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Book Description
The subject is that part of the sentence about which something is divulged; it is what the sentence's other words are gossiping about. Read the first page
Concordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Serving a motivated audience...beware if seeking a quick fix,
By "aryln" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Deluxe Transitive Vampire: A Handbook of Grammar for the Innocent, the Eager and the Doomed (Hardcover)
This book has received excellent reviews from many reviewers, who felt that the book helped them immensely with their own grammar; however, having studied language acquisition and linguistics, I have found myself wondering exactly who this book would best serve. If you are looking for a book that will teach you to write well and grammatically, this is not your book. You will need a hard core and detailed grammar book for that. And if you're just a grammar nut and love reading about it (like I am), you're probably going to be bored to tears. So who would this book be good for? Well, some of Gordon's grammatical explanations are quite original, so I would recommend this book for the classroom teacher of grammar who is looking for alternative phrasings of traditional rules. And for the motivated learner... If you struggle with grammar, this book might be fun for you to read through, and will probably serve as an excellent introduction to grammar. Don't be deceived, though--neither this nor any book is going to teach you to write. You will learn to write by reading great authors and attempting to immitate their writing, and by seeking out an editor/teacher--someone who will read your writing and give you personalized tips. It is nearly impossible for even the best of writers to edit their own writing, and you shouldn't read this book thinking that it will solve your grammatical woes. I think the greatest value this book has to offer is in its readability and ability to inspire (I hope). I recommend the book if you want an introduction to grammar, and I hope you will find yourself inspired to pursue further studies. aryln@hotmail.com
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
Just didn't do it for me...,
By
This review is from: The Deluxe Transitive Vampire: A Handbook of Grammar for the Innocent, the Eager and the Doomed (Hardcover)
I'm sorry, but I really did want this book to be great. The thoughts of an "alternative" grammar book got me salavating like crazy and I couldn't wait for my order to come through.However, upon sitting down to read, I was instantly disappointed. First of all, the introduction/preface seems to be written only for those who are familiar with Ms. Gordons work or previous books, which kind of puts newcomers off kilter before even starting. The margins are HUGE, and though the author encourages notetaking, I got the impression that there was a lot of stretching going on to make the book into a publishable size. The use of "unusual" characters is charming at first, but becomes distracting once you try and actually learn grammar. Also a lot of the sentences are repeated [ad nauseum], especially under the illustrations which seem to be the main focal point of the book rather than the grammar. This book reminds me of a wolf in sheeps clothing. It's trying far too hard to be "hip" and "different" by latching onto Goth trends to sell. In the end, all your left with is a clunky book of an irregular size that is more for display than actual education. Get it if you're into Goth type bells and whistles, pass if you're looking to actually learn something. - A.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Edward Gorey school of grammar,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Deluxe Transitive Vampire: A Handbook of Grammar for the Innocent, the Eager and the Doomed (Hardcover)
I am surprised at the negativity of some of these reviews (also of the author's other book! I think some people take grammar too seriously--it is not a religion.) This book is hysterically funny as well as being factual, but i guess it is not everyone's cup o'tea, so to speak. It does offer decent grammar instruction. The examples are random and bizarre but this is no liability, in my opinion. The stranger and more creative a sentence, the more I pay attention to it. Being an English teacher of gifted children, I can tell you that if I use bizarre and amusing grammar examples, students pay attention. Although I do not use concubines and gargoyles in my grammar lessons, I am inspired to be a little more creative when providing examples for my students. I think this book can help one to write well in many ways--it helps prove that grammar can be creative and interesting. It also helps to connect grammar to actual writing in that it is extremely creative and suggests a story or a plot. It also is a welcome relief from the "drill and kill" method taught when I was a student--that did not help me one bit. I wouldn't use this book to teach my kids, but I do prefer to reference it when I am checking something--it puts a smile on my face and puts me in a good mood. When tackling something as inherently boring and conservative as grammar, that is a plus!
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