How did Eats, Shoots & Leaves land on the best-seller list? I’d like to think it reveals a late-blooming hunger for self-improvement by the ignorant masses. Somehow, though, I doubt it. Truss certainly doesn’t seem to be addressing such people as her readers. “What happened to punctuation?” she wails. “Why is it so disregarded when it is self-evidently so useful in preventing enormous mix-ups?” This isn’t what Henry Higgins would say to Eliza Doolittle. It’s what Higgins would say to Col. Pickering, his linguist sidekick. Truss wants you to read her book not to learn the rules of punctuation but to join her in bewailing, as you review these rules, the sorry ignorance of those who don’t know them. It’s to feel superior, and smug, and, well, almost — English. —Timothy Noah —Reads, Chortles, & Smirks: Why nobody’s learning anything from Lynne (Slate)
I’ve got this one on back order at the local library. I’m thinking of using it in “Intro to Literary Studies” next spring — the course is a kind of sampler of the flavors of English major we offer (lit, creative writing, & journalism) and I’m trying to find a way to more nonfiction and grammar into the course.
Full disclosure: I played Col. Pickering in high school, and it was mostly the reference to him that made me want to blog this.
I would guess that people are either buying the book to give to friends who like writing, or they are buying the book precisely because they want to be spoken to as if they know this stuff already. If the book really is that basic, then maybe it’s designed to flatter people who pick it up and tsk-tsk at all the examples of mistakes.
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Thanks for the feedback, everyone.
1. It's a Radio 4 feedback programme.
2. It costs exactly what you want to spend on a present for the relative who enjoys Radio 4 feedback programmes - ten quid.
I figured her audience was for the smarty-pants type, especially when my librarian sister just loved the book to bits.
Anyway, I do believe that Truss addresses this in her preface:
"My book was aimed at the tiny minority of British people 'who love puncutation and don't like to see it mucked about with.' When my own mother suggested we print on the front of the book 'for a select few,' I was hurt, I admit it; I bit my lip and blinked a tear." (xviii) [I changed the punctuation to the fantastic American style, thank you.]
Anyway, the first chapter has a rallying cry: "Sticklers of the world unite!" and, to paraphrase, says "You have nothing to lose but your sense of proportion."
So, the Slate commentator has it right. The punctuation discussed is "easy," and it's not really about educating the migrant worker -- it's more about an entertaining, quick read about punctuation and its history, with an overblown call-to-arms regarding misuse of apostrophes.
Anyway, I've previously remarked about Eats, etc. here: http://blogs.setonhill.edu/JulieYoung/003473.html
A recent article in the NEW YORKER tore apart Eats, Shoots, & Leaves, uncovering a host of grammatical and mechanical errors in the book itself! Sort of tongue in cheek, I think. But still worth seeing if you can dig it up online, esp if you'll be using this as a teaching text.
-- Mike Arnzen
damn...knew that preview button was there for a reason
The Deluxe Transitive Vampire at Amazon.com
A more useful grammar/punc book may be "The Deluxe Transitive Vampire"
http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0679418601/ref=sib_dp_pt/102-1014605-7173736#reader-link
Useful without being preachy, and the artwork is oh-so gothic.