Thank you to the publisher for my eARC copy of this book. Unfortunately I didn’t love this book and therefore didn’t finish, I just didn’t connect with this one. Not for me, sorry.

A look at the history and contemporary use of the semicolon, this might seem like a strange topic for a book but I do enjoy books that are a little bit niche but accessible. There were elements of the book I enjoyed (like the idea that the semicolon could change a law and case studies of this, as well as looking at extracts from texts and how the author used the semicolon) but I did find the book slow to get in to. I think it was the more historical parts at the beginning that I just found a chore to get through. I think this book might be better suited to those who have a much bigger understanding or love for grammar and writing than I have. I read the first quarter of the book back in December 2019 and it was only this month (September 2021) that I managed to make enough progress to get into the book

This book is excellent. A wonderful exploration of a misunderstood mark that anyone with an interest in language will find fascinating.

Really good read. I love punctuation, and I love the semicolon.
This was a very informative read, light and well-written – maybe too long towards the end?
But I liked the author’s sense of humour, and her erudition – I love random facts and found this entertaining while clever.

Semicolon How a misunderstood punctuation mark can improve your writing, enrich your reading and even change your life by Cecelia Watson. I scan read this book. The title makes you think that it’s about semicolons. But, it’s more than that. It’s a history of grammar and a historic explanation of how people have understood grammar. It outlines how the grammar rules, we have today, were born. The author continues to argue that the current rules of grammar are too rigid and confusing, concluding that these rules need to be redrawn and relaxed. The book is highly detailed and extremely interesting. However, the amount of detail stopped me from being fully engrossed in the book.

Semicolon is a non-fiction book about the history and style the semicolon, providing examples of times of when it has been used in law and it's interpretation of that law due to the position and meaning of the semicolon or how famous authors such as Mark Twain and Shakespeare used the semicolon or complained the proofreader knew less than the authors and should leave the punctuation alone.

Quite a dry book to read, but if you are into grammar and it's history this is for you.

I received this book from Netgalley in return for a honest review.

To give it its full title: Semicolon: How a Misunderstood Punctuation Mark Can Improve Your Writing, Enrich Your Reading and Even Change Your Life. Well, that’s quite a statement to make about the humble semicolon, wouldn’t you agree? If you’re thinking: ‘A whole book about the semicolon? No thanks.’ Please let me assure you that if you have even the slightest interest in the origins of grammar in general – why we use it, where it came from – then you will find this a riveting read, as I did.

In what is essentially, the biography of the semicolon, it’s no surprise that the focus here is on that very punctuation mark, but the fascinating history of the evolution of grammar is covered too. Basically, people just made it up as they went along to suit what they wanted to say. This, of course, is still the essence of grammar in that it can change the meaning and feeling of a sentence, but we do at least follow a set of rules these days so it’s not complete carnage. Not so much back through the ages though. I had no idea grammar was all so free and easy and, as it turns out, this had serious consequences: the ambiguous nature of semicolon on a legal document in 1916 sent a man to his death.

To be fair, the semicolon can probably still claim the title of most ambiguous punctuation mark, there is this sort of unsaid intellectual snobbery about its usage (as in, if you throw them into what you’re writing, you’ll look smarter by association), people genuinely seem to like them or loathe them, as Cecelia Watson puts it: ‘The semicolon is a place where our anxieties and our aspirations about language, class, and education are concentrated, so that in this small mark big ideas are distilled down to a few winking drops of ink.’

So digestible in length and structure, each short chapter has a rather wonderful illustration to precede it, like this one which shows Venice, the place where the semicolon was invented in 1494.

Along with the snappy structure, what made this book such an easy delight to read was Cecelia Watson’s writing style – a perfect blend of informative, chatty and unexpectedly funny in places with its little asides and observations. Wonderfully researched, it affirmed feelings I never knew I had about the semicolon and provided a wealth of revelations. This book gives a strong, enjoyable narrative to both the story of the semicolon and the history of grammar rules in general. Love ’em or hate ’em, semicolons truly are a fascinating part of grammar.

Everything you need to know about the history, misconceptions and misuse/appropriate usage of the semicolon. I really enjoyed this book and found it extremely useful in informing my knowledge about all things semicolon! I also believe I should have included it at least once in this review to fully do it justice! Thank you for the ARC.

This was a really interesting read. It is not a grammar guide, but a history of how grammar came to be prescriptive with a set of iron rules to follow. I learned about how up to the 19th century semi colons were simply used to pause, and then have developed from there. As a primary school teacher, it was very intriguing to see how these rules developed, and there were lots of interesting extracts from different novelists to illustrate how semi colons are used in different ways that break the rules. One for fans of books about how language works and is used.

The history of the semicolon is interesting, but overall I found the didactic tone more off putting than persuasive.

Speaking as someone who has always struggled with the semicolon, this book seemed to be bit of a godsend for me. I liked the personable style it was written and there was a nice light humour throughout which stopped the text from becoming too dry.

One of the better grammar books out there. Recommended.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

The semicolon has to undoubtedly be the most divisive and misunderstood punctuation mark in history, closely followed by the Oxford comma. In Semicolon, Ms Watson discusses the history, use, misuse and powerful impact the semicolon can have on a person's writing. A famously tricky method of punctuation scares some, and hence why many shy away from even attempting to use it. But, here, the author shows just how simple and effective it can be.

The author has managed to make a rather dry topic quite lighthearted and entertaining through wit and humour that is interspersed throughout. It is clearly extensively researched as all the information seems to be sound, and it's actually pretty fascinating. Highly recommended to those who are sticklers for correct grammar and punctuation and those who wish to know more about the semicolon. Many thanks to 4th Estate for an ARC.

Do you know how the semicolon should be used? Or when it started appearing? What was the first manuscript we can spot it in?

These are only some of the questions Cecelia Watson answers for this less-than-favorite punctuation mark. In this book, you're going to find an extensive history of when, how, and why semicolon appeared, as well as how to properly use it. And, who knows? Maybe by the end of this book you'll be fond of this misunderstood punctuation mark. The only thing I know for sure, is that you'll be able to use it correctly!

Semicolon is a very interesting and well-researched book. As a copy editor, I found it extremely helpful, and will be revisiting it for reference. But it's also a book for the wider public; anyone interested in language will take great enjoyment in reading this.

This was an entertaining light read about the history and uses of the semi-colon, but I felt it was a little unfocused, and the author was trying very hard to be witty, with multiple asides in footnotes that really had no bearing on the information in the text. Fun, but frothy.

Semicolon by Cecelia Watson is a book about grammar and punctuation and the history and style of linguistic rules.

A very unique book a book about the semi colon it’s use power history.This book took me by surprise it was a very entertaining very informative read I am now a fan of the semi colon and this well written book.#netgalley #4thestatebooks.