Sign in with Facebook
Daren's Reviews > Eats, Shoots & Leaves
Eats, Shoots & Leaves
by
by
Well - I probably enjoyed this short book more than I should have. While my punctuation is not perfect and my reviews always contain typo's that I only spot years later, I still enjoy a good laugh at terrible punctuation.
Lynne Truss has collected some great punctuation faux pas. But more than that, she has provided relatively simple guidance on how to correctly position those commas, apostrophes, hyphens, and the like. (Points for noticing the Oxford comma (used after the and in a list) which I quite like.) I also like the guidance on how to position the full-stop when dealing with quotation marks or brackets (which I know I tend to over-utilise). Of course, I am paranoid now about every comma, hyphen and apostrophe in this review, as it would have been better just to throw some stars at it and not write a review at all than to cock up the punctuation...
Some quotes:
5 stars for its reference value if nothing else!
Lynne Truss has collected some great punctuation faux pas. But more than that, she has provided relatively simple guidance on how to correctly position those commas, apostrophes, hyphens, and the like. (Points for noticing the Oxford comma (used after the and in a list) which I quite like.) I also like the guidance on how to position the full-stop when dealing with quotation marks or brackets (which I know I tend to over-utilise). Of course, I am paranoid now about every comma, hyphen and apostrophe in this review, as it would have been better just to throw some stars at it and not write a review at all than to cock up the punctuation...
Some quotes:
To those who care about punctuation, a sentence such as "Thank God its Friday" (without the apostrophe) rouses feelings not only of despair but of violence.
-
If you still persist in writing, "Good food at it's best", you deserve to be struck by lightning, hacked up on the spot and buried in an unmarked grave.
-
Why did the Apostrophe Protection Society not have a militant wing? Could I start one? Where do you get balaclavas?
-
I apologise if you all know this, but the point is many, many people do not. Why else would they open a large play area for children, hang up a sign saying "Giant Kid's Playground", and then wonder why everyone stays away from it? (Answer: everyone is scared of the Giant Kid.)
-
Phrases abound that cry out for hyphens. Those much-invoked examples of the little used car, the superfluous hair remover, the pickled herring merchant, the slow moving traffic and the two hundred odd members of the Conservative Party would all be lost without it.
5 stars for its reference value if nothing else!
Sign into Goodreads to see if any of your friends have read
Eats, Shoots & Leaves.
Sign In »
Reading Progress
February 12, 2021
– Shelved
February 14, 2021
–
Started Reading
February 17, 2021
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-14 of 14 (14 new)
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Camille
(new)
Feb 17, 2021 02:09AM
Kudos for reading the whole book instead of dipping in and flipping through a section or two.
reply
|
flag
*
I read her Get Her Off The Pitch! I didn't mind it, but it never made me want to get this one. Maybe I should.
Camille wrote: "Kudos for reading the whole book instead of dipping in and flipping through a section or two."I found it was a fairly easy read, and arranged as a chapter per punctuation mark (or group) it was well organised. I read it in the middle of another longer book as a break too!
fourtriplezed wrote: "I read her Get Her Off The Pitch! I didn't mind it, but it never made me want to get this one. Maybe I should."Not sure I would seek out other books - though this was hit the spot for me. It is also dedicated to Bolshevik printers who, in 1905, demanded to be paid the same rate for punctuation marks as letters, so it is a hat tip to your industry!
Daren wrote: "It is also dedicated to Bolshevik printers who, in 1905, demanded to be paid the same rate for punctuation marks as letters, so it is a hat tip to your industry! "One way of earning extra I suppose. Reminds me of when compositors moved to computers and wanted extra for keystrokes. Due to technology it is a part of the industry that hardly exits now.
I was irritated by the author's jokes. I think I'll stick to more formal grammar study (and I need it!)
Jibbs wrote: "I was irritated by the author's jokes. I think I'll stick to more formal grammar study (and I need it!)"It was saved by the fact it was a quick read. I thought the grammar rules were pretty clear and I found them helpful.
I think she was a comma-unist though I haven't red the book. Then what comes to mind is, "What's for dinner, mother?" and just by raising your intonation, no further punctuation needed, "What's for dinner.....mother?" Hey, I hope you think its funny.
Bob wrote: "I think she was a comma-unist though I haven't red the book. Then what comes to mind is, "What's for dinner, mother?" and just by raising your intonation, no further punctuation needed, "What's for..."There were lots of examples of the "don't use commas like a stupid person" rule (as she called it).
She walked on her head, a little higher than normal.
She walked on, her head a little higher than normal.
The convict said the judge is mad.
The convict, said the judge, is mad.
People who don't use commas correctly aren't stupid, they're just untrained. There are a lot of those, though.
I enjoyed this book too. My punctuation conclusion on finishing this book was, if it makes sense, go for it -add the comma or don't. Nice review, Daren.
Bob wrote: "People who don't use commas correctly aren't stupid, they're just untrained. There are a lot of those, though."True, it is ridiculous how little punctuation is taught now.
Barbara wrote: "I enjoyed this book too. My punctuation conclusion on finishing this book was, if it makes sense, go for it -add the comma or don't. Nice review, Daren."Thank you. I tend to just use commas where I would pause while reading/speaking. I have tried to stop using them before and (except the Oxford comma).
