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45 of 51 people found the following review helpful:
Mind your P's and Q's, 20 Jan 2004
Most of the negative criticism of this book appears to come from the very "sticklers" that the author claims to address. It is a pity, however, that such sticklers don't share the author's (fairly over-the-top) sense of humour. (They could also use a few lessons in grammar and punctuation, as most of the "errors" they claim to have identified in this book are simply accepted variations in usage.)This is NOT a reference book. From the introduction, it is clear it was not designed as such. It cannot replace any of the standard, much loved reference volumes (Strunk, Fowler, etc.). It simply and amusingly makes a few choice comments about the misuse of English punctuation (and, yes, there are a few digressions into grammar and vocabulary abuse, too). It's full of great examples for teachers, writers, editors, etc. In my job, I'll certainly be using many of the author's points to illustrate punctuation rules. Highly recommended for pedants (provided they have a sense of humour) everywhere.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
For Punctuation Vigilantes, 6 Feb 2006
'This book gives you permission love punctuation' says Lynne Truss in the Introduction, and that just about sums it up. If you value clarity of expression, you will enjoy this. If you are already a punctuation expert then you will undoubtedly share the author's frustration with the ghastly errors that seem to be so commonplace these days. If you know that you need a little bit of help in placing your commas, aspostrophes, semi-colons and colons, then the basic rules are here, and clearly explained. The light-hearted narrative makes the whole thing an easy and entertaining read, and it's much more than just a Grumpy Old Woman-type rant because it actually presents the solution rather than just moaning. So get punctuating!
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61 of 71 people found the following review helpful:
Sticklers of the World, Unite!, 27 Dec 2003
Whats a stickler then? Essentially its a person whose deeply concerned with the maintenance of standardised punctuation in our language.Did you notice anything wrong with those two sentences? If you took a sharp intake of breath or slowly gnashed your teeth on three occasions, then congratulations: you too are probably a stickler; an unspoken defender of the dying art of punctuation. Lynne Truss, having in effect written the stickler manifesto, admits she cannot resist the urge to take a marker pen to such flagrant solecisms as ‘two weeks notice’, ‘the judges decision is final’, or ‘no dog’s’. Curiously, my automatic grammar checker didn’t pick up a single one of these aberrations, and maybe, as Truss points out, that’s part of where the problem lies. Our dependence on emails, and fondness for text messages, is indoctrinating us with a new style of language, much sloppier in its expression and with a preference for punctuation marks that are far less easy to use incorrectly, and hence becoming a bit meaningless (specifically, ellipsis and the dash). Ironically (he says, having checked the previous sentence a second time), this lack of articulation is being disseminated by articles posted on the internet – she even mentions Amazon book reviews – as an example of ‘people who have been taught nothing about their own language […] spending all their leisure hours attempting to string sentences together for the edification of others.’ Cripes! The solution? An unflinching effort by diehard sticklers to correct misuses of punctuation wherever possible. Truss herself admits to having been inspired by the Apostrophe Protection Society (only in England could such an association exist), who send courteous letters to those who have posited examples of incorrect pronunciation in public view. Truss concedes that this is no easy task, since the rules of punctuation are not hard and fast, governed as they are ‘two-thirds by rule and one-third by personal taste.’ What she therefore does – and this is what makes the book so engaging – is to try and convince the reader that punctuation is much more than an abstruse code designed to confuse rather than elucidate. It is instead a creative tool in its own right, an essential structuring of language; the traffic signals that tell the reader where to slow down, speed up, or stop. Master punctuation and you can master the way the reader interprets what you write. Misuse it, and you can either leave your text open to numerous interpretations, some of which might be undesirable, or induce a totally different semantic meaning. Her manifesto is infectious because she is funny in her quirky revolutionary stance – a sort of Che Guevara for the semi-colon – and because she is clearly passionate about these little symbols that so many people abuse. She expounds the history of our punctuation marks, throws some light on Aldus Manutius (I hadn’t heard of him either, but trust me, he’s important), and finally reveals why Roger Casement was hanged on a comma. She relates tales of wordy people sending telegrams across the world, ridiculing each other, or nearly coming to blows over whether a comma should be added or removed. If you are a stickler then, this book arrives as something of a reassurance: yes, you probably are a bit pedantic, but at least you’re not alone.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Edutainment: a tour de force., 8 Mar 2005
It is critical for anyone who picks up Truss' book to remember that this is a book about grammar. If you write text messages or emails that look like the contents of Alphabetti Spaghetti, then this book will most likely seem a pedantic rant. The truth is, of course, that it is. Truss' point is that grammar is essential to language; she worries that as we write more and more, we're communicating less and less. Grammar lends words meaning, order, and emotion, something she demonstrates par excellance. Applications of grammar are illustrated and taught in a light-hearted but thorough way, leaving one entertained and informed. I dare say the book will actually goad some into reviving their grammar. This book is not an apologetic, which some reviewers criticise it for not being! It is very much a book connected to people. Truss explains her own personal crusade for grammar. The fundamental argument is that, critically, without grammar people will be unable to connect to other people in a comprehensible way. 'Eats, Shoots and Leaves' is a plea, a call to arms to the English-speaking peoples to understand they have a language which can be enhanced, manipulated and nuanced in unique ways with the proper application of grammar.
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
Apostrophes And E-Mails, 25 Feb 2004
If you want to learn about punctuation, this is not the book for you. If you have ever tried to decipher the meaning from a poorly-punctuated e-mail, this book will have you laughing out loud. It is a very funny look at the (mis)use of punctuation at a time when there is an upsurge in the written word, albeit a digital one. Well worth reading.
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
I'm not weird!, 21 Feb 2004
By A Customer
What a joy! It's nice to know that I am not the only person who freaks at missing or misplaced punctuation. If nothing else, this book changed my perception that I'm not alone. Full of humour and for people who want to share the love for punctuation. Let's all lighten up and save the apostrophe! Where would poetry be without the punctuation? What a thought!
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28 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
A Punctuation Repair Kit, 3 Jun 2004
A book about punctuation as a Times bestseller? Those of you thinking, "It sounds about as exciting as watching paint dry" are not alone! But, surprisingly enough, this grammar guide, which, quite unusually, classifies itself as 'Reference / Humour', does not disappoint those in search of either! If you have ever found yourself understanding and smiling at those emails that compare "A woman, without her man, is nothing." to "A woman: without her, man is nothing.", then you are one of the 'true sticklers' that this book was written for. With tales of 'punctuation anarchy', 'involuntary ejaculations' and 'semicolonic irrigation', novelist, radio presenter and newspaper columnist Lynne Truss manages to amuse readers whilst simultaneously describing the history of various 'traffic signals of language' (punctuation marks to you and me), explaining how they should be employed by writers, and despairing at how endangered they have become. This militant approach to correct punctuation will certainly entertain and educate anyone who feels similarly disconcerted at the deteriorating state of English grammar. Those of you who couldn't care less, however, should probably save you money: Don't expect anyone to ever understand anything you write though!Being a student, linguist and writer, I thoroughly enjoyed this amusing, yet informative, 'zero tolerance' guide to punctuation. I'd give it a generous four exclamation marks out of five!
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
An entertaining and intelligent read, 3 Feb 2004
By A Customer
Despite the opening preface (which may well have put some people off), this is not a prescriptive book on punctuation. Truss explores the subject intelligently and the parts on punctuation history are some of the most interesting. However, I found some of her examples a little loose, and some confusing or contradictory. Despite these, the book has been thoroughly researched and is well written in a light-hearted style. I would recommend this book highly if you are remotely interested in the English language.
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33 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
Read and Enjoy learning about punctuation!, 8 Jan 2004
Never did I think I would laugh out loud reading a book on punctuation! Read the book in the spirit it was intended and you will find it an extremely enjoyable book. It gives a sticklers perspective to the world of punctuation, especially the poor comma which when misplaced can lead to amusing consequences. I am certainly not an expert in this area but found this book gave me a new insight into where to place my commas. More importantly it made me laugh.
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
Short, and sweet (or short and sweet), 9 Mar 2004
By A Customer
I read this book in one go, on a long bus journey, and though I have no particular interest in the subject matter (I just like to read), I found it very interesting, and very amusing. Truss obviously has a keen interest in punctuation and her passion for it shines through. By the end, I was close to taking a tour of my town to see how many greengrocer,s (sic) apostrophes I could find and correct.
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