Chatting Books Online Day 313. Today's recommended book : The Professor and the Madman, by Simon Winchester.
Since I shared with you how I decide what book is today's recommendation earlier this week let me start this recommendation by saying that though this has long been a favorite book I had basically forgotten about it - and actually it has been out of stock at our bookstore for some time - until this week that is. I was originally introduced to this book over 20 years ago when my then boyfriend , now husband , gave it to me as a Christmas gift along with a sweet inscription about choosing it because I love words so much, I was absolutely enthralled by the book and many years later when we opened the bookstore I chose it as one of our first book club reads, but then over the years it fell to the back of my mind. Until this week when we saw the movie on Netflix! That's right thisbook has now been made into a movie starring Sean Penn and Mel Gibson among others and it is as fabulous as the book .
The book is the fantastical and yet true story of the compiling of The Oxford English Dictionary. Due to the size of the undertaking of gathering every word and it's usage throughout the centuries the original committee decided to use volunteers to help with their research. Throughout the course of the work they received many more submissions from one man than from any others. Curious the head of the project decided to visit him to bring him a copy of the first volume in thanks only to discover that he was an American Civil War veteran currently housed at an asylum in England for the criminally insane, Apparently plagued by voices and delusions Dr. W.C.Minor had murdered an innocent man leading to his commitment. This book is truly a fascinating character study of both Dr. Minor and those working on the dictionary committee and quite a sweeping and compelling story .
We currently stock (once again) this book in paperback selling for $16.99 a copy.
To purchase a copy come see us at the shop during business hours or you can call or message me to have a copy shipped to you .
