Review of the Eighth Chapter of The Meaning of Everything
One of the books that engrave the 70-year odyssey to The Oxford Dictionary is Simon Winchester’s The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary. It was published in October 14th 2004 by Oxford University Press, another affirmation of his credibility as a writer. In the book, he uses his personal experience and memoirs from others like Sir James Murray, the primary editor of The Oxford English Dictionary (OED), to publish the 288-page book. In this essay, his eighth chapter: From Take to Turn-down-and then, Triumphal Valediction will be intensely reviewed. On this chapter, he sets the pace for the legacy of Sir James Murray journey to the honorary title of Honoris Causa in his editorial job of OED. Winchester makes good his reputation in this book and replicates a little of an earlier publication The Professor and the Madman to write an ageless non-fictional tribute to the OED.
The book jacket has a rustic background of a library with scholars and a distinguished older man, presumably the late Sir James Murray. The graphics of the cover does little to add to the appeal of the book to the untrained eye. The writing of Simon Winchester is flawless, particularly in his eighth chapter. In his historical narration, this chapter leans more on a celebration of the works of a draper’s son who left school at the tender age of fourteen years. Despite having circumstances skewered against him, Sir James Murray went on to fulfil one of Lord Oxford’s desires: the publishing of a dictionary. The first part of the title of this chapter ”From Take to Turn-Down” features the words confirmed by the university don on his deathbed. Until his last breath, he took on the editorial job with the agility of a young man as Sir William Osler remarks in the book (Winchester, 227). Even though the majority of this section seems like a dedication to Dr James Murray, other editors have their periods covered though less colourful than their predecessor.
A further illustration of the points made by Winchester to the changing times of the OED is pictorial representations of its volumes. Towards the end of the chapter, it shows the large productions the first nine volumes of the OED were before 1928 (Winchester, 232). There is an inclusion of the opposition faced when Sir Murray tried to reduce the number of pages available. Notable philanthropists like Henry Hucks Gibbs, hermits like Fitzedward Hall and scholars like Robinson Ellis all contributed to the shortening of the 10th version of the dictionary. Winchester, in his analogy, gives an excellent yet summarized referral to the pivotal roles played by these men in his book (Winchester, 225-226). In conclusion, he also provides a continuance with of events after Sir Murray breathed his last. The OED was slightly delayed in production but was completed with great enthusiasm.
A review of this chapter cannot fail to mention the stamp of approval granted to the OED by the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. According to Winchester claims the dedication of the latest version by her Majesty revived the embers of the publishing. There was some concern over the costs incurred, particularly considering similar ventures were not as successful. However, with the slight note remarking of this remarkable acknowledgement opened the floodgates of well-wishers and donations to the tune of £5,000 (Winchester, 219-220). This amount duly received and blessed by the ‘’Worshipful Company of the Goldsmiths’’ was as high an accolade as the titles Sir Murray went on to collect from the throne. ‘’Twentieth’’ and ‘’turn-down’’ are some of the words said to have been Sir Murray’s last (229). In as much as they seem sentimental to a dying man’s last words, they also proclaim a twentieth-century achievement by a man born a century before it.
In conclusion, Winchester’s The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary has a chronological sequence of events collected from historical memoirs. It has a slight resemblance to Winchester’s 1998 book The Professor and the Madman but with less sensationalism. It takes on a serious note of a semi-autobiography to James Murphy and his environment, professional or otherwise, when writing the OED. From start to finish, Simon Winchester captivates the readers with pictures and words of colourful events in the turn of the twentieth century. The publishing of this dictionary took up the dedication and financial resources of a group of scholars who will remain engraved in time.
Works Cited
OBE, Simon Winchester. The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press, September 2003.