kstericker's review against another edition
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Body horror and Murder
Minor: Pedophilia and Sexual assault
wuchea's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting blend of history and conjecture in the style of Erik Larrson...four stars because it went a tiny bit off the rails at the end with the speculating and romanticizing. Overall a solidly told and fascinating story about the Oxford English Dictionary of all things.
beckykirk's review against another edition
5.0
I think some of the appeal of this book was listening to an Englishman read it to me. I listened to the audiobook but I believe I would feel the same way about it if I had read it myself. This book is so very interesting and I'm not even a word freak (as you can tell by my choice of vocabulary!).
erinaries's review against another edition
3.0
interesting enough that i read the whole thing but lowkey pretty boring. would have worked better as a chapter in a book and not a whole book by itself lol
hilse's review against another edition
3.0
The history was fascinating, but I found the author's prose florid and his narrative underwhelming.
Winchester definitely comes off as enthusiastic and knowledgeable about his subjects. However, even after finishing the book, I remain only mildly interested about Dr. Minor and Dr. Murray.
Winchester definitely comes off as enthusiastic and knowledgeable about his subjects. However, even after finishing the book, I remain only mildly interested about Dr. Minor and Dr. Murray.
thesonnetsilence's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
slow-paced
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Medical trauma, Body horror, and Self harm
Moderate: Murder
amymo73's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting book. I found the story of Minor and Murray and their relationship interesting. I never really gave much thought to how dictionary's come together, or how this one came together in particular, and some of the back story of the process. This was all new information to me and I really enjoyed it.
A few problems with the book. First, perhaps it's a sign of the times when it was written (1999) but the use of the words "slum" and "whore" seem, well, just wrong, out of place, poorly chosen and unnecessarily derogatory.
Also, the treatment of looking at Minor's mental status and searching for a reason for it. Maybe it's a sign of MY times (and watching too many True Crime shoes in the 2020s) but Minor's paranoia of people making him do sexual acts with people seems to me it could indicate he had been sexually abused as a child. (Granted, my psychology degree is from watching documentaries and reading self-help books.)
Finally, while Minor contributed a shit ton to the work of the OED (I believe that is the technical term) I'm not sure that his committing a murder which led to him being committed to an insane asylum was the reason the OED was completed. Somehow, maybe it would have taken longer, but it would have been done. To hinge the OED Minor's mental status seems a bit of a stretch. The OED, however, might have saved Minor, however.
A few problems with the book. First, perhaps it's a sign of the times when it was written (1999) but the use of the words "slum" and "whore" seem, well, just wrong, out of place, poorly chosen and unnecessarily derogatory.
Also, the treatment of looking at Minor's mental status and searching for a reason for it. Maybe it's a sign of MY times (and watching too many True Crime shoes in the 2020s) but Minor's paranoia of people making him do sexual acts with people seems to me it could indicate he had been sexually abused as a child. (Granted, my psychology degree is from watching documentaries and reading self-help books.)
Finally, while Minor contributed a shit ton to the work of the OED (I believe that is the technical term) I'm not sure that his committing a murder which led to him being committed to an insane asylum was the reason the OED was completed. Somehow, maybe it would have taken longer, but it would have been done. To hinge the OED Minor's mental status seems a bit of a stretch. The OED, however, might have saved Minor, however.
dominicangirl's review against another edition
dark
informative
sad
slow-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Self harm, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Gun violence