Book Review
by Stephen Atchley 11-10-2016
The
Professor and the Madman, Simon Winchester, c. 1998, 242 pp.
I.S.B.N.
006-017-5966
This book
tells three intertwined, true stories in one:
a heinous murder, a long-lived friendship, and the creation of the
greatest English language dictionary of all time, the Oxford English
Dictionary. The story begins with a
murder, which the London Times described as “a heinous crime, a terrible
event, an atrocious occurrence, a vile murder”.
The killer
turns out to be an American doctor and Civil War veteran, Dr. W.C. Minor. He is acquitted by reason of insanity and
spends most of the rest of his life in a series of Victorian insane asylums.
The twist is
that he becomes one of the top two contributors to the newly begun Oxford
English Dictionary project. He
eventually sends in over 10,000 unique contributions and arouses the curiosity
of the project’s head, Sir James Murray.
After many
years of writing back and forth, Sir James visits Dr. Minor, only to discover that he is a madman
living in a guarded cell. The two become
fast friends for life. Fiction this
strange would not sell, but the story is true.
The
characters are set against the background of the monumental task of completing
the most comprehensive record of the English language ever attempted. The author notes that great writers such as
Shakespeare and Swift did not have any dictionary to consult when producing
their great works.
The author,
Simon Winchester has a half dozen other books in print. I found this one a smooth read. His writing is crisp. His characters are clearly described. The story of the dictionary project is well
presented. He brings history to life as
few can. I enjoyed every minute and I
think you will, too.
