Review by Booklist Review
Tiny punctuation marks arouse outsize opinions. In her first book, writer and Standing on Points podcaster Hazrat begins by explaining how the history of punctuation is entwined with that of printing and then shines a light on the oft-derided exclamation point. Known as "the wonderer," the exclamation point, Hazrat explains, can mean both "Hooray!" and "Watch out!"; rule makers want to rein in its use, and rule breakers can't get enough of it. Historically one of the newest punctuation marks, it dates to 1399, and in later centuries, has become a jumping-off point for designers and typographers trying to devise new ways to help readers understand authors' intentions. The exclamation point's place in art is also examined. A cross between a microhistory and the recent wave of witty grammar books, including Lynne Truss' Eats, Shoots & Leaves (2004) and Benjamin Dreyer's Dreyer's English (2019), this slim book is so chock-full of interesting facts and ideas that it will leave most readers saying, "Wow!"
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This entertaining debut by Standing on Points podcaster Hazrat "reclaim the exclamation mark from its much maligned and misunderstood place at the bottom of the punctuation hierarchy." She chronicles historical uses of exclamation points and the development of punctuation generally in the Western world, noting that the need for punctuation to distinguish "exclamatory or admirative sentences" was first proposed by Italian scholar Iacopo Alpoleio da Urbisaglia in the mid-14th century, and the modern exclamation point was first used by Florentine lawyer Coluccio Salutati in 1399. Hazrat argues that the vagueness of the exclamation point--which might indicate fear, anger, surprise, or joy--makes the "grammar police" want to systematize it, describing how Henry and Francis Fowler's 1906 style guide summed up the modern era's austere attitude toward punctuation in positing that if punctuation alters the meaning of a sentence, its use is "radically bad." The illuminating history traces how the rules of written language change over time, and the sharp analysis is grounded in a convincing philosophy of language, as when the author asserts that grammar should change as colloquial usage does because grammar's purpose is to enable readers to "feel our way" into a text. This is worth shouting about. Photos. (Mar.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
The history of a much-maligned punctuation mark. In her first book, Hazrat notes that many writers have warned against using the exclamation point because it "provides cheap emphasis." As the author notes, it "grabs our attention, whether we want it to or not,"and it exists in nearly every language. Early civilizations developed a system of signs--comma, colon, period, other punctuation marks came later--to help us understand the anatomy of sentences. In 1399, a Florentine lawyer and politician combined the dot and apostrophe, but its use was inconsistent. The "earliest mentions" of the exclamation point first appeared in English in 1551, and Ben Jonson's 1765 Dictionary definition increased its influence. After a discussion of the ups and downs of tonal punctuation over time and grammar's role in punctuation, Hazrat turns to Anton Chekhov's story "The Exclamation Point." She gleefully notes that in 45 of Elmore Leonard's novels, there are only 49 of them. Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children has 2,131, and Tom Wolfe's Bonfire of the Vanities 2,400! Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea contains only one. Hazrat offers up a lot of punctuation trivia as well as information about the other marks, including the "infamous interrobang," which is "not really a new mark at all, but rather two old ones squeezed together." Hazrat also looks at Richard Artschwager's sculpture Exclamation Point; he called it the "prince of punctuation." Theodor Adorno likened the mark to a "soundless clashing of cymbals." Hazrat notes the preponderance of the exclamation point in comic books, poster art, and political advertising. The author notes with chagrin Donald Trump's "proclivity for the frenetic use of !" and follows its role in the digital world. "Among all glyphs," she writes, the bold mark is "most available, and most versatile, the most recognisable and most ironic." In the end, its job is to "attend to admiration" and "point out wonder." A delightfully sprightly and pun-laden history. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
