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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
I listened to this book, and once again I was struck by the desire to have the option to have the book read while reading along. It was lovely to hear the Old English pronunciations, but I would’ve liked to be able to see the spellings, etc. Still, it was very good! I’ve been a fan of the blog for a while. It was a worthwhile read!
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
This is a fascinating book, both in termes of its insights into the English language and the light that these throw on to the life and society of the period. The whole of the the Anglo Saxon lexicon is surveyed but one of the most frequently discussed texts is Beowulf and this is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the poem.
challenging
informative
slow-paced
I think this strikes a balance reasonably well between the more overtly linguistic/historical book that I'd have most wanted and one that focuses on the more poetic language. I agree with other reviewers who have pointed out the number of hapax legomena though – obviously we don't know if they're representative or not, but they do feel a bit like a diversion from ‘daily life’ in Old English!
A box of delights and kennings and rune-whispering by an enthusiastic linguist
I'm really deeply disappointed in this book. From variable and inconsistent descriptions of words, mistakes in pronunciations, and really a lackluster showing of a book compiled by someone who for all intents and purposes, comes across as a scholar with a deep interest in Old English.
I picked this book up to use as a word bank when teaching a friend OE, and abandoned it after the second chapter.
I picked this book up to use as a word bank when teaching a friend OE, and abandoned it after the second chapter.
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
A wealthy hoard for word dragons couched with interesting tidbits about life in different English periods. Enjoyable read.
informative
medium-paced