Official Review: Why do we quote? by Ruth Finnegan

Post by **Rosemary Wright** » 13 Aug 2018, 12:42

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Why do we quote?" by Ruth Finnegan.]

3 out of 4 stars

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Why do we quote?, by Ruth Finnegan, is about the origin and application of quotations. Written in a textbook format, this book explores the use of citations, particularly as it relates to literary studies, anthropology, and folklore. The author defines quotation and reveals the reasons for using it. Based on extensive research, she analyses different types of quotes and how they are used by family members, colleagues, orators, and every other person.

Filled with numerous citations by famous philosophers, the book unveils how quotes have been used in different cultures and religions all over the world. Also, it examines their usage in literary works, screenplays, and oratory. The author goes over the process of quoting with respect to imitation, allusion, and plagiarism. In depth, she discusses the tradition of quotation collecting. She relates the history of speech marks and highlights their importance; why some writers still use them and others don't.

Honestly, before now, I didn't know the act of quoting was a huge subject. It's a good thing Ruth Finnegan chose to write about it, and I commend her for the effort and time she put into this work. You won't appreciate my judgment until you start reading the book and see the vast research she did before writing it. Being eloquently written, the book is educative and engaging. It's structured properly, and it flows smoothly. Included are some figures to help explain information.

Furthermore, the author's extensive vocabulary is impressive, but I think she should have matched her writing with a general reading level. Every reader is not an English language professor. If some readers can't understand most words in a text, they'll become confused and even disconnected. It'll be quite distracting for a reader to be looking up the meaning of words in the dictionary every minute. An academic volume should be easily understood by any person who chooses to read it. Anyway, this work is a mine of helpful information, and now, I know a lot about quotes. If you don't like complex books, then this particular one is not for you.

Overall, the book is appealing and enlightening. The author presented her facts orderly. However, I noticed several grammatical errors involving omitted and misplaced commas. I rate this publication 3 out of 4 stars. I couldn't rank it higher because of its readability status and grammar flaws. It'll be useful for postgraduate students of English language and literature.

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Why do we quote?
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Post by **kandscreeley** » 15 Aug 2018, 08:37

I'm sure that the author did quite a bit of research on this one, and I have no doubt she is very well educated. Nevertheless, this just isn't a subject that I am interested in. It sound more like a college textbook or a manual for professors than something to read for everyday use. Thanks, but my list is too long to add something like this to it.

AmySmiles · Post by **AmySmiles** » 15 Aug 2018, 10:15

I can't imagine reading a whole book about quotations. Plus a grammar book with grammatical issues? I'm going to pass, but I'm sure this book has a place for a certain audience. Thank You.

Cecilia_L · Post by **Cecilia_L** » 15 Aug 2018, 21:32

Furthermore, the author's extensive vocabulary is impressive, but I think she should have matched her writing with a general reading level. Every reader is not an English language professor. If some readers can't understand most words in a text, they'll become confused and even disconnected. It'll be quite distracting for a reader to be looking up the meaning of words in the dictionary every minute. An academic volume should be easily understood by any person who chooses to read it. Anyway, this work is a mine of helpful information, and now, I know a lot about quotes. If you don't like complex books, then this particular one is not for you.

I agree. It doesn't sound like most readers will relate to this one. I appreciate your honest review.

Corhan2 · Post by **Corhan2** » 16 Aug 2018, 01:44

Thanks for the review. The topic is refreshing and I am sure there is a lot to learn from this book. I will, however, give it a miss.

OloladeO · Post by **OloladeO** » 16 Aug 2018, 05:50

The author sounds vast in knowledge, however, this is not a subject I am interested in. Thanks for your review.

Post by **Rosemary Wright** » 16 Aug 2018, 15:56

AmySmiles wrote: ↑15 Aug 2018, 10:15 I can't imagine reading a whole book about quotations. Plus a grammar book with grammatical issues? I'm going to pass, but I'm sure this book has a place for a certain audience. Thank You.

Thanks AmySmiles. For sure, it has a place for a particular audience.

gali · Post by **gali** » 21 Aug 2018, 09:42

A book about the use of about quotations sounds intriguing. The author defines citations, explores their uses, and highlights their importance. It does look like the author put a lot of effort into this book. Too bad about the too high language and the few grammatical errors. I like complex books, but this one isn't for me. Thank you for the review!

Ruba Abu Ali · Post by **Ruba Abu Ali** » 21 Aug 2018, 09:43

I am interested in the art of quotation that I think I will give this one a try. Too bad a star is deducted due to grammar flaws. This book might work better as a reference rather than a straight-through read. Thanks for the honest review.

britt13 · Post by **britt13** » 21 Aug 2018, 09:44

While this sounds like it could be really helpful for some, this is not something I am interested in reading. I love quotes, but I am not looking for a textbook read right now.

khandzz09 · Post by **khandzz09** » 21 Aug 2018, 09:48

I love quotes so much. I like collecting and writing it down with my notebooks. This is the book I am looking forward. Quotes give motivations and inspiration. It could be quick guide to life. Thank for this review.

lavellan · Post by **lavellan** » 21 Aug 2018, 09:48

Thanks for your review! I'm not interested in the subject of quotations enough to justify reading the book, but it sounds like an extensive and informative resource. It's a pity that the book was written in a fashion that made it accessible to a wider range of readers. Many of the people who need to learn about quotations are not a post-graduate level. It also seems strange that a book on quotations has so many errors.

FilmStar · Post by **FilmStar** » 21 Aug 2018, 09:53

I was thinking of reading this book because I always like to read books about thinks that underrated such as the importance of quoting but if there are a bunch of grammatical errors in the book and the book is about English, doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. Hard for me to take any book seriously with grammatical errors as it shows the author or the publisher did not do a good job checking their work.

Cardinalsparrow · Post by **Cardinalsparrow** » 21 Aug 2018, 09:58

A book that talks about quotes is nice and sounds ℹnformative but it's not my kind of book. Thanks for your review

Britty01 · Post by **Britty01** » 21 Aug 2018, 09:59

Rosemary Wright wrote: ↑13 Aug 2018, 12:42 [Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Why do we quote?" by Ruth Finnegan.]

Honestly, before now, I didn't know the act of quoting was a huge subject. It's a good thing Ruth Finnegan chose to write about it, and I commend her for the effort and time she put into this work. You won't appreciate my judgment until you start reading the book and see the vast research she did before writing it. Being eloquently written, the book is educative and engaging. It's structured properly, and it flows smoothly. Included are some figures to help explain information.

After reading some of this book, I quite agree with your comment. Thanks for the insightful review. For the right audience, I can see this would be a valuable resource especially if they fall into the How, why, what, when category. It is unfortunate about the grammar errors, perhaps it will be re-edited at some point.