The master essayist-doctor celebrates the tools of his literary trade—in this delightful etymological exploration of the English language. "In our backyard is a horse-chestnut tree the size of a church," Thomas begins. Two hundred years old, 120 feet high, this creation of nature can't help but evoke feelings of reverence and admiration. Imagine, suggests Thomas, asking a small child to invent a word for the tree. The word would most likely embody the emotion it inspires. Later the same word would be used to evoke similar emotions, and would be pummeled into varying shapes to represent related qualities and conditions such as vigorousness, youth, and eternity. Thomas' sheer pleasure in such a notion proves contagious as he flips through his well-thumbed American Heritage Dictionary and etymology books to find ancient links between "self" and "secure," "gorgeous" and "gargoyle," "repent" and "in a hurry," etc. More than a mere historical science, etymology is, in Thomas' admittedly unscholarly view, an enchanting window into the long-buried meanings still subtly at work inside modern words—meanings that add resonance and subtext to every conversation. In pursuit of poetic undercurrents, the author doesn't hesitate to depart from traditional Indo-European genealogies to speculate on, for example, the notion of a youngster inventing language by gazing at his twin miniature reflections in his mother's eyes and naming the dark mirrors "pupils"—small children. Such charming images are the mark of an infectious enthusiasm, and will surely tempt others to succumb.
Pub Date: Oct. 23, 1990
ISBN: 1566491665
Page Count: 197
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1990
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
