Instantly attracted by the title, I wasn't disappointed by the content.
This is a grammar book which seeks to explain, to those of us who did not benefit from either a degree in linguistics or a traditional grammar school education, the rules of Standard English; when to use what, how to avoid common errors and the like. It's entertaining, up-to-date and relevant as well as accessible to all with an interest in and basic knowledge of how English works. As a language student, I was pleased to see the linguistic viewpoint taken into account when, for example, explaining the thorny problem of language change.
I read this all through like a novel, but it could easily be used as a reference book, particularly if you're the sort of person to confuse words like "affect" and "effect". Others finding this book useful might be writers or would-be writers: the author is, after all, an editor. There's lots of information here that I didn't know; but, fellow pedants beware: keep it to yourself unless you want to annoy others with your superior knowledge!
Friday, 17 January 2014
Wednesday, 1 January 2014
The Hikey Sprite by Robert Coyle
This is a children's book published last year.
This is very much in the Alan Garner mould, with a strong sense of place where characters from folklore make their mark upon the modern world and supernatural evil is ultimately defeated by unlikely heroes in the shape of ordinary children.
I enjoyed the local (Norfolk) references and the main character is certainly appealing. Atmosphere is built up through description, though not too much of it, and events in the "real world" convincingly echo those in the supernatural world running alongside. The device of allowing different characters a voice in separate chapters works effectively in telling different parts of the story and widening perspective, and this technique could have been further enhanced through, say, using different fonts or varying the chapter heading illustrations.
It's a short read aimed at, probably, eight to ten year-olds, but I felt that there was a bigger story here trying to get out, and that it could have been meatier, more detailed and, dare I say it, longer? Fantasy novels of this type (Harry Potter, His Dark Materials etc.) do tend to get away with greater depth and length than other genres. On the other hand, this could be considered as filling a gap for slightly younger children who enjoy fantasy but haven't yet developed the reading stamina for those longer stories.
This is very much in the Alan Garner mould, with a strong sense of place where characters from folklore make their mark upon the modern world and supernatural evil is ultimately defeated by unlikely heroes in the shape of ordinary children.
I enjoyed the local (Norfolk) references and the main character is certainly appealing. Atmosphere is built up through description, though not too much of it, and events in the "real world" convincingly echo those in the supernatural world running alongside. The device of allowing different characters a voice in separate chapters works effectively in telling different parts of the story and widening perspective, and this technique could have been further enhanced through, say, using different fonts or varying the chapter heading illustrations.
It's a short read aimed at, probably, eight to ten year-olds, but I felt that there was a bigger story here trying to get out, and that it could have been meatier, more detailed and, dare I say it, longer? Fantasy novels of this type (Harry Potter, His Dark Materials etc.) do tend to get away with greater depth and length than other genres. On the other hand, this could be considered as filling a gap for slightly younger children who enjoy fantasy but haven't yet developed the reading stamina for those longer stories.
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