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CHAMBERS, R.L. and K.D. ROBINSON, Septimus. Latijns leesboek voor beginnelingen. Naar de Engelse editie bewerkt door A. Samsom. Geïllustreerd door C.J. McCall. Callenbach, Nijkerk, n.d. 3rd ed. 128p. ills. Original pictorial cloth bound. (Rare). 'The book follows a single running storyline about a British schoolboy, Septimus, who steps through a magic door and gets transported back in time to the reign of the cruel and unpredictable Emperor Nero. The prologue is written in English, but as soon as the boy enters the portal everything is narrated in Latin and the boy somehow speaks naturally with perfect Latin grammar. Septimus is an impatient and rather irreverent young boy, and he’s never above telling another character, festinā! (“hurry up!”). The story moves along quickly and is actually very well written, thanks to Chambers’ and Robinson’s vivid descriptions and playful dialogue. All of this made me want to read Septimus from cover to cover like a regular novel, which is much more than can be said for a lot of Latin textbooks, even today. (...) Mr McCall’s illustrations… are an innovation in this type of book, but the Authors believe that the artist has admirably performed his task; and his spirited interpretations will win him the gratitude of those who use this book. I’m very glad that the publishers chose to run with these illustrations. McCall’s drawings really make the story “pop” out at you. When you turn a page and see a new picture, you get a taste of what’s going to happen in the immediate future if you could just keep reading a little more. (...) It isn’t just the illustrations which make Septimus an entertaining read. This book likes to slip in references to famous Latin sayings, often jokingly. (...) Throughout the work, Chambers and Robinson have prided themselves on keeping the story flowing. In the mean time, you learn a lot of background facts about Roman history and famous works of Latin literature. But you don’t mind, because you’re too busy trying to work out what happens next. The authors have a strong commitment to telling a good story, and for that they should be commended.' (CARLA HURT on the English original in Ancient Language 15.04.2014). € 65.00 (Antiquarian)