Eats, Shoots & Leaves

The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation

by Lynne Truss

Paperback, 209 pages

English language

Published April 11, 2006 by Gotham.

ISBN:: 978-1-59240-203-8

(12 reviews)

Anxious about the apostrophe? Confused by the comma? Stumped by the semicolon? Join Lynne Truss on a hilarious tour through the rules of punctuation that is sure to sort the dashes from the hyphens.

We all had the basic rules of punctuation drilled into us at school, but punctuation pedants have good reason to suspect they never sank in. ‘Its Summer!’ screams a sign that sets our teeth on edge. ‘Pansy’s ready’, we learn to our considerable interest (‘Is she?’) as we browse among the bedding plants.

It is not only the rules of punctuation that have come under attack but also a sense of why they matter. In this runaway bestseller, Lynne Truss takes the fight to emoticons and greengrocers’ apostrophes with a war cry of ‘Sticklers unite!’ ([source][1])

[1]: www.lynnetruss.com/books/eats-shoots-leaves/

17 editions

Stephanie Jane reviewed Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss

A bit dull

3 stars

I didn't read Eats, Shoots and Leaves when it was first published although I do remember the incredible hype surrounding its release. Now, over a decade later, I am left wondering what all the fuss was about. As a grammar stickler myself I do often wince at real howlers, but to be fussy to the extent that Truss claims to be? Life is surely too short?

The most interesting passages are where the history of the various punctuation marks and their uses are described. The fluidity of the English language is always fascinating to me. On the whole, however, I found this book to be just a little dull.