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Caroline's Reviews > Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation
Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation
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This book is a witty rant about the use and misuse of punctuation. It has a very high feel good factor. We, the readers, of course know how to use apostrophes correctly, and that writing littered with exclamation marks infers a feeble mind. We know subconsciously, even if not via overt rules, how to use hyphens. We pat pat pat ourselves on the back with being so in accord with this funny woman and her nit-picking usage of grammar.
Ahhhh, except this is the nub of the thing. Lynne Truss in this book deals only with punctuation - that thin layer of tasty icing on top of the vast, dense, impenetrable cake that is grammar. Reading Eats Shoots & Leaves does not maketh a grammarian of us, but merely a punctuator. Something that most kids do with reasonable efficiency by about the age of 11. Maybe I am being a bit harsh. Ms Truss mentions several famous authors who have tussled with nuances of punctuation, often with ferocity, and there is a bibliography at the end which is over four pages long. Still I can’t help thinking this is the easy-peasy edge of grammar, and really, she is giving us a very cushy ride.
Reservations aside, this is an enjoyable book. Ms Truss writes in an endearingly chatty style, and she’s a very amusing woman. I also learnt a thing or two. For me, best of all, was an introduction to the Oxford comma. This is when you are allowed to put a comma before an ‘and’ when making a list in a sentence. Thus….“The fruit salad, of oranges, apples, guavas and tenderly-ripened bananas” is replaced by “The fruit salad, of oranges, apples, guavas, and tenderly-ripened bananas”. Oh hooray, hooray! I always wanted to insert that last comma, but thought it was forbidden. Other people will undoubtedly find their own unexpected freedoms. For all her huffiness, Ms Truss is a surprisingly generous mentor.
All in all this book is a good fun read. The average rating on GR - a nice plump 3.83, from 50,719 people - says it all.
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Note: And for those of us who flail around in the gooey morass of more difficult areas of grammar, help is at hand via this wonderful Goodreads group.
Language and Grammar
Ahhhh, except this is the nub of the thing. Lynne Truss in this book deals only with punctuation - that thin layer of tasty icing on top of the vast, dense, impenetrable cake that is grammar. Reading Eats Shoots & Leaves does not maketh a grammarian of us, but merely a punctuator. Something that most kids do with reasonable efficiency by about the age of 11. Maybe I am being a bit harsh. Ms Truss mentions several famous authors who have tussled with nuances of punctuation, often with ferocity, and there is a bibliography at the end which is over four pages long. Still I can’t help thinking this is the easy-peasy edge of grammar, and really, she is giving us a very cushy ride.
Reservations aside, this is an enjoyable book. Ms Truss writes in an endearingly chatty style, and she’s a very amusing woman. I also learnt a thing or two. For me, best of all, was an introduction to the Oxford comma. This is when you are allowed to put a comma before an ‘and’ when making a list in a sentence. Thus….“The fruit salad, of oranges, apples, guavas and tenderly-ripened bananas” is replaced by “The fruit salad, of oranges, apples, guavas, and tenderly-ripened bananas”. Oh hooray, hooray! I always wanted to insert that last comma, but thought it was forbidden. Other people will undoubtedly find their own unexpected freedoms. For all her huffiness, Ms Truss is a surprisingly generous mentor.
All in all this book is a good fun read. The average rating on GR - a nice plump 3.83, from 50,719 people - says it all.
--------------------------------------------------------
Note: And for those of us who flail around in the gooey morass of more difficult areas of grammar, help is at hand via this wonderful Goodreads group.
Language and Grammar
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Reading Progress
June 23, 2012
– Shelved
August 3, 2013
–
Started Reading
August 7, 2013
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-14 of 14 (14 new)
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Libby wrote: "Hi Caroline--What a fun review! I can relate to the Oxford comma dilemma, because I was trained to use the extra mark. As an adult, the additional comma has been discouraged, and I have felt awkw..."I loved your comment Libby, and admire your bravo in throwing in an extra comma when you feel you need to do so. I wholly agree with you, sometimes we just have to do what we have to do. Anything less is cowardice.
I am sure you will enjoy this book very much...
Lynne wrote: "Caroline, What a super refreshing review and so nice to see your slant on this book.I loved the mention of the panda in the book. Said it all.
There are many people around who are remarkably un..."
Yes, I agree, there are people uninformed about punctuation Lynne, but I suspect they will not be reading this book. I think most people who read and enjoy this book will have a passable understanding of it. So in a way she is preaching to the initiated....
Hummmm, I differ from you in that I would love to know a lot about grammar (which sadly I don't), but then I like the idea of feeling free to break the rules. For me good communication always comes before perfect punctuation - although a reasonable grasp of punctuation is usually a prerequisite of good communication :-)
I thoroughly enjoyed this book Caroline and you are quite right, it is really a taster but when we get down to "serious grammar" that is certainly not a light aspect of our language.I have several grammar books (I need them for my translation work) and I prefer Sidney Greenbaum's "An Introduction to English Grammar" and my... is it complicated...
I agree wholeheartedly with your last sentence though and that's for sure....
Just checking to see if on GR: An Introduction to English Grammar, The Oxford English Grammar, and A Student's Grammar of the English Language.
Good heavens, I have the basic one by this author! I must immediately rectify that.
A great review, Caroline, and if you're looking for something in a similarly chatty but educational style that is more about grammar, have a look at:David Crystal's The Fight for English: How Language Pundits Ate, Shot, and Left
and
Henry Hitchings' Language Wars.
If you want more of a reference book (primarily, but not exclusively, for British English), it's hard to beat:
Pam Peters' The Cambridge Guide to English Usage
Lynne wrote: "I thoroughly enjoyed this book Caroline and you are quite right, it is really a taster but when we get down to "serious grammar" that is certainly not a light aspect of our language.I have severa..."
You sound very well furnished with grammar books Lynne, but obviously with your profession you would need good references.
I have Fowler's Modern English Usage, of which there are vast tracts I do not understand, and The Oxford Guide To Writing by Thomas S. Kane, of which there are still great tracts I do not understand :-(
Kirsty wrote: "Marvellous review, Caroline! I love your musings about barely scratching the surface of grammar, which I imagine would add a lot to such a book. I must admit that I do adore using Oxford commas. ..."Ha ha ha, I love what you said about Oxford commas! It is so important to enjoy writing. Finding punctuation that makes you happy is A Very Good Thing.....
Cecily wrote: "A great review, Caroline, and if you're looking for something in a similarly chatty but educational style that is more about grammar, have a look at:David Crystal's The Fight for English: How Lan..."
Thank you so much for those recommendations Cecily, and I will investigate all of your suggestions.
As I wrote above to Lynne. I have Fowler's Modern English Usage, of which there are vast tracts I do not understand, and The Oxford Guide To Writing by Thomas S. Kane, of which there are still great tracts I do not understand :-(
I think if I really applied myself I could learn more about grammar, but I am not sure I have enough interest to put in the level of work that would be required. Certainly when I try reading the two books I have cited here, my eyes start to glaze over, and my thinking gets fuggy.
That is why for me the Language and Grammar group is such a blessing. In my experience the people there always make an effort to explain things simply. I also like the way you can raise one little query at a time. It suits me very well.
I will go and check out the books you mentioned though - particularly The Cambridge Guide to English Usage. It may just be that I haven't encountered the right book yet.
Caroline, I'm very impressed with how your reviewing skills have improved over the months. It's fun to see how our writing gets better just from regular practice. I had no idea this book was about punctuation only. I think I can take a pass on it.
what a lovely and amusing review to read you put fun back into grammar however i do not feel i will be adding this particular book to my collection punctuation has always been secondary to me and i hated grammar in high school most likely because it was taught by a nun with a shrill voice
Jeanette wrote: "Caroline, I'm very impressed with how your reviewing skills have improved over the months. It's fun to see how our writing gets better just from regular practice. I had no idea this book was abou..."
What a kind thing to say Jeanette! I am mightily chuffed :-)*
Mikey B. wrote: "what a lovely and amusing review to read you put fun back into grammar however i do not feel i will be adding this particular book to my collection punctuation has always been secondary to me and i..."I would never advocate reading anything about a subject that bores or repels you. Life is way too short. I know if I had to read a book about golf I would have to shoot myself after the first chapter!
Kaput wrote: "I always wondered what this book was like. My grammar and punctuation are awful and certainly don't come naturally. I always wondered whether she'd be mocking people like me or offering tips for im..."I think this is a brilliant book for punctuation, being funny, informative, and very easy to understand. It does change you too; I've definitely started using more semi-colons since reading it ;-)
She comes down fairly hard on people who make grammatical errors, but in a very jokey way - often poking fun at her own obsessions and fussiness in this respect.
That group is fantastic. The thread that really helps me is here.
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...
It's where you can post any queries you have about grammar, and people will step up to help you.
I loved the mention of the panda in the book. Said it all.
There are many people around who are remarkably uninformed on grammar. I worked with a girl in London who had no idea what an apostrophe was and what it was used for. I was astounded.
Lynne Truss' book is, well there's no other word for it, fabulous and an essential part of one's library. We must not be complacent with our superb English language. We should follow the strict rules of the French in this regard.