| Book of the Month | ||
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101 Two-Letter Words | |
Publisher: W. W. Norton
Author: Stephin Merritt
$15.00
ISBN-10: 0393240193
So here we have a little book dedicated entirely to words of two letters- 'by','in','of' and so on through another ninety-eight examples. Perhaps the first thing that any reader will think upon discovering this little book of around 200 pages is 'Why does anyone write a book on this subject?'. Well, it is slightly less insane that the idea seems at first. For a start, this is a rather whimsical book, and definitely not a serious study. This is clearly shown by the fact that half the pages are given over to some rather good drawings by award-winning artist Roz Chast who has drawn cartoons for the New Yorker magazine for the past few decades. The author himself is perhaps better known as a musician, and this (as he explains in his introduction)is one reason the book came into existence. For a songwriter it is very useful to know a lot of words that can be sung in a single beat of music.
As mentioned above, the book has around 200 pages,though these are not numbered. This is because page numbering is not really needed in a book which proceeds directly through the alphabet from 'Aa' to 'Za'. If you are curious - and you are, admit it - Aa is a type of basaltic lava distinguished by large chunks of semi-solidified lava on the surface. Za has a less scientific ancestry, being simply a lazy person's way of saying 'pizza' with just the last two letters. Every two-letter word in the book gets the same treatment on a two-page spread. One page is given over to the cartoon showing the word in use. The other page has the word in large letters, and a short bit of verse - well doggerel - describing the word.
For example, the rather basic word 'up' contains the verse 'UP from his unhallowed grave/The vampire dog arises/Now chihuahua now great dane/A master of disguises.' This 'vampire dog' that appears now and then is apparently the author's beloved dog which died while the book was being produced, and so had his life commemorated in this rather odd fashion. The cartoon shows the aforesaid dog with a definitely demonic look on his face as he flings aside the last shovelful of earth. The pages containing the two-letter words have a pastel background and the cartoons are in colour.
Who is this book for? As mentioned above, the book can be used by aspiring songwriters and poets looking for that one-beat word. It has also been well received by some EFL teachers who find it a good way of starting discussions, and for whose students the short poems are a useful way of learning vocabulary in a memorable fashion. People who play Scrabble or 'Words with Friends' will find this a useful way to dispose of unwanted letters, and for everyone else the book is a quick, light read which adds some unusual vocabulary.
Verdict: Fun but not really practical
Assessment 4/10