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Title: The Deluxe Transitive Vampire: The Ultimate Handbook of Grammar for the Innocent, the Eager, and the Doomed by Karen Elizabeth Gordon ISBN: 0-679-41860-1 Publisher: Pantheon Books Pub. Date: 01 August, 1993 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $23.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.54 (24 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Serving a motivated audience...beware if seeking a quick fix
Comment: This book has received excellent reviews from many reviewers, who felt that the book helped them immensely with their own grammar; however, having studied language acquisition and linguistics, I have found myself wondering exactly who this book would best serve.
If you are looking for a book that will teach you to write well and grammatically, this is not your book. You will need a hard core and detailed grammar book for that. And if you're just a grammar nut and love reading about it (like I am), you're probably going to be bored to tears.
So who would this book be good for? Well, some of Gordon's grammatical explanations are quite original, so I would recommend this book for the classroom teacher of grammar who is looking for alternative phrasings of traditional rules. And for the motivated learner...
If you struggle with grammar, this book might be fun for you to read through, and will probably serve as an excellent introduction to grammar. Don't be deceived, though--neither this nor any book is going to teach you to write. You will learn to write by reading great authors and attempting to immitate their writing, and by seeking out an editor/teacher--someone who will read your writing and give you personalized tips. It is nearly impossible for even the best of writers to edit their own writing, and you shouldn't read this book thinking that it will solve your grammatical woes.
I think the greatest value this book has to offer is in its readability and ability to inspire (I hope). I recommend the book if you want an introduction to grammar, and I hope you will find yourself inspired to pursue further studies.
Rating: 5
Summary: the first grammar book you should read
Comment: My grammar stinks, so I've read a few grammar books to help me out. Most of them are okay-- they've taught me a thing or two about punctuation, syntax, and so on--but the grammar book that stand outs the most is The Deluxe Transitive Vampire. What makes it exceptionally informative and even fun to read is that the author does not attempt to teach you the rules of grammar with boring and windy explanations. Instead, she teaches them with numerous examples of grammatically correct sentences to tell you how they should be written and grammatically incorrect sentences to tell you how they should not be written. This is the most effective approach to teaching grammar. Students will quickly and effortlessly acquire a deeper understanding of grammar.
Rating: 2
Summary: Just didn't do it for me...
Comment: I'm sorry, but I really did want this book to be great. The thoughts of an "alternative" grammar book got me salavating like crazy and I couldn't wait for my order to come through.
However, upon sitting down to read, I was instantly disappointed. First of all, the introduction/preface seems to be written only for those who are familiar with Ms. Gordons work or previous books, which kind of puts newcomers off kilter before even starting.
The margins are HUGE, and though the author encourages notetaking, I got the impression that there was a lot of stretching going on to make the book into a publishable size. The use of "unusual" characters is charming at first, but becomes distracting once you try and actually learn grammar. Also a lot of the sentences are repeated [ad nauseum], especially under the illustrations which seem to be the main focal point of the book rather than the grammar.
This book reminds me of a wolf in sheeps clothing. It's trying far too hard to be "hip" and "different" by latching onto Goth trends to sell. In the end, all your left with is a clunky book of an irregular size that is more for display than actual education.
Get it if you're into Goth type bells and whistles, pass if you're looking to actually learn something.
- A.
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Title: The New Well Tempered Sentence : A Punctuation Handbook for the Innocent, the Eager, and the Doomed by Karen Elizabeth Gordon ISBN: 0395628830 Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Pub. Date: 10 July, 1993 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
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Title: The Disheveled Dictionary: A Curious Caper Through Our Sumptuous Lexicon by Karen Elizabeth Gordon ISBN: 0395689902 Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company Pub. Date: 01 August, 1997 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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Title: Sin and Syntax: How to Craft Wickedly Effective Prose by Constance Hale ISBN: 0767903099 Publisher: Broadway Books Pub. Date: 20 March, 2001 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title: Torn Wings and Faux Pas: A Flashbook of Style, a Beastly Guide Through the Writer's Labyrinth by Karen Elizabeth Gordon, Rikki Ducornet ISBN: 0679442421 Publisher: Pantheon Books Pub. Date: 01 November, 1997 List Price(USD): $23.00 |
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Title: Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English by Patricia T. O'Conner ISBN: 1573226254 Publisher: Riverhead Books Pub. Date: 01 August, 1998 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
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