Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by crazygoangirl
The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Reading this book was an utterly absorbing, thought-provoking and emotional experience for me. When my friend lent it to me, I had no idea I would fall in love with its premise, its language and its characters :) I guess books about Dictionaries are my 'thing' this year - I also loved The Great Passage by Shion Miura that I read a few months ago, about the publication process of a Japanese dictionary!
This one was a slow starter initially but as the narrative progressed, I thought Williams paced it beautifully, building up the subtly pervasive undercurrents of a Victorian society on the cusp of a new century and later on the cusp of the Great War. It's not a time period I've read much about and it was fascinatingly informative about the beginnings of the suffrage movement and its evolution until World War I put a spoke in the wheels. I also learnt about Esperanto for the first time - an artificially devised language used as an international medium of communication way back in 1887! Emma speaks it and attempts to use it as linguistic therapy when she volunteers at a hospital during WWI. Apparently there are 2 million people around the world that still speak it today! Amazing!
As always it wasn't a great time for women and the prejudice against them was practically universal. Yet every woman in this book has a fiery, independent spirit that no amount of oppression is able to extinguish! Whether it be the central protagonist Esme - introverted, passionate, dedicated, intelligent and wilful; or her wonderfully compassionate and spiritual 'bondmaid' Lizzie. Whether it's Ditte - single, intelligent, hardworking and devoted to Esme or Tilda - free-spirited, impulsive, tempestuous and dedicated to women's suffrage; each of these women stand out for their courage and chutzpah in the face of insurmountable odds and injustice. They make difficult decisions and face the consequences while trying their best to stay true to their beliefs and principles as best they can. They form a Sisterhood - a fellowship that nurtures their dreams and supports them throughout their lives. I loved every aspect of their strong yet flawed relationships because they were authentic & identifiable in the normal human way. The bond between Lizzie and Esme was my favourite - the way their relationship evolved over the course of their lives was heart-warmingly affirmative.
The women were supported by a cast of men who were ahead of their time - Esme's father, Dr. Murray, Gareth and the team of lexicographers working on the 1st edition of the Oxford English Dictionary - a task that consumed their lifetimes! I share Esme's love for words and the English language and enjoyed her exploration of 'women's' words and her passionate pride in working on the Oxford English Dictionary :) I loved the concept of the Dictionary of Lost words and it's evolution from a trunkful of discarded words to the slim green-leather bound volume, lovingly crafted and reluctantly accepted into the Bodleian! What a victory that was for women! I also enjoyed the Oxford setting and atmosphere that Williams skilfully recreates. If I get a chance to visit, I will enjoy looking for all the landmark buildings of that world famous campus.
I fell in love with Pip Williams' writing style - gentle, mellow with an underlying steeliness and grit. I loved how effortlessly she wove her fiction with historical events so it was hard to tell one from the other until I went through her notes in the end. I love that she included a timeline of the publication of the 1st Oxford English Dictionary and a timeline of the major historical events of the period, along with a photograph of the actual team that worked on the first edition. But most of all, I loved how Williams' passion for words comes through in her narrative. She's skilful at her craft and turns words into living beings - meaningful, unique, multi-functional, practically human :) This book has a comfortingly melancholy, wistful aura. It had me yearning for a return to simpler times, when words still held meaning and integrity and weren't just 'empty vessels', unlike today when both words and the people who wield them have lost much credibility! Social media today is just so much 'word soup' in my opinion!
One of my favourite quotes says it all,
"I find the more I define, the less I know. I spend my days trying to understand how words used by men long dead, in order to draft a meaning that will suffice not just for our times but for the future." - Harry Nicoll.
And another favourite from Lizzie,
"I feel like a dandelion just before the wind blows."
This book gave me all the 'feels'. Beautifully written, eloquently expressed and a champion of words and the power they hold over us humans, this is a must read for all word-lovers :) Highly recommended! I want to read everything she’s written!
This one was a slow starter initially but as the narrative progressed, I thought Williams paced it beautifully, building up the subtly pervasive undercurrents of a Victorian society on the cusp of a new century and later on the cusp of the Great War. It's not a time period I've read much about and it was fascinatingly informative about the beginnings of the suffrage movement and its evolution until World War I put a spoke in the wheels. I also learnt about Esperanto for the first time - an artificially devised language used as an international medium of communication way back in 1887! Emma speaks it and attempts to use it as linguistic therapy when she volunteers at a hospital during WWI. Apparently there are 2 million people around the world that still speak it today! Amazing!
As always it wasn't a great time for women and the prejudice against them was practically universal. Yet every woman in this book has a fiery, independent spirit that no amount of oppression is able to extinguish! Whether it be the central protagonist Esme - introverted, passionate, dedicated, intelligent and wilful; or her wonderfully compassionate and spiritual 'bondmaid' Lizzie. Whether it's Ditte - single, intelligent, hardworking and devoted to Esme or Tilda - free-spirited, impulsive, tempestuous and dedicated to women's suffrage; each of these women stand out for their courage and chutzpah in the face of insurmountable odds and injustice. They make difficult decisions and face the consequences while trying their best to stay true to their beliefs and principles as best they can. They form a Sisterhood - a fellowship that nurtures their dreams and supports them throughout their lives. I loved every aspect of their strong yet flawed relationships because they were authentic & identifiable in the normal human way. The bond between Lizzie and Esme was my favourite - the way their relationship evolved over the course of their lives was heart-warmingly affirmative.
The women were supported by a cast of men who were ahead of their time - Esme's father, Dr. Murray, Gareth and the team of lexicographers working on the 1st edition of the Oxford English Dictionary - a task that consumed their lifetimes! I share Esme's love for words and the English language and enjoyed her exploration of 'women's' words and her passionate pride in working on the Oxford English Dictionary :) I loved the concept of the Dictionary of Lost words and it's evolution from a trunkful of discarded words to the slim green-leather bound volume, lovingly crafted and reluctantly accepted into the Bodleian! What a victory that was for women! I also enjoyed the Oxford setting and atmosphere that Williams skilfully recreates. If I get a chance to visit, I will enjoy looking for all the landmark buildings of that world famous campus.
I fell in love with Pip Williams' writing style - gentle, mellow with an underlying steeliness and grit. I loved how effortlessly she wove her fiction with historical events so it was hard to tell one from the other until I went through her notes in the end. I love that she included a timeline of the publication of the 1st Oxford English Dictionary and a timeline of the major historical events of the period, along with a photograph of the actual team that worked on the first edition. But most of all, I loved how Williams' passion for words comes through in her narrative. She's skilful at her craft and turns words into living beings - meaningful, unique, multi-functional, practically human :) This book has a comfortingly melancholy, wistful aura. It had me yearning for a return to simpler times, when words still held meaning and integrity and weren't just 'empty vessels', unlike today when both words and the people who wield them have lost much credibility! Social media today is just so much 'word soup' in my opinion!
One of my favourite quotes says it all,
"I find the more I define, the less I know. I spend my days trying to understand how words used by men long dead, in order to draft a meaning that will suffice not just for our times but for the future." - Harry Nicoll.
And another favourite from Lizzie,
"I feel like a dandelion just before the wind blows."
This book gave me all the 'feels'. Beautifully written, eloquently expressed and a champion of words and the power they hold over us humans, this is a must read for all word-lovers :) Highly recommended! I want to read everything she’s written!