Review by kaitlyncookies - The Dictionary of Lost Words

kaitlyncookies 's review for:

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

4.25

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

This is an ambitious novel. Spanning 1886 to 1989, The Dictionary of Lost Words tells the story of how the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary was produced. The story follows Esme, that daughter of one of the dictionary’s editors, whose life becomes closely entwined with the production of the dictionary, as she goes from sitting beneath the dictionary work tables as a child to eventually becoming a contributor. The Author’s Note details the significant amount of research that went into this book, and that is what I most enjoyed about this reading experience. The sheer amount of detail is impressive and showcases the exhaustive time and expertise that went into producing the dictionary.

Early on in the novel I was afraid that its adherence to historical accuracy would be a detriment to the plot, but the novel does have a satisfying storyline. There are a lot of topics that are seamlessly woven in including the suffragette movement, World War I, class, motherhood, sisterhood, the role of various types of women in society, and how our understanding of language contributes to shared idealogies. The weakest points were the romantic sub-plots:

the first felt rushed, the second started too soon into the novel only to completely disappear until the last quarter of the book.

This book is for you if you have any interest in learning how the first dictionary was made, or if you are looking for a moving, feminist story of self-discovery.

Content Warnings