English to French translation

Eats, Shoots and Leaves

February 5, 2004

I recommend Eats, Shoots and Leaves, by Lynne Truss, to anyone with a vague interest in punctuation but who can’t face an arid textbook on do’s and don’t’s. Or who feels that sitting on a bus or a train reading a volume called something like The English Punctuation Bible might undermine their street cred or label them as language fascists. I loved reading it because it taught me a thing or two about punctuation while making me giggle, which is no mean feat, given the subject. It could easily have turned into a patronising book if the author hadn’t very skilfully managed to poke fun at herself (and other sticklers) while describing the mistakes that make her feel murderous. Here is one book I’d love to translate…

Comments

It is a great book. Made me very much aware of my punctuation. Even as a non-native speaker, I believe I should be paying better attention to punctuation in English. The problem is that it is so different from the Dutch punctuation that I get them mixed up all the time.

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February 6, 2004