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A review by savvyrosereads
The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams
emotional
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Rating: 4/5 stars
Esme is the daughter of a lexicographer working on the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. But as she grows older and more familiar with her father’s work, Esme begins to realize the words of women and the working class are left out of the OED—and begins to collect them for herself, instead.
This was the November pick for a book club I’m part of and I was so excited because the premise sounded incredible—feminist historical fiction about the importance of words and the way the language we hear and preserve impacts our view of the world? Sign me up immediately!
Unfortunately, I didn’t feel like this one lived up to the promise of that premise quite as well as it could have. I found myself repeatedly frustrated by large time jumps and unresolved plot points, and was ultimately pretty frustrated by an ending that felt a bit haphazard. I wanted to be drawn into this book and this world, but I instead found myself a somewhat bored observer of vignettes that sometimes felt almost random, disconnected from the larger narrative for no discernible plot-serving reason.
Still, at the end of the day the concept is spectacular and I felt like the message the book sends has real value—and did make me cry multiple times. If you decide to pick this one up, know that you’re in for fairly slow historical fiction—but if you are a word nerd you will probably enjoy most of the ride.
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: feminist historical fiction; words and linguistics; fiction with a message
CW: Pregnancy/post partum depression; death/death of a parent; war/PTSD/injury.
Esme is the daughter of a lexicographer working on the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. But as she grows older and more familiar with her father’s work, Esme begins to realize the words of women and the working class are left out of the OED—and begins to collect them for herself, instead.
This was the November pick for a book club I’m part of and I was so excited because the premise sounded incredible—feminist historical fiction about the importance of words and the way the language we hear and preserve impacts our view of the world? Sign me up immediately!
Unfortunately, I didn’t feel like this one lived up to the promise of that premise quite as well as it could have. I found myself repeatedly frustrated by large time jumps and unresolved plot points, and was ultimately pretty frustrated by an ending that felt a bit haphazard. I wanted to be drawn into this book and this world, but I instead found myself a somewhat bored observer of vignettes that sometimes felt almost random, disconnected from the larger narrative for no discernible plot-serving reason.
Still, at the end of the day the concept is spectacular and I felt like the message the book sends has real value—and did make me cry multiple times. If you decide to pick this one up, know that you’re in for fairly slow historical fiction—but if you are a word nerd you will probably enjoy most of the ride.
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: feminist historical fiction; words and linguistics; fiction with a message
CW: Pregnancy/post partum depression; death/death of a parent; war/PTSD/injury.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Cursing, Misogyny, Sexism, Medical content, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism