Michele Chessare

This is a collection of essays on language by one of the greatest critics of the twentieth century. Few writers can compare with the knowledge of language and the way with words demonstrated in John Simon's trenchant essays. This compendium is a delight for all readers who enjoy virtuosity in the use of language to defend the best writers who pursue the best words.

These essays span such topics as writers, linguists, the performing arts, the media, and more. His comments are biting and to the point; here is an example:
"In the beginning was the word, But by the time the second word was added to it, there was trouble. For with it came syntax, the thing that tripped up so many people. And they're tripping up more than ever today."("Authors Without Fear or Shame", p. 111)
It is an eclectic collection of elegant prose that will leave you wanting to read more criticism from the pen of John Simon.… (more)

Hard to rate. I'd have enjoyed it more, and respected the author more, if he hadn't been so melodramatic. I don't agree that a misplaced 'whom' or a mismatched noun-to-verb agreement (everyone...are...") is "tragic" or "horrifying" or "abominable." I certainly don't believe he's suffering the "reign of terror" he claims to be.

But he's an immigrant, and English is not his native language. I wonder, maybe he wants the language to be frozen at the stage at which he learned to love it?

In any case, he'd probably accuse the prescriptive [a:Lynne Truss|5571|Lynne Truss|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1215628380p2/5571.jpg] as liberal. And he's horribly sexist, and somewhat clueless about "homosexuals." And he certainly enjoys shredding other essayists and theater critics.

Otoh, (and I won't name names), one work is described as "contain[ing] some very good pieces, as weighty as anything in Oscar Wilde and easily as witty as the best of Matthew Arnold."

For terrific lines like that, and for making me aware of mistakes I make and would rather not, Simon gets props.

To sum, I can't recommend this book, but I don't regret reading it. Thus, 3*s."… (more)

Karl Krause, John Simon and Paul Fussell, among others, have long been concerned about the decline of language. The more oonspíratorial minded believe it’s a deliberate attempt at mind control. To quote John Simon: "The worst part of it is that there are all these pseudophilosophioal and political justifications for the deterioration [of languagel. Now if terrible grammar is used, it’s justified by liberal or leftist politics: it’s everybody’s political right to speak as abominably as he or she wishes. There’s an organized pull towards undermining the language whether it’s by feminists, homosexuals, or some ethnic minority whose attempts to undermine English are considered their God­given or state-given right. I'm for using language imaginatívely, but imaginatively does not mean incorrectly. In fact, it’s very easy to be imaginative if you are incorrect: If you tie your necktie around your knee instead of around your neck, you are imaginative, but you are imaginative in an ímbeoile way."… (more)