Minor changes both of their lives forever.Īlthough the story is captivating and enjoyable, the real contribution of the book lies in the description of the process of compilation of the Oxford English Dictionary (the first edition was published in 1927). Intertwined with the story of Minor, there is the life of George Merritt, a seemingly insignificant person whose encounter with Dr. Minor, who, over a long period of time, contributes over ten thousand entries. As this character goes about acquiring entries for this new dictionary, he comes across a Dr. One key figure is, of course, James Murray, the man who was credited with the compilation of the first Oxford English Dictionary. Winchester traces the lives of three key figures in this account. The author demonstrates a good grasp of the military, political, and medical aspects of the American Civil War and a working knowledge of nineteenth-century England from almost a Dickensian perspective. However, it is an interesting book dealing with both social and intellectual history and contributing significant insights into contextual and etymological studies. $22.00.Īt first, this may seem like a subject ill suited for a review in a theological journal. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 1999. The Professor and the Madman: The Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |