“The pen is mightier than the sword” wrote Edward Bulwer-Lytton. The calling of a writer has a special appeal across all continents and cultures. Writers are an unfortunate species who not only have to grapple with writer’s block, but also fumble for the right word and stumble for the correct spelling. Numerous run-of-the-mill guide books have been written for budding writers. This one differs from them all. It’s a fun book which is useful for all users of the English language. It certainly merits a pride of place on your shelf. It’s neither a dictionary nor a thesaurus! It’s a bit of both, with lots of quotes thrown in for good measure.
Whether one is a student, teacher, any subspecies of writer eg.columnist, novelist, playright, journalist, blogger, reviewer, MSian, etc.this is indeed a fitting part of a writer’s armamentarium. Written in alphabetical order, it covers the gamut of words used in today’s parlance. Meanings and context of usage are explained. Hicks also focuses on common spelling errors committed by most of us. Foreign words/phrases that have crept into the English language are also included. So also homonyms and homophones. There is excellent advice on the use of ‘four letter words’, to which he has devoted an entire page!!! However, he has elected to omit phonetics altogether.
The book offers no guidance on pronounciation. This 250 page pocket companion has an enlightening introduction, which will make you want to buy the book right away! Yours truly salutes Wynford Hicks for this book, which is “quite literally” a helping hand for every aspiring writer.