Mother Tongue - Bill Bryson Reviews

For quite a while I’ve held a little interest in the origins of language. Not only how we managed to develop speech, but what has shaped our language into that we use today, perhaps you are the same? If you watched the recent “Walking with Cavemen” on BBC not so long ago you may have satisfied one aspect of that ...

Most people probably only know the name 'Bill Bryson' for his travel writing. True, he is well-known for that, but he has also written several books about language and use of language. 'Mother Tongue' is a book that fits into that category, and is nearly as enjoyable as any of Bryson's travel books. A book almost ...

Here's a quick little test to begin with: which words out of the following are misspelled? Supercede, conceed, procede, idiosyncracy, concensus, accomodate, impressario, rhythym, opthalmologist, diptheria, anamoly, afficianado, caesarian, grafitti Answers at end. I've read all Bill Bryson's books to date ...

I tried to like this book, I really did, but unfortunately I ended up merely angry and quite a bit frustrated. My copy was presented to me by work colleagues for assistance above and beyond the call of duty. I felt that to truly appreciate their sentiments I should enjoy the thoughtful gift. Sadly, by and large, it was not to be. I’ve read a ...

I received Mother Tongue as an Easter present last year as I was doing an English Language A-level at the time. Trust me, this book was a better present than chocolate! I had already read Bryson's 'Notes From A Big Country' (which, I must add, is hilarious) but I wasn't quite sure if he could manage to make a subject like ...

This book documents, in a very humourous way, the rise and rise of the English language. From its humble roots to its now global domination. This book describes where words come from, how their pronunciation has varied over history (in some cases quite recent history), how we have ended up with some of the curious spellings that are difficult even ...

English is my second language (my first is Spanish if you were curious) and I have always been fascinated by it, with the kind of fascination that comes from someone who's learned a language in school rather than just by speaking it from birth. English seems to be filled with quirky spellings, complicated pronunciation rules (with just as many ...

Before turning his hand to full time quirky travel writing, Bill Bryson wrote this detailed(but quirky nonetheless) account of the development of the English language. Not perhaps the kind of topic to stir the deepest passions of readers, but perhaps surprisingly, this book is a completely engrossing affair. OK, so at times there ...