The Professor and the Madman: Post 1

Simon Winchester is a prolific and esteemed British author who was educated at Oxford University. The Professor and the Madman accurately shows his extraordinary lexicographical skills as he guides readers through the interesting story of the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary. The book opens with a jaw-dropping story of a killing in the streets of Lambeth, England. The murderer, whom it is revealed is insane, is none other than William Minor. He later becomes one of the most prominent contributors to the making of the Oxford English Dictionary. This dictionary is so prestigious because it is the most full, detailed, and intricate representation of the English language. Winchester describes the dictionary as, "...a last bastion of cultured Englishness, a final echo of value from the greatest of all modern empires" (Winchester 27). The Professor and the Madman was published in 1998 by HarperCollins in New York. Winchester wrote this book to depict the perspective-altering stories of both William Minor and of the dictionary. He targets an audience of people who are interested in language and inclined to learn about its history. A wide array of sophisticated diction is used, implying the novel is more geared for the avid reader. Interesting uses of denotation and connotation are instituted in the framework of the book. At the beginning of each chapter there is the entry of a word from the Oxford English Dictionary. Throughout that chapter, the messages of the word as well as their implied connotations are explored. Parentheses are incorporated heavily throughout Winchester’s prose, used to provide a multitude of information. There are certain aspects of the book that are very effective. The anecdotes are very interesting and the syntax is extremely well developed. However the overall accomplishments are depreciated due to tangential writing. Winchester often digresses from one topic to another, oblivious to the reader’s attention span for detail.