Eats, Shoots & Leaves

Book Details

Library

Author

Lynne Truss

Category

Non Fiction

Publisher

BBC Audiobooks

Printed By

Antony Rowe Ltd

Country

Great Britain

Personal

Year Published

2003 / 2004

Date Read

30/08/2006

ISBN

0754095932

Personal Rating

10 / 10

Binding

Softcover

Pages

202

Overview

Everyone knows the basics of punctuation, surely? Aren't we all taught at school who to use full stops, commas and question marks? And yet we see ignorance and indifference everywhere. “It's Summer!” says a sign that cries out for an apostrophe. 'ANTIQUE,S' says another, bizarrely. “Pansy's ready” we learn to our considerable interest (“Is she?”), as we browse among the bedding plants.

In 'Eats, Shoots & Leaves', Lynne Truss dares to say that, with our system of punctuation patently endangered, it is time to look at our commas and semicolons and see them for the wonderful and necessary things they are. If there are only pedants left who care, so be it.

Comment

This book appealed to the nerd in me – it had me laughing out loud and getting nostalgic for the wonderful literature sprinkled throughout. I love the idea of written language as music, with punctuation as the hints to tempo and lilt.

I'm glad I read this book, and I hope it stays with me for a long time.