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68 of 77 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fine book that needs an index, March 3, 2001
For those who love words and reference books, this is a well-told yarn. Being the story of the relationship between one William Minor, a doctor and convicted lunatic suffering from paranoia, and James Murray, editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, there is much more right with the book than wrong, but it does have some problems, primarily the lack of an index. Any book with so many names should have an index.Secondly, one wishes to see and hear more -- the author refers to several interesting photographs: a formal farewell photo of Minor near the end of his life, returning to America after 37 years in England (all but one spent in Broadmoor Asylum for the Criminally Insane); the last photo of Murray, a fortnight before his death, in the Scriptorium (where the OED was compiled) surrounded by his daughters and staff. It would have been nice to see these pictures. The author refers several times to Minor's handwriting and many times to his letters. It would have added to the story to see at least a few letters in full, and particularly to have seen a sample of Minor's writing. In addition, Winchester credits the motivation for the creation of the OED to an address by Richard Trench, in which Trench delineates seven ways that dictionaries of the time were deficient, but then states that "most of them are technical and should not concern us here"! I think people interested in this book *would* most likely be interested in these technical details. If nothing else, they should be put in a (foot)note. Finally, although the tale is generally well told and an enjoyable read, the author occasionally hits a false note which a reader may find jarring; for instance, in describing Minor's post-trial delivery to the asylum, Winchester states that "the horses were sweating slightly as they hauled the four-wheel vehicle and its occupants up the low sandstone hill at the top of which stands Broadmoor itself." Oh really. Nice touch of drama, but disconcerting when so much else is related without imaginary flourishes. Similarly, Winchester conjectures that a hypothetical event may have led to Minor's autopeotomy, though there is no reason at all to believe such an event occurred. Having listed these flaws, one is obligated also to acknowledge the author's successes. In addition to an engaging style in service to an interesting tale, there is a charming author's note, an acknowledgments section actually worth reading, and a touching dedication (fleshed out in the text) to G.M. -- George Merrett, Minor's murder victim, who left behind a pregnant wife with seven children and who rests in an unmarked grave. I recommend the book. An example of fine historical writing, it humanizes a remarkable literary achievement. But it needs an (in' dex)!!
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by Simon Winchester
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