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labunnywtf's review against another edition
3.0
Okay, this is just neat.
The terms in this book, the real ones, are amusing as hell. The ones that were made up and collected by James Lipton are so witty and hilarious. I can't even remember all of them. Of course, I remember "A Mount of Porn Stars". "A Rack of Sadomasochists." I would remember those, wouldn't I?
The only reason it doesn't get more stars is because the explanation for some of the terms is written in such a way as to need it's own explanation. I wish I'd had a dictionary on me while reading it, because some of the words were beyond my understanding. Wow.
A really fun book.
The terms in this book, the real ones, are amusing as hell. The ones that were made up and collected by James Lipton are so witty and hilarious. I can't even remember all of them. Of course, I remember "A Mount of Porn Stars". "A Rack of Sadomasochists." I would remember those, wouldn't I?
The only reason it doesn't get more stars is because the explanation for some of the terms is written in such a way as to need it's own explanation. I wish I'd had a dictionary on me while reading it, because some of the words were beyond my understanding. Wow.
A really fun book.
impreader's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic fun. Poetry in a joke in a bottle in a history in a ... paraphernalia of pages.
jackphoenix's review against another edition
4.0
This book about one of the most charming quirks of the English language, grouping nouns, has at least 1,000 things to teach you...and it might make you chuckle while doing it.
dalewahl's review against another edition
4.0
A quick and incredibly fun read. Lipton loves to play with language and invites you to join. The book is an exploration of what he dubs the Venereal Game; it collects what may be called "nous of multitude," "company terms," "nouns of assemblage," or "group terms" such as gaggle of geese and school of fish. Lipton takes us a lot farther and opens a field of study unknown. If it ever amused you to find out a group of crows was called a murder, than this book is for you.
elevetha's review against another edition
3.0
Probably my favorite bits of this book were the introductions before each chapter. You really got a sense of how much Lipton loved words and the hunt for new terms of venery and really, it was just lovely to read. I was astonished at some of the terms that have been around since the 15th century and even more impressed as Lipton related some of his searches as he tried to discover just what some of them meant and how they came to be called their term.
However, while usually terms of venery excite me and incite a desire to memorize each and every one, I found quite a number of Lipton's own terms to be devoid of creating this desire. But there were a few that garnered a chuckle or a effort to memorize the term. Unfortunately, I was unable to write them down and will have to re-acquire this book so as to do so.
Even though I did not love this book as much as I thought I would, I am now far more interested in the game of creating the terms and would love to play a "chase" with my sisters. Somehow I think Lipton would be ecstatic at that turn of events.
However, while usually terms of venery excite me and incite a desire to memorize each and every one, I found quite a number of Lipton's own terms to be devoid of creating this desire. But there were a few that garnered a chuckle or a effort to memorize the term. Unfortunately, I was unable to write them down and will have to re-acquire this book so as to do so.
Even though I did not love this book as much as I thought I would, I am now far more interested in the game of creating the terms and would love to play a "chase" with my sisters. Somehow I think Lipton would be ecstatic at that turn of events.
jjweisman's review
3.0
A light, quick read. Lipton's classification of terms of venery is itself worth reading.
susannam's review
5.0
My parents had a copy of the first edition of An Exaltation of Larks. I remember enjoying leafing through that copy and enjoying the playful descriptors of groups. I don't recall how deeply James Lipton went in that first edition, but this ultimate edition is considerably augmented. Lipton writes about going deeper into the origins of "venery", this delightful and insightful way of both describing and categorizing groups of animals, objects and people. I had no idea that this game of venery was an entertainment several hundred years ago, and that phrases we take for granted like "a pack of dogs", "a hill of beans", "a string of ponies" and many others arose from this aristocratic pursuit. Lipton takes us through those familiar turns of phrase just to point out how they have enriched our language and then deliciously resurrects others that have fallen into disuse. He finally offers pages and pages of contemporary offerings, many of which were contributed by readers of his first book. In the last pages, he offers ways for you to take part in the game of venery, in the form of parlor games. Anyone who loves words will enjoy a deep dive into the richness of the English language offered here by James Lipton.