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October 20, 2004
"Eats, Shoots & Leaves" by Lynne Truss
I never thought I'd read a book about punctuation. Actually, that's not really true. I should admit now (because I never will again) that I own a copy of Strunk & White's "Elements of Style" and read it back in high school. Yes, you read that right: high school. You'd think that would make me a better punctuator (I'm not even sure that's a word), but if you've been reading this blog for any amount of time you've undoubtedly realized by now that that is not the case.
In Truss's, (or Truss' - she says the rule is not set in stone), eyes I would probably be considered what she calls a "stickler", albeit not a good one. I do, however, notice when commas are misplaced and other punctuation marks are obviously used incorrectly. And believe it or not, I actually know another stickler who gets quite enraged when she sees excalamation marks used too liberally. My point? This is a good book for someone like me and, according to the sales figures, a lot of other people around the world as well.
It is indeed quite an accomplishment for Truss that she has written a book about punctuation that has been good enough to warrant such high praise from the likes of Frank McCourt, who says she should be canonized were she only Catholic. At once both informative and surprisingly funny, this should be required reading for writers and students. I think it may have even improved my writing in the week since I've finished it, although I'll leave that decision up the two of you who are still reading this.
Posted on October 20, 2004 at 8:08 PM
Comments
Good companion piece to this book:
Documents the errors in it.
Also, there is a fantastic piece by David Foster Wallace in the April 2001 issue Harper's Magazine which describes the battles between those who are particular about grammar/usage and those who aren't.
Posted by: ADM at October 21, 2004 3:21 AM
We read this book for my English Pedagogy 9-12 class and I really didn't like it. If anything, I disagree with Truss' philosophy of grammar. And I think plummeting literacy and comprehension levels are the bigger symptom of a society that is "dumbing" itself down, as opposed to dropping "grammar" levels.
Posted by: JRRogers at October 21, 2004 10:19 AM
Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I do hate overuse of exclamation marks. But I also thought this book was great. And yes, I am a also a stickler...
Posted by: Jenny at October 22, 2004 7:32 AM