The Dictionary of Lost Words

thought i would like this more than i did but it was still a good read

brit and aussie literature though >>>>>

This book the a prime example of the power and flexibility of words. A brilliant pick for the romanticists among us.

And yes, I did choose to use fancier words because of this book. You will too.

5/5 for enjoyment, I'm actually sad to be done with these characters.
4/5 for overall review. I'd recommend it to most people but likely will not read it again.

I have gotten a little burnt out on historical fiction surrounding the world wars in the last year, so I was a bit hesitant to pick this one up, but since it wasn't specifically about World War I and more about the events surrounding it, I gave it a chance, and I'm very glad I did.

It never occurred to me how much work would go into creating the Oxford dictionary and for that account alone I'm really happy to have read this book. I love that the story is told through women's eyes and makes an attempt at guessing what their thoughts would've been on the process, and how their actions would've impacted it. One of my main problems with historical fiction is that authors tend to have a hard time placing themselves in this culture and frame of mind in order to create realistic dialogue. For this reason, I took off one star.

This is a very sad book, but it feels very real because of it, the heartbreak and the hardship that is experienced, I feel is realistic to this time. Overall I enjoyed the read, it was a beautiful book and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

A beautiful, sweeping novel about the power of words and those who control them.

The book started with so much potential but the narrative was lost somewhere. Nonetheless, I loved reading about how the Oxford dictionary came into being and the process of its compilation. I wish I knew more about Esme after she leaves Scriptorium. I felt the story was somehow cut short abruptly.

I devoured this one. I loved Esme, Lizzie, Ditte, Gareth, Mabel, and Esme's dad. All of the characters basically. I loved the whole concept of collecting words that were discarded or disregarded because of who used them. I swooned with the proposal and cried when Esme received the notice from the elderly soldier. I'm a sucker for fiction set during the suffragist time period and I loved that the author pointed out that it only benefitted the well off women by way of Lizzie. The only criticism I have is that the voice of Esme remained the same from childhood through to her death. She gained a difference of opinion and had more understanding of world, but her thoughts were formed the same throughout. I get that she had a huge vocabulary for her age as a child, but I would have enjoyed it more if it felt like I was growing with Esme while reading. It's a small criticism compared to all of the things that I loved about this book.

Some words are more than letters on a page, don't you think?' she said, tying the sash around my belly as best she could. ‘They have shape and texture. They are like bullets, full of energy, and when you give one breath you can feel its sharp edge against your lip. It can be quite cathartic in the right context.'

I loved that this book started with two questions: “Do words mean different things to men and women? And if they do, is it possible that we have lost something on the process of defining them?” .

This book follows fictional and real characters throughout most of the timeline of the first edition of the Oxford dictionary (1857-1928). Due to the large timeline, the book also includes some information regarding the women's suffrage movement and the WWI.

I loved every bit of the story related to words. The criteria used to decide if they would belong to the dictionary or not, how the definitions were made and how this process ended not only being gender biased but social economic biased as well. I especially enjoyed how Esme felt attracted to words and how she ended up collecting words and meanings that would give voice to the underrepresented.

“It came back to me then, and I realised that the words most often used to define us were words that described our function in relation to others”

Unfortunately, I've felt that the book dragged for a bit. The long timeline of the dictionary forced the author to find ways to involve Esme in the suffrage movement and on the WWI. I've felt that some episodes were inconsistent with Esme personality and did not add much value to the story. Additionally, some events that I wanted to know more about were left incomplete (e.g the Esperanto word therapy).

Ultimately, I ended up feeling the story was all over the place, I would have preferred to know more about Esme actions/ roles described in the epilogue, which felt more aligned with her interests for words and her need to give voice to everyone.

Overall, it was a nice reading and I recommend it for historical fiction fans.

stars: 3.5 rounding up to 4

 A novel that weaves together history and fiction, creating an intricate tale set in the backdrop of the early 20th century and the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary.
Concept and Plot The novel explores the story of Esme, a young girl who becomes fascinated by words discarded by the male lexicographers of the Oxford English Dictionary. The concept of exploring language through a gendered lens is innovative and thought-provoking. The book provides a detailed and vivid picture of the historical period, capturing the nuances of life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The novel's deep dive into words and their meanings, especially those overlooked or deemed unimportant, offers an engaging exploration of language and its impact on society. An aspect I appreciate in fiction. I enjoy when I can let my linguistic wanna be loose.
he novel's pacing is uneven, with some sections feeling slow and overly detailed, while others rush through potentially significant plot developments. Certain plot points are predictable, reducing the tension and surprise that could have added depth to the narrative.
Character Development Esme is a compelling and empathetic character whose passion for words drives the narrative. Her growth from a curious child to a thoughtful adult is one of the novel's highlights. The novel features a diverse cast of supporting characters who enrich the story and provide different perspectives on the central themes.
Some characters feel underdeveloped, lacking the complexity and depth that would make them more relatable and engaging. The development of certain characters feels inconsistent, with some shifts in behavior or perspective occurring without sufficient buildup or explanation.
Writing Style Williams has a talent for descriptive language, painting vivid pictures of the setting and evoking the era's atmosphere. The novel demonstrates meticulous research and attention to historical detail, enhancing the authenticity of the narrative.
The writing style sometimes swing between compelling and disengaging, with sections that captivate followed by those that feel drawn out or lack focus. At times, the narrative becomes bogged down by excessive detailing, which can detract from the story's momentum and dilute the impact of key moments. 

As others have said, it was a slow start, but I loved the feminist angle to the story, the fact that this book made me think, for the first time, of the prejudice inherent in the dictionary produced mostly by men, and the way common words of ordinary people as well as many words of women were overlooked or deemed unworthy for inclusion. Prejudice and judgment are so pervasive that so often we don't even notice it is there, and therefore miss too much. We overlook things, ideas, and people that we should value and promote, because they are not of a class or gender or race deemed worthy of our attention. It was thought-provoking and interesting and well-written.

I cried at least three times in reading this book, once done in by the definition of Loss penned by a mother who had lost her sons in WW1. I don't know if the author made up this definition or if in fact she found in it in research, but it reads as follows:
“LOSS. ‘Sorry for your loss, they say. And I want to know what they mean, because it's not just my boys I've lost. I've lost my motherhood, my chance to be a grandmother. I've lost the easy conversation of neighbors and the comfort of family in my old age. Every day I wake to some new loss that I hadn't thought of before, and I know that soon it will be my mind.' Vivienne Blackman, 1915.”

This is the fictionalized story of the creation of the OED (Oxford English Dictionary) and of one of its contributors to the project: Esme. In someways the book is about Esme's coming of age, but it also about her contribution of adding lost (woman's) words. It has received very good reviews and it was a very enjoyable book. I would highly recommend it.

Exquisite, brilliant, curious, heart wrenching, enthralling, perfectly written.

This story isn't just about the compilation of the English dictionary - it is about the compilation of the dictionary from a woman's perspective in a time when many women were not even afforded the abilities to read or write. It is about the words of women, of the poor and of the uneducated, in a time when it was only the words of educated men which were deemed valuable enough to define and publish.

The first half/third is slow, and it didn't become a story that I struggled to put down until the last third, but it is so worth pushing through.

Others have complained that the second half follows Esme's personal struggles, the women's suffrage movement, and the First World War, more so than the compilation of the Dictionary itself. However, I found that these events captivated me and tied the story together all the more perfectly - not to mention making it more historically accurate, considering how these events would have impacted the lives of those writing the dictionary at the time. It made my heart ache to think of what women from decades and centuries ago had to endure to give women today what we so easily take for granted.

I was surprised in reading the epilogue to find how much of the story was based on true details, from the characters, to the timeline, to the events that surrounded the inclusion of singular words. I appreciated how much care was evidently put into accurately portraying this story's history - but I also appreciated it being told from a fictional perspective. I fell in love with Esme and all of the others.

A beautiful read, I cannot recommend it enough.

Not impressed by this one and I was pretty bored for about 80% of the book.