Wordstruck

by Robert MacNeil

Book Overview

MacNeil's autobiography re-creates the world of his youth and the experiences that were opened up to him through his love of words. His delight and passion for the music and magic of language, have enabled MacNeil to transmute it into a work of art. Photos.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140104011
• ISBN13: 9780140104011
• Release Date: March 1990
• Publisher: Penguin Group
• Length: 230 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.1" x 7.7"

Customer Reviews

Language Autobiography

Robert MacNeil was born in Montreal, Quebec in 1931 but lived and learned language in Nova Scotia. He became a well-known broadcaster, but he also wrote several books. MacNeil co-founded The Story of English, a more popular book, with Robert McCrum and William Cran in 1986. Wordstruck being published in the late 1980's caused it to seem a little outdated but appropriate to the type of book. MacNeil's only original autobiography is aimed to lovers of the English language who are interested in it's dialects, history, and personal relevance. The level of reading is usual, not extremely hard or easy. The flow of the memoir is smooth as it presents his childhood experiences and influences of language and words. Actual pictures are displayed of MacNeil's family when he was growing up within the pages. Both facts and opinions of his information are demonstrated. Facts of MacNeil's life and opinions of the language influences are told. I felt that the book overall was very informative allowing me to undestand different experiences with language and how it affects me.

Surprised by Words - a Treasure

This wonderful memoir, first published in 1989 by Robert MacNeil, is absolutely wonderful to read. A delightful memoir by a distinguished man who also co-authored The Story of English. He is co-anchor of the MacNeil/Lehrer Newshour.I bought it a few years ago out of curiousity - and have shared and recommended it to friends who appreciate a well written book with lots of surprises. This man loves words and the power of words, He was raised in Nova Scotia by a mother who read and provided books for him, introducing him to the world of poetry and the love of learning.How appropriate this book is for today when literacy and reading books is being emphasized, finally. I think the brilliant author deserves more recognition and his thoroughly enjoyable book should be reprinted and made more easily available.You will not be disappointed in this book. It is a treasure to keep and reread as time goes by.Thanks Mr. MacNeil for sharing with us your uplifting story.

English Language in Perspective

This book explains MacNeil's love and passion for the English language through his firsthand knowledge of it. He describes his first glimpses at the beauty of words by telling us the story of his childhood. Although it tells the story of a child growing up in a time of war in Canada it contains information and stories that everyone can find relatable. Any lover of the English language will enjoy this book. He hits you with just the right combination of history and personal experience to make the story real for the reader and yet informative at the same time. The information provided in this book is a mixture of both fact and opinion. Mr. MacNeil provides the history of his life and gives his opinion about how experience has influenced the initial spark and continuing devotion to the English language. I found it intriguing to look at the English language through such a different perspective than my own.