The Dictionary of Lost Words

The Dictionary of Lost Words

2020 • 402 pages

Ratings48

Average rating4

15

This book was too slow for me.  It felt like a fictionalized account of how a dictionary is created with a biography of a young girl's life superimposed. For me, the author's most interesting concept is the fact that if words are controlled by the majority (well-off, educated white males), then the stories and cultures of minorities are lost along with their lessons and complexities. I love the history of words and historical novels, but ultimately, there just wasn't enough here to capture my attention. 

February 19, 2024