Dictionary Days

By: Ilan Stavans

Write A Review

Hardcover | 6 July 2006

At a Glance

Hardcover
228 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
18.42 x 13.97 x 1.91

Hardcover

$34.75

or 4 interest-free payments of $8.69 with

or

Ships in 5 to 10 business days

The whole of The Catcher in the Rye is in the Oxford English Dictionary, waiting to be
unscrambled, and so are all the novels of our past, present, and immediate future

en·thu·si·ast
Function: noun
: a person filled with enthusiasm : as a: one who is ardently attached to a cause, object, or pursuit <a sports car enthusiast> b: one who tends to become ardently absorbed in an interest

A dictionary, despite its heroic effort to pin down language, is destined for failure the moment a single word is printed; language, with its eternal mutations, is forever uncontainable. In Dictionary Days, award-winning essayist Ilan Stavans explores our very human need to “seize upon the meaning of a word.” Owner of hundreds of dictionaries, he follows a fascinating, zigzagging history of lexicography across many languages, including English, French, Spanish, German, Arabic, Hebrew, Latin, and Cyrillic. Throughout his journey, Stavans spots strange meaning inconsistencies, uncovers unusual origins, and shares extraordinary and often hilarious anecdotes.

With a dazzling knowledge of dictionaries through the ages, matched by a lively wit, Stavans reaches far beyond the margin of the page and pays a worthy tribute to a discipline that is at once inspiring and maddening. “For dictionaries are oracles: nothing is outside them—except the impossible.”

Industry Reviews

"Ilan Stavans may very well succeed in becoming the Octavio Paz of our age." - San Francisco Chronicle"

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

Orders over $79.00 qualify for free shipping.

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.