The Dictionary of Lost Words: A Novel

This book is so so beautiful and perfect for any lover of words. I was fascinated and intrigued by the title alone and was curious about how words were collected or chosen to be included in a dictionary. What I read was far beyond what I expected. This historical fiction is one of the best I have read and I am in awe of it all. The amount of research that must have gone into it is already very impressive. The way the story moves along a real timeline including the women's suffrage movement, WWI and the character, Esme's fictional life is an incredible feat. In the author's note, Williams said that the novel took two years to write. To me it seems like a very short time to write and research something so overwhelmingly complicated, and often lacking in concrete detail in available history books and articles. I read this book over two months. At first, it was difficult to get into it but as the story progressed, I found myself wanting to know more, my curiosity growing, while my understanding deepened with every chapter. I had to look up many words as I was reading and luckily, the dictionary was easily accessible to me via the Kindle app. It made me grateful to be living in this century and not in the time period this book is based on. How many words must have been lost or not understood over the years because they had not been recorded or discarded as 'insignificant'? Who has the right to decide what should or shouldn't be included? The English language has evolved so much over the years that new words and meanings are created every day. The Oxford English Dictionary requires new editions and updates every few years. It's come a long way since the first edition, and more words and entries will be added continuously. I'm glad that the lost words mentioned in this book have been preserved. This story will make you cry and cheer, question and ponder, reflect and learn from the past. It's a beautiful story about love, determination, family, friendship, loyalty, perseverance and courage. So much is packed into this book that I think it needs to be read at least twice to really appreciate and understand all the details in the book. If you are a history buff, a lover of words and language, you need to read this book.

There were brilliant threads in this book that drew me along---young Esme is a fascinating individual. Her exploration of her immediate world -- the Scriptorium and the men [and a few women] who worked there was very absorbing. I loved the story of how words are identified, sorted, valued, substantiated. There were some lovely, lyrical passages in which her father imparts wisdom and gentle humor to her. That relationship was delightful, as was Esme's relationship with her maid, Lizzie.The book was longish and I agree with some other reviewers that there was quite a bit of filler & background. Most of the time it flowed nicely, but there were other times when it seemed bumpy and jerky. I did wonder when some decent fellow might come into Esme's life and actually provide her with support and stability.The illegitimate baby being born and adopted was quite difficult and yet it was managed well. And again, like some other reviewers I felt that the end was sort of smooshed together, with too many sweeping changes and deaths all happening at once. I do wish Gareth could have come home, and I don't think that would have subtracted from the power of the book. Anyway, I love words, and I love the OED. SO it was delightful. In a way it reminded me of the Madman and the Professor, an earlier book about the development of the OED. The theme I took away with me is how much we humans limit ourselves by being subjective, overly moral, and fearful of "the other."

📚Esme’s life which her Godmother aptly points out as being ‘anything but ordinary’ practically revolved around the Scriptorium and luckily for her, the Scrippy felt “magical”- despite having spent most of her childhood under the table waiting for a slips to get to her. Growing up with her dad, who was devoted to the Scriptorium, it’s “slips” and words, he strived to be both a mother and father to her, according to Ditte, Esme’s wise and worldly godmother.📚Ditte was not only a counsel to Esme over the years but was also a confidante to Esme’s dad. She was also a great believer of his unconventional parenting. Did you know Ditte was based on a real person, Edith Thompson who was involved since the first word was published to the last one in 1928?📚Esme’s unlikely friendship with Lizzie, the maid, and the many deep conversations with her are thought provoking. One particular thought that struck me was Lizzie’s insights that words mean different things to different people. Esme held on to “bondmaid” as a word that was derogatory but to Lizzie, it was a matter of great joy- to be a bondmaid to Esme.📚the book describes the period between 1887 and 1928, poignantly capturing the various milestones and celebrations along the way, in completing the arduous task of publishing the 20 volumes of the Oxford Dictionary. Pip Williams beautifully weaves key events such as the women’s suffrage movement and WW1 during this time.📚Reading the book also led me to do my own research on the history of the dictionary. It has come a long way since Samuel Johnson first published his back in 1755. The dissatisfaction in the dictionaries to date, the quest for obsolete and less common words and quotations and lack of consistency in definitions and synonyms led the Philological society to compile a comprehensive dictionary, telling the history of each and every word in the language📚I have been amazed by the sheer magnitude of the task, the contribution by thousands of people sending in quotations and words, the jobs of the many staff sorting through these “slips” diligently and finding common ground📚While crediting the invaluable contribution made by the Dictionary’s editors starting with Dr James Murray as it’s 1st editor and his incredible teams over the years, the author in portraying Esme’s journey, draws attention to the fact that the dictionary as we know it was mainly the perspective of educated white men, (despite the valuable contribution of women) thereby making Esme’s pursuit for words spoken by women and the marginalised members of society so critical📚the book aptly points out that not only do words mean different things to different people-(brought out in the use of the words bondmaid and “mother”) but also that Of some experiences, the Dictionary would only ever provide an approximation such as sorrow📚the dictionary like the English language is evolving with the second edition having been published in 1989 and the third having commenced in 2000!

This was a very moving and captovating story . The author has done a wonderful job presenting the characters to the readers . This story was a very interesting and informative tale involving these characters.

This is a beautifully written, interesting story that not only chronicles the development of the Oxford English dictionary but unpacks the male-dominated recording of the language. A wonderful read.

An amazing story of real life and the poetry that slips between. Subtle in revealing that many ways we exclude people. Powerful emotional.

Gut geschriebene Geschichte

Absolutely loved this book from the first word to the last. Historically interesting, the importance of language and all words celebrated, relationships explored and emotional throughout.

Such an interesting piece of history in the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary. It's a relatively easy read and the story draws you in.