When I requested Heavy Words Lightly Thrown: The Reason Behind the Rhyme by Chris Roberts, I confess that I was hoping for something a little more pithy. However, the book is very enjoyable and spends several pages discussing each rhyme, though some rhymes I think are more popular in the UK than here in the States. The glossary of UK slang words was very helpful (and entertaining). The most interesting thing about the book as a whole is the introduction of rhyming slang, in which the slang is the word in the phrase that doesn't rhyme with the object it refers to - e.g. calling a five pound note (a fiver) a "lady" because "Lady Godiva" rhymes with "fiver" in some British accents. Intriguing!
Recommended for the curious. Those expecting more studious, less glib analysis should look elsewhere.
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Winnie the Pooh
Another children's classic I never read as a kid. Pretty good, but definitely a kid's book. Disney stays semi-faithful, but it's worth reading since Pooh is such a cultural icon. I did enjoy the use of capitalization - especially when Pooh and Piglet are trying to think of a Cunning Trap to catch a Woozle (or was it a Heffalump? I can't remember).
Highly recommended for all children (I think it'd be a great read-aloud book for grown-ups and kids to share). Recommended for adults who haven't read it before cause it's fast and it's a big part of children's culture in the US and Britain.
Highly recommended for all children (I think it'd be a great read-aloud book for grown-ups and kids to share). Recommended for adults who haven't read it before cause it's fast and it's a big part of children's culture in the US and Britain.
nonrequired reading
Wistawa Szymborska is best known as a winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature for her collections of poetry. Apparently, though, she also writes a column in a Polish newspaper that reviews a broad and refreshing scope of books. From how-to guides on hanging wallpaper to history texts for the educated layperson, Szymborska seems to tackle them all in her column. This book is a collection of selected columns.
I found this collection very refreshing because I tend to think of those people who've won prestigious prizes for literature (and other fields) as being literary and profound all the time. It seems as though they must be able to appreciate all literature with their ultra-astuteness. The refreshing part comes in doses where Szymborska isn't able to finish a book because it bores her so much - or she hates a book for being too fluffy (or too serious about a fluffy topic). It unfolds through this series of columns that she's a regular person who loves reading and has very eclectic tastes. Awesome!
Recommended for bibliophiles looking for the next good book.
I found this collection very refreshing because I tend to think of those people who've won prestigious prizes for literature (and other fields) as being literary and profound all the time. It seems as though they must be able to appreciate all literature with their ultra-astuteness. The refreshing part comes in doses where Szymborska isn't able to finish a book because it bores her so much - or she hates a book for being too fluffy (or too serious about a fluffy topic). It unfolds through this series of columns that she's a regular person who loves reading and has very eclectic tastes. Awesome!
Recommended for bibliophiles looking for the next good book.
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