- Hardcover: 224 pages
- Publisher: Michael O'Mara Books Ltd; illustrated edition edition (5 Oct 2006)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1843172275
- ISBN-13: 978-1843172277
- Product Dimensions: 18.4 x 13.4 x 3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,228,128 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
David Lodge
'the perfect bedside book'
Paul Callen, The Daily Express, November 10, 2006
'compulsive reading... the literary equivalent of a really
expensive box of Belgian chocolates.'
expensive box of Belgian chocolates.'
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Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
'Dip-in-able',
By Peter K. Henson (Leeds) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Writer's Commonplace Book (Hardcover)
The problem with this book is that it is such a nice idea, you start thinking of what could be in here that isn't. Compared to say, John Gross's collection, The Oxford Book of Aphorisms, it falls between two stools - whereas Gross's collection is very thorough and consistently insightful, this collection is not quite detailed enough to pass as a reliable reference book and a bit too ambitious for a 'loo' book. The structure, divided into themes, is fine, but the sketchiness disappoints (not hugely, but it niggles). It contains a few specific, sourced, observations, and a few anonymous unsourced contributions. Now, I'd rather have more of one or the other - more careful, attributed, quotations, or more ideas and sayings grabbed from radio, TV, newspapers, bus queues, whatever. As it is, you tend to whizz through the book thinking, 'Yes, I've read that one before, but this one seems banal...' It's a right old curate's egg. Which, to be fair, is what a commonplace book should be, but I would just have liked it to have been a bit richer, a bit more convinced by the courage of its convictions, and a bit more...surprising. But I don't want to seem ungrateful - this is a nice, entertaining collection, well-edited and certainly entertaining enough for a read-through over the holidays (and it would make a good prezzie for someone off to university - they might be inspired to start their own commonplace book!).
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic Book,
By
This review is from: A Writer's Commonplace Book (Hardcover)
I was given this book as a present, and it is fantastic! It is wonderfull to have on your coffee table, or on a bedside table. I am going to buy several more to give to people over christmas, or when i get invited to dinner parties.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
3.5 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews) 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
and for the reader too,
By Hande Z - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: A Writer's Commonplace Book (Hardcover)
This is a small book filled with 249 pages of quotations mainly from writers. The quotations are classified under subject headings such as "On writers and writing" intending, I suppose to let readers know a bit more about the people who produce the source of their enjoyment. Gabriel Garcia Marquez contributed "One of the first things you learn as a writer is that you write what you can, not what you want." Under "Literary Endeavour" we find Vikram Seth's "The great thing about not having studied literature is that you don't think obscurity is profound." Under "On Knowledge, Discovery & Travel" we have Isaiah Berlin's "Intellectuals are people who are simply interested in ideas...". The total of eight chapters include "On Life and Death", "On Creativity and Art", "On the Human Condition", and On Random Thoughts". Each has its share of mundane examples, but mainly pithy and witty ones that one might likely want to use as a dash of spice in conversation or as a fleeting reference in one's writing.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
answers the need...almost,
By Pamela Barton "wordz and pix" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: A Writer's Commonplace Book (Hardcover)
This book of quotations is a little heavy sided on the topics of writing, but has a lot of good quotations for my needs. It also has enough margins and white space that I can add some of my favorites as well. Contents are somewhat random in most places so is not as easy to use for finding a topical quote. I've gone thru it and check marked a lot of quotes for my project, but do not have nearly enough.
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