THE GRAMMARIANS
“Grammar is good. I mean ethically good. If you think of all these words just staggering around, grammar is their social order.” I knew nothing about this addictive, clever novel when it arrived on my doorstep (THANK YOU @fsgbooks for this copy!) - other than that I wanted to become acquainted with the two mysterious twin faces on the cover. Something in their expression drew me in - was it self satisfaction? Or mischief? Is that a hint of … condescension? I had to get to know them.
The Grammarians follows the intersecting lives of twins Laurel and Daphne from birth through late adulthood. They have identical faces, identical red hair, and an identical fascination with words from the time they are toddlers with their own made up language. As they follow parallel paths, the author deftly hints at subtle shifts in their need for, influence on and power over one another. So many keenly observed details bring all of the book’s characters to life, and I found myself laughing aloud at their witty exchanges and wry humor. The result is a new favorite that had me fully charmed from the very first chapter.
If you adore a book that worships words in all forms - dialogue, poetry, definition, grammar, correspondence and more - you will absolutely devour The Grammarians. I mean, who can resist a book that describes a character as “often odious and occasionally prescient”? In The Grammarians, words and phrases are attributed qualities - a feeling, a smell, a memory - that give them a life all their own.
This book has a special fascination with eggs, especially the twinship of double yolks. Between that and a mention of the old fashioned “grapefruit diet,” I was inspired to make a little “grammarians breakfast,” if you will. I can’t pretend there was a lot of cooking here, but I had an awfully fun time assembling this little meal! Have you read the The Grammarians? Did you fall in love with this book, too? (Or is it, “did you, too, fall in love with this book”? Do weigh in, all you Laurels and Daphnes out there!)
