Review by ciecheesemeister -- Why Do We Quote?
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[Following is a volunteer review of "Why Do We Quote?" by Ruth Finnegan.]
Why Do We Quote is the study of the evolution of modern British quoting practices by literary anthropologist Dr. Ruth Finnegan. This in-depth investigation into the cultural phenomenon of quoting features multiple case studies provided by volunteers who explain their own history and methods of quoting and their thoughts on the matter. It also provides a journey through history leading to current oft-used quotation styles in British society. As I discovered, the modern system of quoting utilizing what Dr. Finnegan refers to as reverse commas to mark the beginning and end of a quote was not a prevalent practice until the latter half of the nineteenth century.
One might feel that a book about quoting practices would be extremely dry and perhaps even a good cure for insomnia. While I was curious about the subject matter, I admit to approaching the book with a modicum of trepidation, surmising that I might end up feeling like I was reading something assigned for high school English class. My quest for lifelong learning prompted me to choose the book regardless of my misgivings, and I was pleasantly surprised to discover that reading it was not at all like muddling through a monotone tome assigned by an English teacher hoping to bore their students to death.
The first thing that struck me about Dr. Finnegan’s book beyond the fact that this scholarly study was a much more compelling read than I had expected was the difference between British and American quoting practices. Both utilize the now-common inverted double comma or single comma, but the British system also incorporates asterisks. I will grant that my observations may be prejudiced by factors such as my own level of education (I possess an associate’s degree in science and a practical nursing certification), the region of the United States in which I was educated (the West and Southwest), and the years during which I received my pre-college education (I graduated from high school in 1983). I would be interested to learn Dr. Finnegan’s thoughts on the differences between American and British quoting practices.
I give Why Do We Quotefour out of four stars. The book utilizes exhaustive, in-depth research and is professionally edited with no errors in the text. The manuscript is well-formatted, and an extensive list of citations for the research can be found at the end of the book.
The thing I liked best about Why Do We Quote was the examples provided by Dr. Finnegan’s volunteers of their own quoting practices and thoughts regarding the subject of quoting. I was surprised by the number of people who held negative opinions regarding quoting, feeling on one hand that quoting too much and too often made the individual doing so appear pompous, and, on the other hand, feeling that quoting too much and too often made the individual doing so appear unoriginal.
The thing I liked least about Why Do We Quote was the occasional tendency for the subject matter to run on without a break. In fairness, there was quite a bit of material to cover.
I recommend Why Do We Quote for word nerds, history buffs, and the sort of people who generally enjoy trivia and have a passion for language and anthropology. I would not recommend it for someone looking for a fast-paced read or who has a strong preference for fiction over non-fiction. There is a great deal of rigorous academic detail in the text which would not be enjoyable for the kind of reader who prefers literary escapism or light reading.
******
Why Do We Quote?
View: on Bookshelves |
Why Do We Quote is the study of the evolution of modern British quoting practices by literary anthropologist Dr. Ruth Finnegan. This in-depth investigation into the cultural phenomenon of quoting features multiple case studies provided by volunteers who explain their own history and methods of quoting and their thoughts on the matter. It also provides a journey through history leading to current oft-used quotation styles in British society. As I discovered, the modern system of quoting utilizing what Dr. Finnegan refers to as reverse commas to mark the beginning and end of a quote was not a prevalent practice until the latter half of the nineteenth century.
One might feel that a book about quoting practices would be extremely dry and perhaps even a good cure for insomnia. While I was curious about the subject matter, I admit to approaching the book with a modicum of trepidation, surmising that I might end up feeling like I was reading something assigned for high school English class. My quest for lifelong learning prompted me to choose the book regardless of my misgivings, and I was pleasantly surprised to discover that reading it was not at all like muddling through a monotone tome assigned by an English teacher hoping to bore their students to death.
The first thing that struck me about Dr. Finnegan’s book beyond the fact that this scholarly study was a much more compelling read than I had expected was the difference between British and American quoting practices. Both utilize the now-common inverted double comma or single comma, but the British system also incorporates asterisks. I will grant that my observations may be prejudiced by factors such as my own level of education (I possess an associate’s degree in science and a practical nursing certification), the region of the United States in which I was educated (the West and Southwest), and the years during which I received my pre-college education (I graduated from high school in 1983). I would be interested to learn Dr. Finnegan’s thoughts on the differences between American and British quoting practices.
I give Why Do We Quotefour out of four stars. The book utilizes exhaustive, in-depth research and is professionally edited with no errors in the text. The manuscript is well-formatted, and an extensive list of citations for the research can be found at the end of the book.
The thing I liked best about Why Do We Quote was the examples provided by Dr. Finnegan’s volunteers of their own quoting practices and thoughts regarding the subject of quoting. I was surprised by the number of people who held negative opinions regarding quoting, feeling on one hand that quoting too much and too often made the individual doing so appear pompous, and, on the other hand, feeling that quoting too much and too often made the individual doing so appear unoriginal.
The thing I liked least about Why Do We Quote was the occasional tendency for the subject matter to run on without a break. In fairness, there was quite a bit of material to cover.
I recommend Why Do We Quote for word nerds, history buffs, and the sort of people who generally enjoy trivia and have a passion for language and anthropology. I would not recommend it for someone looking for a fast-paced read or who has a strong preference for fiction over non-fiction. There is a great deal of rigorous academic detail in the text which would not be enjoyable for the kind of reader who prefers literary escapism or light reading.
******
Why Do We Quote?
View: on Bookshelves |
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