A review by theresidentbookworm
The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr.

5.0

I can truly say I have learned a lesson from William Strunk Jr. (or Professor Will as I will now refer to him): I am a dirty, awful sinner. I use the word very too much, and I'm not clear and concise. I overuse adverbs, and I am not worthy. Professor Will, have pity on my soul. You are the man. Let no one tell you otherwise. Okay, apology over, review commencing.

I recently found a copy of The Elements of Style in the reference section at Bookstock (aka the best book sale ever) and knew it was a must-have purchase. Stephen King referenced it frequently in his book On Writing , which is an excellent book on writing and his experiences as a writer, and if The Elements of Style is good enough for Stephen King it is good enough for me. King's recommendation was spot on. Professor Will knows his stuff. He admires clear and concise languages and simple writing. I especially enjoyed the section on all the words he felt were misused or that he just didn't like. Professor Wills was the type of English professor I would probably like. E.B. White (yes, of Charlotte's Web fame) certainly admired his old teacher and painted a great picture of him in the introduction to this edition.

High school students who take four years of English might not learn as much about writing in those classes as they would by reading The Elements of Style. I know this because I proofread at least a hundred papers in both English and Journalism classes, and every single one of Professor Will's rules were broken at least once. I know I have broken several (and will break some in this review). Every young writer should have a copy of this book. There are a lot of books that tell us how to write and where to write and what to write about and how to get published, but this one is the necessary one. Do yourself a favor, and read this book. It doesn't even break 100 pages. It's easy to read, and there are helpful examples. Writers should read The Elements of Style for themselves and their readers. Clearer writing makes for better books.

I would just like to end this review with a quote for my mom. This is a longstanding issue between us: “Never call a stomach a tummy without good reason.”