It's Not Just another reference book . . (Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable - Adrian Room)

Member Name: jaybee

Product:	Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable - Adrian Room
Date:	31/10/00 (33 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: full of trivia. covers a wide range of topics- informative and interesting.

Disadvantages: Not got any.

A lot of people might be put off ever reading this reference book, because they are not interested in fables fantasy etc and think that’s all the book contains. While the title of this book would seem to indicate that it contains only passages or phrases from fairy tales or fables, it offers an awful lot more.

The references inside cover a multitude of different things. There are references to mythology, ancient history, everyday expressions, and new or relatively new words that creep into the language – words like Paparazzi, or Godzilla. The book is really a mix of language and general knowledge. It gives you an insight into popular culture since the Victorian times, and is also interspersed with historical and mythological facts.


There are entries for real people, and also for characters from legends, fairy tales and plays. Examples like : Hamlet ; Cinderella; Pocahontas – Did you know Pocahontas actually existed? She married an Englishman and came to Britain in 1616, and died the following year off Gravesend, as she was about to return to Virginia. No –I didn’t know that either.
It’s entries like this one that make the book so interesting.

If you’re like me and are full of useless information and trivia, then you’ll love this book, because it’s full of information like that. This is where it differs from an ordinary dictionary, or encyclopedia, you can pick it up any time and find something of interest. Many of the entries are like very short synopses or stories in their own right. It’s not the first time I’ve read something in the book and gone off to find out more about the subject because what I’ve read makes you want to find out more.

This book is a great tool for anyone needing ideas to write an essay, or article. Because of it’s broad range of subjects and the way they are presented.

Open the book at any page and something w
ill catch your eye. You’ll find yourself saying “I didn’t know that” or “ Oh that’s why we say that”

From the first entry: A – Yes there’s even an entry for the first letter of the alphabet, telling you it’s origins. It evolved from the Hebrew and Phoenician character, known as “Aleph” apparently. To the last entry: Zwinglian – Which pertains to the teachings of Ulrich Zwingli a Swiss religious reformer. This reference book will educate, inform and intrigue you.

It’s a large book at almost 1300 pages but it does cover an awful lot of different subject areas. It might seem strange to some people that I can get so enthusiastic about a reference book, but this book is actually a good read.

You can buy it from any decent bookstore, and it will cost around £20 for a hardback copy.

Summary: