|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Frequently Bought Together
Product Details
|
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Who would have thought a book about punctuation could cause such a sensation? Certainly not its modest if indignant author, who began her surprise hit motivated by "horror" and "despair" at the current state of British usage: ungrammatical signs ("BOB,S PETS"), headlines ("DEAD SONS PHOTOS MAY BE RELEASED") and band names ("Hear'Say") drove journalist and novelist Truss absolutely batty. But this spirited and wittily instructional little volume, which was a U.K. #1 bestseller, is not a grammar book, Truss insists; like a self-help volume, it "gives you permission to love punctuation." Her approach falls between the descriptive and prescriptive schools of grammar study, but is closer, perhaps, to the latter. (A self-professed "stickler," Truss recommends that anyone putting an apostrophe in a possessive "its"-as in "the dog chewed it's bone"-should be struck by lightning and chopped to bits.) Employing a chatty tone that ranges from pleasant rant to gentle lecture to bemused dismay, Truss dissects common errors that grammar mavens have long deplored (often, as she readily points out, in isolation) and makes elegant arguments for increased attention to punctuation correctness: "without it there is no reliable way of communicating meaning." Interspersing her lessons with bits of history (the apostrophe dates from the 16th century; the first semicolon appeared in 1494) and plenty of wit, Truss serves up delightful, unabashedly strict and sometimes snobby little book, with cheery Britishisms ("Lawks-a-mussy!") dotting pages that express a more international righteous indignation.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Booklist
This impassioned manifesto on punctuation made the best-seller lists in Britain and has followed suit here. Journalist Truss gives full rein to her "inner stickler" in lambasting common grammatical mistakes. Asserting that punctuation "directs you how to read in the way musical notation directs a musician how to play," Truss argues wittily and with gusto for the merits of preserving the apostrophe, using commas correctly, and resurrecting the proper use of the lowly semicolon. Filled with dread at the sight of ubiquitous mistakes in store signs and headlines, Truss eloquently speaks to the value of punctuation in preserving the nuances of language. Liberally sprinkling the pages with Briticisms ("Lawks-a-mussy") and moving from outright indignation to sarcasm to bone-dry humor, Truss turns the finer points of punctuation into spirited reading. Joanne Wilkinson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Entertaining romp through English grammer, uh, grammar,
By Charles Sutherland (Indy, IN USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tollerance Approach to Punctuation (Hardcover)
I remember a long time ago seeing a headline in a paper that read "Milk Drinkers Turning to Powder." This is the kind of English that really sets off Lynne Truss. I saw an interview with her on television, and while she had a sense of humor, and that is apparent from the book, she also had a very serious side, and I was sure that for certain grammatical errors she would not hesitate to shoot and leave!The title of this book comes from the kind of problem that people can encounter in the difference between spoken language and written language. Being a fan of poetry, I am very aware of the difference between spoken words and written words on the page, and what a difference simple intonations and voice changes can make. Punctuation and spelling can make a big difference, too. Is it here, or hear? Here here! or Hear! Hear! There are lots of arguments for the need for correct grammar and punctuation, and there are lots of pieces in here that talk about the history and misuse in the past of punctuation in key times. This is a very British book in many senses, and some of the American rules of grammar are different, but it is still fun to read and see what happens with the differences. Truss has a dry wit and this comes through most of the time fairly well. There were times I did laugh quite a bit, and times I copied things down to email to friends. This is a fun book. You won't want to leave it behind, eating or shooting.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Read it first in London,
By Kelly Theodor (Slinger, WI United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tollerance Approach to Punctuation (Hardcover)
I read the British version of this book first, and I have to say, it's funnier in its "original language." I never thought a book on punctuation would be funny, but after reading an excerpt in a British newspaper, I made a special trip out to buy it. I was laughing out loud the whole way home while reading it on the plane.I suppose the book is not funny if you don't think there's anything wrong with misplaced punctuation, but if you do, this book is a treat!
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love it.,
By Jenny (Providence, RI, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tollerance Approach to Punctuation (Hardcover)
I loved this book. Grammar is hardly something the normal person would think to be interesting, especially in book form. This is truely one of a kind. Lynne Truss has such a great way with witty and intelligent humor. I would recommend it to anyone! Besides, I've just about had it with seeing grammar mistakes all over the place.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Want to see more reviews on this item?
|
Most recent customer reviews |
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Entertainment > Humour > Essays
- Books > Nonfiction > Education > Reference > Words & Language > Grammar
- Books > Professional & Technical > Education
- Books > Reference > Spanish-Language Reference
- Books > Reference > Words & Language > Grammar
- Books > Reference > Writing > Writing Skills
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
