The subtitle for this book reads "A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary." Sounds boring, right?
Well, maybe only the part that mentions the making of a dictionary. The other part - the murder and insanity - that is what intrigues you enough to start reading...and keep reading...and finish reading.
To be honest, I'm an English major and a high school English teacher, and even though I read and write all the time, I was still skeptical when my fiancee' repeatedly recommended this book.
The skepticism ended when I began reading because, to be honest, I couldn't put this book down. The book reads more like a mystery/drama (somehow magically combined) rather than a history. The intrigue of the relationship between a madman - who, believe me, did some pretty crazy things - and a well-esteemed professor is enough to keep one reading, but how this relationship brought about the dictionary - well, that part is especially enamoring if you, like me, are into words and reading and English-y stuff.
Although I often reach a "dead spot" in the middle of many books that I end up skimming or skipping over, there was no "dead spot" in "The Professor and the Madman." It is a page turner, and it is no wonder that it was a national bestseller.
So, if you are a person who enjoys a bit of mystery, or some drama, or even the history of things or of words - in short, if you are simply a person who enjoys reading, I am pretty sure you will find this book intriguing to the very last page.
Try it. And let me know what you thought.
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