I know Gyles Brandreth from TV, mainly from panel shows. And he is always really, really funny. When I saw the title of this book, I just had to get it. I already enjoyed writings like "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" by Lynne Truss (not to be confused with the "minor royal" or "local dignity" Liz Truss) and this one was just as great.
Just as in his shows, the author is simply hilarious. He can teach us about the English language and make a great joke at the same time.
As a non-native speaker, I am always surprised at mistakes like mixing up their, there and they're. What's the problem? Are people really so dumb or do the just not care. I suppose the latter because 90% of internet users cannot be dyslexic.
If only everyone would read this book, we could pass on a great legacy to our descendants.
And if you ever have someone correct your English, don't call them Grammar Nazis. They want to improve your English, not kill you. Call us nerds, if you like.
From the back cover:
"Don't know if it's, like, okay to say 'like'?
Are your apostrophe's in the wrong place?
Should it be 'past' or 'passed'?
Want to make fewer not less grammatical mistakes?
Then do not despair, Gyles Brandreth's Have You Eaten Grandma? is the definitive (and hilarious) guide to punctuation, spelling, and good English for the twenty-first century.
Sunday Times best-selling author and grammar guru, Gyles pokes fun at the linguistic foibles of our time, tells us where we've been going wrong (and how to put it right), and reveals his tips and tricks to make every one of us better, more confident users (not abusers) of the English language."
Oh, I have a DEEP love of the English language - and not just because its the only language I speak. Not only is it endlessly fascinating (with a *complex* history) but its also VERY funny too! I'll definitely look out for this one.
ReplyDeleteI know that, Kitten. So do I. I'm just always surprised how little people often know about the history. Like a former book club member who was surprised that the word winter comes from German and was even more surprised to learn that many English words were originally German. Not just no idea about language but also about history.
DeleteYou will love this. I am sure you know Gyles Brandreth. His book is like himself.
Sounds like a very fun book to dive into. I read Eats, Shoots & Leaves decades ago and loved it.
ReplyDeleteIt is, Jane. It's one to read first and then keep as a reference book.
DeleteThis sounds hilarious and something I would, like, greatly enjoy. (I will NEVER stop injecting 'like' into every sentence I can, lol)
ReplyDeleteHaha, Sarah, you might not like the part about "like". LOL. But I know you can laugh about it, so go ahead, try to read this.
DeleteI figured not. But they will have to pry that word from my cold dead mouth with their bare hands, lol
DeleteHahaha, they might succeed. Or they might not. We'll see. LOL
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