Patrick Gibson's Reviews > The Elements of Style Illustrated
The Elements of Style Illustrated
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I remember, my Freshman year, sitting in the Music Building lounge waiting for my next class when Maryanne came crashing in, with an appropriate amount of chaos, announcing to all “Oh crap, I can’t find my Strunk and White.” Everyone else in the room apparently knew what she was talking about, but I sat with a blank stare. A few weeks latter my required English 101 professor insisted we hit the bookstore and buy ‘The Elements of Style.’ We were to treat it like the Holy Grail of grammar, carry it with us at all times, sleep with it, and consider it our eternal faithful lover. This would become the first of many copies of Strunk & White that have come and gone in my life. I think at one time I actually had four copies. Maryanne, made a similar pontification in the same lounge a month later “Oh no, I have lost my Boosey & Hawkes”* which I did understand. It may have sounded more erotic than Strunk & White but certainly less dramatic. For me Boosies and Hawksies came and went, but Strunks and Whites have remained constant.
This year, for my birthday, I received yet another copy. Only this edition is hardback and Illustrated! At first I thought: how queer can this be? It has got to be a mistake. It’s a grammar book! This had to be a novel, a book on fashion, or something sharing a name. Nope. Same Strunk & White – only this time with pictures.
Over the years, I have acquired other books on grammar (even one on Pittsburgh diction—go figure) but none can compare. The Elements of Style is concise, easy to understand and practically perfect. It’s the best. Ever.
And a very clever artist has figured out how to illustrate sentence fragments, misused words, the hyphen, participle phrases and lots of other teeth gritting English stumbling blocks—in a very Magritte sort of way.
Yet, there is one thing, even the most excellent book, won’t be able to do, as, my friends will attest, and this, would be, comma abuse, of which, I am the Master.
*It’s a Music Publisher
This year, for my birthday, I received yet another copy. Only this edition is hardback and Illustrated! At first I thought: how queer can this be? It has got to be a mistake. It’s a grammar book! This had to be a novel, a book on fashion, or something sharing a name. Nope. Same Strunk & White – only this time with pictures.
Over the years, I have acquired other books on grammar (even one on Pittsburgh diction—go figure) but none can compare. The Elements of Style is concise, easy to understand and practically perfect. It’s the best. Ever.
And a very clever artist has figured out how to illustrate sentence fragments, misused words, the hyphen, participle phrases and lots of other teeth gritting English stumbling blocks—in a very Magritte sort of way.
Yet, there is one thing, even the most excellent book, won’t be able to do, as, my friends will attest, and this, would be, comma abuse, of which, I am the Master.
*It’s a Music Publisher
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Reading Progress
Started Reading
July 18, 2009
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July 18, 2009
– Shelved as:
nerdboy
July 18, 2009
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Coco
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rated it 5 stars
Jul 19, 2009 06:22PM
I love my battered old Strunk and White. It's seen me through high school, some truly evil college profs, good jobs and bad ones, and now, my own kids' school papers. I recently read an article that said Elements of Style isn't a good grammar resource, it's too rigid and old-fashioned. Blasphemy!
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Coco wrote: "I love my battered old Strunk and White. It's seen me through high school, some truly evil college profs, good jobs and bad ones, and now, my own kids' school papers. I recently read an article tha..."
I have heard that as well, but if you notice other grammar books . . . they are usually two or three times the volume. S&W is brilliant the way everything is pared down to essential compact readability. My guess is you listen to 'A Way With Words' on NPR. Right? He laughs.
I have heard that as well, but if you notice other grammar books . . . they are usually two or three times the volume. S&W is brilliant the way everything is pared down to essential compact readability. My guess is you listen to 'A Way With Words' on NPR. Right? He laughs.
Heather wrote: "ILLUSTRATED S&W? Must. Have.
Another great review."
Yes.
You.
Must.
Have.
(Although I was tempted to put commas after each word--Grrrr, fight it, Patrick, fight it.)
Another great review."
Yes.
You.
Must.
Have.
(Although I was tempted to put commas after each word--Grrrr, fight it, Patrick, fight it.)
Patrick wrote: "Coco wrote: "I love my battered old Strunk and White. It's seen me through high school, some truly evil college profs, good jobs and bad ones, and now, my own kids' school papers. I recently read a..."
Yes, she replies, concisely. Doesn't everyone?
Yes, she replies, concisely. Doesn't everyone?
Strunk and White's The Elements of Style, was never recommended in school. I came across it when i was already working. I do research and draft judicial papers. I never had a problem with grammar. I'm fine. What i already know from various sources are in it. It is complete, yet so handy. I want to recommend it to someone whose work entails much writing, but I'm afraid, he will be offended. So I pray he will discover Strunk and White himself, and find out how tiny, as tiny as a . his knowledge of grammar is!
Yes, you did get a bit comma happy, but entertainingly so. Self-awareness seems to make the carnage not so egregious.