Words of Others: From Quotations to Culture Contributor(s): Morson, Gary Saul (Author) |
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ISBN: 0300167474 ISBN-13: 9780300167474 Publisher: Yale University Press OUR PRICE: $83.16 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: June 2011 |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - Reference | Quotations - Literary Criticism | Books & Reading |
Dewey: 080.9 |
LCCN: 2010034293 |
Physical Information: 1.3" H x 5.7" W x 8.3" (1.10 lbs) 352 pages |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: In this lively gambol through the history of quotations and quotation books, Gary Saul Morson traces our enduring fascination with the words of others. Ranging from the remote past to the present, he explores the formation, development, and significance of quotations, while exploring the verbal museums in which they have been collected and displayed--commonplace books, treasuries, and anthologies. In his trademark clear, witty, and provocative style, Morson invites readers to share his delight in the shortest literary genre. The author defines what makes a quote quotable, as well as the (unexpected) differences between quotation and misquotation. He describes how quotations form, transform, and may eventually become idioms. How much of language itself is the residue of former quotations? Weaving in hundreds of intriguing quotations, common and unusual, Morson explores how the words of others constitute essential elements in the formation of a culture and of the self within that culture. In so doing, he provides a demonstration of that very process, captured in the pages of this extraordinary new book. |