Genre: Non-Fiction
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Being an English teacher makes it hard to pass up books like this, and it was an interesting (although not always accurate) read. The title makes one think that the book will be dry and boring, but this was not the case at all. Bryson made me smile throughout and seemed to have the same issues with the English language that I do. Mainly, how can so many different words have a variety of meaning. His example of the word FLY is a good one. This three letter word can mean 1) an insect 2) a means of transportation 3) a zipper on a pair of trousers. The sentence : A fly landed on his fly as he began to fly home, is as correctly written as it is confusing.
According to Bryson, 300 million people in the world speak this complicated language and most others attempt to speak it. He tries to give us a history of the English language, which is a mixture of so many other languages. He tells us that Shakespeare alone gave us close to 1,700 words, much of our language is confusing to us as well as to others, and that language is ever changing.
I am not sure where he got all of his facts, and I know that some of them seem incorrect, but for the most part this book is entertaining and informative and maybe a wee bit confusing. It is no more confusing though, than a language that puts an R in the pronunciation of the word colonel, or makes us teach children that to, too and two sound alike yet mean totally different things.
You don't have to be an English teacher to enjoy this book, and I recommend it as an interesting gift this holiday season.
- Beverly
Publisher - William Morrow Paperbacks; Reissue edition
Date of Publication - 1990
According to Bryson, 300 million people in the world speak this complicated language and most others attempt to speak it. He tries to give us a history of the English language, which is a mixture of so many other languages. He tells us that Shakespeare alone gave us close to 1,700 words, much of our language is confusing to us as well as to others, and that language is ever changing.
I am not sure where he got all of his facts, and I know that some of them seem incorrect, but for the most part this book is entertaining and informative and maybe a wee bit confusing. It is no more confusing though, than a language that puts an R in the pronunciation of the word colonel, or makes us teach children that to, too and two sound alike yet mean totally different things.
You don't have to be an English teacher to enjoy this book, and I recommend it as an interesting gift this holiday season.
- Beverly
Publisher - William Morrow Paperbacks; Reissue edition
Date of Publication - 1990
