Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation - Lynne Truss

I wouldn’t say I’m a stickler for punctuation as such; a misplaced apostrophe doesn’t send me into a rage or give me an irrational urge to spread Tipp-ex over a shop sign, but it is the kind of thing I’m likely to notice and sigh about before moving on. I may not be a militant pedant, but I am a pedant just the same. So it was really only a matter of time before I ended up reading Lynne Truss’ “Eats, Shoots and Leaves”, if only to see what all the fuss was about. I was also curious to see if I was doing things correctly myself; being educated at a Grammar School is no guarantee of perfect grammar. Even less so these days, it seems. Truss starts ...  Read the complete review

It’s an assuming looking thing. At only 7.5” x 5” and 210 pages, it is hardly the six-foot model of the book world. In fact, it would probably fail to meet the minimum height requirement to be an air hostess. But, as we know, good things often come in small packages and this little gem proves that point perfectly. If I told people I had just read a book on punctuation, I wonder what their response would be. Many might believe it was a text book, some kind of Eng Lang thing that had to be read for an exam. Certainly, twenty-five years ago, I would probably have been shocked at my future grown up self for using my leisure time to read a book like this one. ...  Read the complete review

Firstly, I must admit I am something of a stickler for correct grammar and punctuation. I wouldn't describe myself as a pedant, but I squirm at the sight of the grocer's apostrophe or - my particular bugbear - the use of quotation marks for emphasis. I saw good example of this at Edinburgh Zoo a few years ago: Strictly "NO" PARKING here (I have left quotation marks out of that quotation for obvious reasons.) Anyway, I photographed that particular punctuation pecadillo and sent it to my local paper, and, when I went back to the zoo again, the offending sign was gone. And, I must admit, I rather missed ...  Read the complete review

I have a bookcase. No, it's not a lie. The good thing is that is adorned with quite a few novels, reference books, Readers Digest tomes (yes I have succumbed) and one little gem which I'm long overdue to re-read. For you see I do partake in the arcane art of creative writing from time to time. Some of you may think there are some harsh critics out there they truly pale into little pussycats compared to an impatient editor who has to trawl his/her way through yet another short story. Now, as you can imagine my early efforts were littered with errors. I had a terrible weakness for sending out first drafts. I needed help and this little book is ...  Read the complete review

Yes, well maybe you'll have to read the rest of the review to get to the end of the joke... This is a very famous book - no doubt about it. It's been in bestseller lists all over the place and has won prizes, but what is all the fuss about? Is it all worth it? Well...I suppose that depends....let me quote you a bit from the introduction in order to explain: Either this will ring bells for you, or it won’t. A printed banner has appeared on the concourse of a petrol station near to where I live. “Come inside,” it says, “for CD’s, VIDEO’s, DVD’s, and BOOK’s.” You could have different possible reactions to this: a) Eh? What's that all ...  Read the complete review