Reviews

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

jmrprice's review against another edition

4.0

After reading other historical works regarding the development of the OED, this novel made ‘lost words’ come to life (who says them and how they are used) and revealed just how important diversity and representation truly are, even regarding something that seems so simple: words.
Also a wonderful, thoughtful piece on the lives of several extraordinary (and ordinary) women at the start of the 20th century.

zitronendrops's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

theag7's review

4.0

This book is different than any other I've read. It's not fast-paced or dramatic, but it is assuredly unique. Pip Williams gives you this look into a world rarely talked about, and the setting and history Esme lives through are educational, to say the least.
I might have given it five stars, but...there are some unnecessary parts. Esme makes a couple of very poor choices (relatable, I suppose), and after all, Williams -however splendiferous her writing - betrayed me by not using the Oxford comma

shelfcontroladjacent's review against another edition

emotional informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

sas408's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

vincentli's review

challenging emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

anjosie's review

emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

lauracooleyjohnson's review

5.0

This book was a delight. It is a lovely historical fiction of a girl who grows up in the “Scriptorium” - the place where her dad works and where scholars are creating the original Oxford English Dictionary. The girl finds words on the floor that are discarded- words, or sub definitions that are used in common vernacular by the poor or women, but don’t make the book by the educated men of the time. She begins to collect these lost words. Meanwhile World War 1 begins, the suffrage movement is in full throttle, and this all makes for an interesting backdrop for our story, and for a very philosophical question on the importance of words and how language evolves. I truly loved this one.

kelsie17's review

hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

kathrine_jeppesen's review

dark emotional informative inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5