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A review by adamgolden
Holy Shit: A Brief History of Swearing by Melissa Mohr
3.0
(3/5★)
While I wouldn't call the title of the book misleading, it's certainly a much more academic read than I thought it would be. Focusing heavily on the history of swearwords over the course of several hundred years, Mohr does well in keeping things interesting, at least until the hefty chapter concerning the Renaissance. While I was expecting a more gaudy, shocking read, I ended up getting a rather humdrum history lesson instead, oftentimes straying away from the theme of the book itself. I was hoping for a bit more written on the modern era of swearing, and perhaps the future of it. Still, a fairly humorous and surprisingly educational read.
While I wouldn't call the title of the book misleading, it's certainly a much more academic read than I thought it would be. Focusing heavily on the history of swearwords over the course of several hundred years, Mohr does well in keeping things interesting, at least until the hefty chapter concerning the Renaissance. While I was expecting a more gaudy, shocking read, I ended up getting a rather humdrum history lesson instead, oftentimes straying away from the theme of the book itself. I was hoping for a bit more written on the modern era of swearing, and perhaps the future of it. Still, a fairly humorous and surprisingly educational read.