Torn Wings and Faux Pas: A Flashbook of Style, a Beastly Guide Through the Writer's Labyrinth

Welcome once again to the world of Karen Elizabeth Gordon. Here, lycanthropes, vampires, and cartographers explore places like Bosoxia or party in the Schloss. Provided the vocabulary used for the examples does not discourage you from reading, this book is an entertaining way to explore the many commonly confused words of the English language.As with other books by Gordon, this is a handy reference to have, but it is not a quick reference. Then entries are alphabetically listed, but you would have to search to find what you need. Unlike other of her books, this one does not have the detailed illustrations. This is a little disappointing, but it is still a helpful book.The "Deluxe Transitive Vampire" and the "New Well-Tempered Sentence" are mentioned in the text in a few places. Having all three on your desk would make writing a more productive and witty endeavor. Referring to this book will help improve your writing. I would recommend it if the examples don't scare you off.

To those who know, good grammar is sensual; to Karen Elizabeth Gordon, who stitches a Bayeux tapestry of medieval creatures and other amiable schoolgirl romanticisms into her symposia on various grammatical topics, good grammar is not only sensual, it is also downright gothic. I understand the marriage; it must seem to lovers of English that well-constructed sentences are as difficult to extract from the linguistic detritus of today's world as Excalibur was from the stone of another. Perhaps the kindest thing one can say about a book is that one would like to have breakfast with the author; and midway through, I wondered what it would be like to meet Ms. Gordon over crepes and coffee and Le Figaro, and ask her to render an opinion on the American practice of turning nouns into verbs. The only problem with beautiful and idiosyncratic books on grammar is that they are only read by people who are least in need of such books, and forever remain unread by those most in ne! ! ed of them.