feeling fulfilled and content, but still desiring for more. Whatever the author plans to put out in the future, I plan to buy. Three stars.

A beautifully formatted book that seems well researched. Unfortunately - I knew maybe two of the 'well known' latin phrases? So it wasn't that interesting to me, you could have created any language's book of sayings and origins.

*Et Cetera: A Guide to Memorable Latin Phrases* by Maia Lee-Chin is a beautifully crafted homage to the enduring legacy of the Latin language, offering readers a deep dive into the timeless phrases that continue to shape our world. Featured in NPR's “BOOK WE LOVE” for Summer 2024, this volume stands out not only for its scholarly insights but also for its exquisite visual presentation.

Maia Lee-Chin, a classicist with a passion for Latin, brings a fresh and engaging perspective to this collection of memorable Latin phrases. From the well-known “carpe diem” to the more esoteric “alea iacta est,” Lee-Chin explores the historical and cultural significance behind these expressions, shedding light on their origins and evolution. Her explanations are both accessible and thought-provoking, making this book an enriching experience for both newcomers and seasoned scholars of Latin.

The book's illustrations, created by the talented Marta Bertello, add a haunting and evocative dimension to the text. Bertello’s artwork enhances the reader's connection to the ancient world, with each illustration capturing the essence of the Latin phrases and their historical contexts. The fusion of Lee-Chin’s scholarly insights and Bertello’s visual artistry makes *Et Cetera* a truly immersive reading experience.

The range of topics covered in the book is impressive, spanning love, death, nature, politics, and more. Each phrase is contextualized with historical anecdotes and reflections on its relevance in modern times. This approach not only provides a deeper understanding of the phrases themselves but also offers a broader perspective on how Latin continues to influence contemporary thought and expression.

*Et Cetera* is more than just a reference guide; it is a celebration of the rich cultural heritage embedded in the Latin language. The book's design is both elegant and user-friendly, making it a perfect addition to any bookshelf. Whether you are a language enthusiast, a history buff, or someone who simply appreciates beautiful book design, *Et Cetera* is a compelling and visually stunning work that invites readers to explore the timeless wisdom of Latin.

In conclusion, Maia Lee-Chin's *Et Cetera* is a masterful blend of scholarly insight and artistic expression. It offers a captivating exploration of Latin phrases that have endured through the ages, presented in a format that is both informative and visually striking. This book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the profound impact of Latin on our language and culture.

From the very introduction of this book I knew I was hooked. Author Maia Lee-Chin starts by sharing how she came to love Latin and Roman history. I would very much like to hear more about her unique experience becoming a classicist.

I have read several similar books that explain common Latin phrases. This one is my favorite. Each entry is short but filled with details. The author does an amazing job sharing her vast knowledge of Latin and makes it easily digestible. Often these books end up sitting on the coffee table unread and looking pretentious. This book is such an enjoyable read. Each chapter flowed perfectly into the next. The art by Marta Bertello while simple black, white, and red, blossoms into depth and detail as you read the accompanying chapter. I found my self so curious to know more about what was being depicted in the illustration that I just had to keep reading!

I very much enjoyed this book and will highly recommend it to anyone interested in Latin phrases.

**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.**

Author Maia Lee-Chin collaborates with illustrator Marta Bertello to bring forth Et Cetera: An Illustrated Guide to Latin Phrases. This book is exactly as advertised. Lee-Chin provides historical context where Bertello provides artistic representation for Latin phrases that have survived to use in modernity. The book is sectioned by the context of the phrases (Literature, Love/Friendship/Family, Mythology, Military/Power, and Culture/Philosophy).

Bertello's art is beautiful with a modern take and employment of color on top of a classical style. Each illustration was lovely and added visual interest to a work that might otherwise have been a bit dry.

Lee-Chin's love for antiquity shines through I'm her contextualization of the various chosen phrases. While there were some phrases that I know have Latin basis that were excluded from this collection, I was happy to see that Lee-Chin chose a wide variety of phrases to include both well known and lesser known selections. The choice to limit each explanation to a single page was smart and kept the momentum of the book moving forward.

Overall, this book was a lot of fun and had an extensive bibliography included for those who feel driven to learn more. I look forward to future works from both Lee-Chin and Bertello.

5/5 stars

Firstly, I would like to extend my gratitude to Andrews McMeel Publishing, Maia Lee Chin and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy (ARC) of this audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.

An instant hit. From the very first page Lee Chin's commitment to providing an intriguing and approachable guide to some lesser known Latin phrases, and the greater societal context that birthed them, is evident. The writing is readable, the phrases well-curated, the illustrations expertly crafted and the subject matter intentional, making it easier to readers of all stages, to dive in and share in the author's appreciation for Latin. Lee Chin's ability to draw readers closer to the Romans, rather than creating a sense of distance or superiority, is truly remarkable.

I would recommend this to anyone with even a passing interest in Latin literature and Roman culture or history. Best taken in small portions so as to really savour the craftsmanship, the author's passion borders on infectious and beyond the opportunity to learn a little, I recommend this to anyone looking to feel a sense of interconnectedness with humanity at large. This truly was an excellent book.

This book is a delight. It is a great investment or gift for any lover of language or Roman history. The book is broken into small, easily comprehensible snippets that provide vivid histories behind numerous Latin phrases. I plan to buy a hard copy to have on hand. I must say though, I am not a huge fan of the artwork.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC.