Author:Alan Lerner,Frederick Loewe
Sparkling with wit, wisdom and wonderful songs including, ‘I Could Have Danced All Night’, ‘Wouldn’t It Be Loverly’ and ‘Get Me To The Church On Time’, the musical play based on Bernard Shaw’s ‘Pygmalion’ has been delighting audiences since it was first performed in the 1950s.
When overbearing Professor Higgins stumbles on flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, in Covent Garden he recognizes that her hideous vowels and forgotten consonants are all that separate her from the upper classes. Higgins wagers that he can pass her off as a Duchess in a matter of weeks. But what will become of Eliza when the bet is over?
This edition of ‘My Fair Lady’ includes the complete script and a selection of black and white stills from the Oscar-winning film starring Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison.
An utterly delightful book to read, Dreyer's English will stand among the classics on how to use the English language properly.
—— Elizabeth StroutA mind-blower--sure to jumpstart any writing project, just by exposing you, the writer, to Dreyer's astonishing level of sentence-awareness.
—— George SaundersOn every page, the serious stuff is spiced with his distinctive humour… This is what to look for in a language book: authority without arrogance. There is always more to learn.
—— The EconomistBrilliant
—— GuardianThe joy of Dreyer’s English is that it’s written by an editor who so clearly loves words, has a sense of humour and prizes clarity over nit-picking
—— Financial TimesMeet the guardian of grammar who wants to help you be a better writer. Benjamin Dreyer sees language the way an epicure sees food. And he finds sloppiness everywhere he looks.
—— New York TimesAn informative and entertaining handbook on how to write clearer English. It’s pithy, witty and a near perfect example of the kind of writing it advocates.
—— StingPlayful, smart, self-conscious, and personal . . . One encounters wisdom and good sense on nearly every page of Dreyer’s English.
—— Wall Street JournalIt is Benjamin Dreyer's intense love for the English language and his passion for the subject that make the experience of reading Dreyer's English such a pleasure, almost regardless of the invaluable and practical purpose his book serves in such dark and confusing times for grammar and meaning.
—— Ayelet Waldman & Michael ChabonBenjamin Dreyer's brilliant, pithy, incandescently intelligent book is to contemporary writing what Geoffrey Chaucer's poetry was to medieval English: a gift that broadens and deepens the art and the science of literature by illustrating that convention should not stand in the way of creativity, so long as that creativity is expressed with clarity and with conviction.
—— Jon MeachamDreyer can help you . . . with tips on punctuation and spelling. . . . Even better: He’ll entertain you while he’s at it.
—— NewsdayThis work is that rare writing handbook that writers might actually want to read straight through, rather than simply consult.
—— Publishers WeeklyDestined to become a classic.
—— The MillionsA fascinating guide to grammatical ‘rights’ and ‘wrongs’ - practical and useful
—— Sebastian Faulks , Sunday TimesIf learning about the pillars of punctuation and grammar doesn’t excite you, let Benjamin Dreyer change your mind. As the copy chief of Random House, Dreyer has invaluable insider knowledge on how to become a better writer, and he shares his enthusiasm about everything from how to use split infinitives to the value of the semicolon. Here, he analyzes the English language without dipping into the drab technicalities, crafting a pleasing read for anyone who has an appreciation for the written word.
—— Time Magazine: Best 10 Non-Fiction Books of 2019Dreyer promises to reveal “some of the fancy little tricks I’ve come across or devised that can make even skilled writing better”, and does so with accuracy, style, and humour […] you can’t help warming to a writer who has – perhaps through a process of déformation professionnelle if nothing else – become this attuned to nuances of meaning, and even spelling.
—— GuardianBoisterously well written ... I recommend it highly.
—— IndependentPleasurable and instructive […] You can read Dreyer’s English right through with unalloyed enjoyment, and learn a lot from it: not only from its rulings but from its attitude. Sane, tetchy, prankish and intensely pragmatic. Benjamin Dreyer is wise and bitterly experienced and fantastically good company. You should buy his book and read it.
—— Times Literary SupplementUseful and interesting
—— Strong Words Magazine[The Dictionary of Lost Words] was so excellent, and is the story we all need right now. Shining on important light on the lost stories of women's lives, it was hugely thought-provoking
—— Crafts BeautifulEnchanting, sorrowful, and wonderfully written, the book is a one-of-a-kind celebration of languageand its importance in our lives. A must-have
—— Library Journal (starred review)The Dictionary of Lost Words concerns itself with the gaps between the lines of the dominant male narrative, choosing instead the usually overlooked, everyday language of ordinary women. It's a masterfully written, beautiful first novel that tells a fascinating story of language, love and loss
—— Historical Novel SocietyAn utterly compelling and beautiful story that effortlessly merges history, gender politics, love and loss. To say this book is ambitious is an understatement, but Williams delivers brilliantly, and whilst I enjoyed the story in itself, the book has prompted me to want to discover more about this history and context of the OED... Without doubt, this is my favourite book of the year so far and, I suspect, it will be in the running come the end of the year too
—— Jade Craddock , NBThis thought-provoking and atmospheric novel about dictionaries will have you enthralled... A gorgeous story about women, the power of language and an insight into the work of lexicographers
—— Zoe West , Woman's WeeklySeamlessly blending fact and fiction, this is a beautifully crafted book, filled with memorable characters
—— Choice Magazine, *Book of the Month*Real and fictional timeliness are intertwined in this inventive new novel
—— Ellie Cawthorne , BBC History MagazineAn elegantly constructed love story full of memorable characters... Pippa Bennett-Warner captures them all, and her warm, slightly husky voice enhances the magic
—— Christina Hardyment , The Times, *Audiobooks of the Year*An elegantly constructed love story full of characters we grow care deeply about. Pippa Bennett-Warner's warm, slightly husky voice enhances the magic... a flawless listening experience
—— Christina Hardyment , The Times, *Audiobook of the Week*