A smart, funny book about the rise and slow death of the art of handwriting; and why it still matters
The Missing Ink
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"We all communicate, of course (tweet tweet tweet, and yack yack yack on the mobile), but not by pen and ink. Does it matter? I didn't have to read 274 pages to be persuaded that it does, but I am very glad indeed that those pages were written and that I have read them. From this book, the wisest and wittiest argument imaginable for the preservation of handwriting, I have learnt so much, and by it have been so happily entertained, that I am compelled to recommend it to everyone." --Literary Review
"The demise of handwriting is forever being announced, but Hensher's sprightly celebration of the art of making marks on paper suggests the key board hasn't yet done for the nib." --Daily Telegraph
"This witty, heartfelt book conveys superbly the pleasures of writing by hand and the role it still has to play in our lives." --Sunday Times
"Its advocacy of one of the most humane and pleasurable forms of self-expression is pretty much irresistible." --Guardian
"The demise of handwriting is forever being announced, but Hensher's sprightly celebration of the art of making marks on paper suggests the key board hasn't yet done for the nib." --Daily Telegraph
"This witty, heartfelt book conveys superbly the pleasures of writing by hand and the role it still has to play in our lives." --Sunday Times
"Its advocacy of one of the most humane and pleasurable forms of self-expression is pretty much irresistible." --Guardian
Book Description
'The wisest and wittiest argument imaginable for the preservation of handwriting. I have learnt so much, and by it have been so happily entertained, that I am compelled to recommend it to everyone.' Diana Athill The simple pleasure of picking up a pen and writing is a skill that has existed for thousands of years - but that skill is slowly dying. Where once we would have reached for a pen and paper to commit our innermost thoughts to a diary, to send a letter home or to slip a note to a loved one, instead we now stare at tiny screens, typing with our thumbs. And all that typing looks the same. The Missing Ink is a book about the characters who shaped our handwriting, and how it in turn shaped us. From Victorian idealists, preaching the moral worth of italic copperplate, to great modern educational reformists such as Marion Richardson, throughout history the style in which we write has influence the way we learn, behave and communicate. But this is also a book about the physical act itself: about the pots of ink, treasured pens and chewable Biros that we used to take for granted, and whether the style of our writing really does reveal anything about our true selves. Hugely entertaining, witty and thought-provoking, The Missing Ink is itself a love letter to the warmest of technologies, and the place it still has in our lives.
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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I so enjoyed this book - but then, I was the inky-fingered child who shot up a over-keen hand to be stationery monitor or ink monitor - at my primary school in the fifties. Hensher has done a service in framing a perfectly serious mission to put handwriting back on the agenda within a jolly set of fun and games at the inkwell. He wears his love of literacy and literature deliberately lightly, so as not to alienate those who do not share his desire to see handwriting back on the syllabus. Does anybody learn it nowadays? People just don't care about the loss of these simple skills. But when the computers go down we will need to be able to write. And who would send a note of condolence as a typed letter or (worse) an email? I loved his examples, his bits of potted history and his anecdotes. The only thing that didn't quite work for me were the chapters of first-person 'witness' - which I would have preferred incorporated into the body of the text. But I did enjoy Hensher's use of extended footnote to rant entertainingly. This is a good read - in the manner of Lynne Truss's Eats, Shoots and Leaves. Highly recommended.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Pleasing and legible handwriting is an art, that gives pleasure to the writer and to the reader. This book explores many aspects of the history of handwriting, the ways it has been taught, and the current disdain for this skill. I especially enjoyed the chapters on different styles and educators. In the 1950s I learned with pencil, then dip-pen, then fountain pen, with the common problem of the left-hander's well-inked hand and sleeve. I was disappointed that there was absolutely NO mention of left-handedness, and the often inadequate help we get with our handwriting.
I recommend The Missing Ink as an interesting introduction to this subject - and hope there will be a revised edition for us lefties.
I recommend The Missing Ink as an interesting introduction to this subject - and hope there will be a revised edition for us lefties.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Mrs Cibber
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Should be read by all school teachers, gives a great appreciation of why it still matters!
A fascinating thought provoking read.
A fascinating thought provoking read.
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3.8 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Ok, but not exceptional
This is a book i was looking forward to reading thinking it would be of a similar vein to Just My Type: A Book about Fonts and Paper: An Elegy. Read more
Published 17 days ago by Half Man, Half Book
5.0 out of 5 stars
Does What It says On The Tin
Excellent, easy to read and a compelling argument for returning to the pen, pencil and crayon. Somewhat harsh on the italic style but this book should be obligatory reading for all... Read more
Published 3 months ago by R. Phillips
1.0 out of 5 stars
Hmmm!
Very disappointing book - seriously unimpressed! For something that received such good reviews on BBC Radio 4, it's been a huge disappointment. The language is frightful! Read more
Published 4 months ago by Classical Fanatical
2.0 out of 5 stars
interesting subject, but a bit disappointed in this book..
I am a huge fan of the written (as opposed to the type-written) word, and after hearing the author talk so eloquently on a radio programme a few months ago I decided to seek out a... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Dill
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well written, well researched book, written with tongue in cheek
As a pen maker, I enjoyed this book. I could relate to some of the problems found in sourcing pens without throw away cartridges although a ' converter' is freely available. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Brian Chislett
5.0 out of 5 stars
for someone who values a handwritten note
it is a delight
ideas about how handwriting developed
and what we might learn aboout someone from their handwriting
gave it as a present
ideas about how handwriting developed
and what we might learn aboout someone from their handwriting
gave it as a present
Published 5 months ago by lassie
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing
There are some nuggets in this book but it's generally chaotic and disappointing. It promised so much more but sadly fails to deliver.
Published 5 months ago by Mr. A. Cleaver
2.0 out of 5 stars
Very disappointing
Read and excellent review, have a slight OCD behaviour towards pens and pencils, thought this would be great. Rambling, self indulgent and could have been so much better. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Stewart Townsend
5.0 out of 5 stars
The pen is mighter than the sword...
Completely loved this book and Hensher makes a good case for it without being pompous. It reminded me why I write with an ink pen when I write first drafts or thank you letters. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Millsatwork
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Missing Ink
The Guardian, Times and Telegraph Reviews are spot on . This is a great read on many levels. The text is interesting, thought provoking, entertaining, informative, lively and... Read more
Published 6 months ago by S.F.
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