The professor and the madman, is an interesting biographical segment of professor James Murray and Dr W C Minor as it relates to their efforts on the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). Written as two biographies (Murray and Minor) the author alternates between their life stories until the point of intersection - the making of the OED and each of their's active role in its creation. A realtively short and easy read - good, not great. ( )

Winchester is brilliant. He tells a story that is hard to believe and utterly fascinating. I have enjoyed all the Winchester books that I have read but this was the most interesting. ( )

I thought this book was interesting, but I also thought it was a bit anti-climactic. After reading the synopsis, I think I expected it to be a bit more exciting and event driven than a book about the story of the making of a dictionary might ordinarily be expected to be. Still, I would recommend this to people who enjoy words and their history. ( )

The book was really interesting, and I enjoyed it a lot, even if there were a few Horrid Details in it that didn't have to be so well described! ( )

Is this a movie? If it isn't, it should be. They say that truth is stranger than fiction and I agree. Dr. W.C. Minor was a brilliant American doctor who was found legally insane after committing murder. During his confinement in a mental institute in London, Minor embarked on a quest to help Professor James Murray compile submissions for the Oxford English Dictionary. His astounding contribution led Professor Murray to seek out Dr. Minor, learn of his confinement in an asylum for the criminally insane, and despite all that, become the closest of friends.

The story itself appears benign. Dr. Minor's mental illness consists mostly of hallucinations and the paranoia that certain people were "messing with him." As a result nothing could prepare me for the moment when Dr. Minor decided on December 3rd, 1902 to cut off his own penis (a procedure called autopeotomy). "In his delusional world he felt he had no alternative but to remove it. He was a doctor, of course, and so knew roughly what he was doing" (p 193). What the ??? It's this tongue-in-cheek writing that makes The Professor and the Madman so much fun to read. ( )

http://thebookwormslibrary.com/?p=567... ( )

A very interesting historical account of the making of the Oxford English Dictionary. The writing did keep me relatively engrossed for most of the book, but I did have times where it went a little too in depth with word meanings and other historical accounts that were less interesting to me than the story of Sir James Murray and Dr. Minor. ( )

I couldn't get through the book. The premise was very interesting, but I had a very difficult time with the author's writing style. BTW - the book group LOVED it. ( )

Enjoyable read on the making of my favorite dictionary, the OED. Although the main focus is on the lives and interaction of Minor and Murray, also provides some highlights on the other major contributors. Chapters begin with word entry from OED, word gives small preview of what to expect. ( )

Short but quite interesting. Winchester is a good storyteller who leavens his main tale with quick looks at the world passing by as the OED is being produced. ( )

W.C. Minor was an American army surgeon who began to suffer from paranoid delusions and guilt-ridden fantasies, and was eventually incarcerated in Broadmoor for the random and senseless murder of a man in London. His story is both tragic and fascinating; from his suite of two cells, this educated and disturbed man became the most prolific contributor to the compilation of the Oxford English Dictionary, all the while maintaining a correspondence with - and keeping his secret from - James Murray, the dictionary’s editor.

There's a vividly compelling story here, but it's a little over-told for the sake of adding drama and pathos to the history of the OED; it's a complete enough tale without the 'and THEN guess what' that the author tries -needlessly - to inject into the writing. Winchester's real strength is delivering history and biography in an accessible manner, having a keen sense for important detail and rich seams of interest; where he lets the reader down is in assuming we will not realise these things for ourselves, but must be pointed at them repeatedly.

That said, for anyone who does not already know the stories that are intertwined with the collaboration and creation of the largest, most authoritative, and first complete collection of English words (and/or has any interest in lexicography at all) will find this an interesting and touching story, well worth reading. ( )

This isn't one of those books I would normally grab from off the shelf, except that I knew enough people who had read it to pique my interest.

It is about the making of a dictionary -- the dictionary, rather: The Oxford English Dictionary -- and one particular man who helped make it possible from a cell in a mental institution.

Simon Winchester's wonderful style makes this story come alive. He shows us Dr. W. C. Minor, a scholar, murderer, and madman, for the tragic and sympathetic character that he was. This book is an achievement, and one that should be cherished, even if the subject matter may normally sound like a dull one. ( )

I thought that this was a marvelously written little history, full of intriguing characters and interesting events. So I was more than a little surprised just now to read the reviews on LibraryThing, or the numerous negative ones at least. This probably indicates nothing more than the diverse tastes represented in the reviewers, so my only addition will be brief. If you enjoy historical sidelights, well researched and capably written, I think you will enjoy Winchester’s book. I don’t often award five stars, but have for this one. ( )

The fascinating and poignant story of the Oxford English Dictionary and two similar, yet very different in circumstance, men whose lives would likely never have crossed except for their work on the OED. Although I had heard the story of the 'lunatic American doctor' who contributed reams of information for the OED, I still found myself riveted to the sad story (and occasional salacious detail in my opinion). As a word geek myself, I have a love/hate affair with dictionaries and yes, there are times when I just sit down and read a few pages. The incredible undertaking and vast scope of the project is obvious when you view the dictionary itself in its multiple-volume splendor, but I tend to forget that most Americans have likely never actually seen one in person. So of course, I found the story of the dictionary itself interesting and worthwhile reading, but combined with the inexplicable mystery of how and why the 'madman' was in a situation that enabled him to contribute so much...it just boggles the mind. "The Professor and the Madman" by Simon Winchester is well worth your time and a fun, educational read. ( )

An interesting tale of two of the men who helped make the Oxford English Dictionary. In order to tackle such a huge undertaking, the editors enlisted the help of the well-read public to send in definitions of words and find examples of them used in literature. This story centers on two men who were integral in this process. One of these men was Professor James Murray, the master editor and overseer of the project. The other was W. C. Minor, a major contributor of definitions over the years. Minor, an American visiting England, murdered a man on the street, was found criminally insane, and spent the rest of his life in asylums. Despite his continuing mental problems, he was a voracious reader and quite the scholar - he contributed thousands of definitions, exactly what the editors were looking for. To me this is the story of Minor - what may have happened to make him crack, and how he spent the rest of his life. It is also the story of Murray, a dedicated scholar who spent so much of his life trying to complete this massive project. ( )

http://amiralace.blogspot.com/2007/06... ( )

Doctors Murray and Minor are an unlikely pair who ultimately come together to help create one of the most important books ever printed.
At first glance, it is hard to believe that a story about a dictionary project could be just so darn interesting, but it truly is. Readers/scholars/librarians, etc., and others with a strong affinity for words will be captivated by the unusual, tragic and inspiring chain of events that took place during this massive volunteer effort -- an effort which spanned decades and ultimately benefited all of us. ( )

Few ordinary people are aware that the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is one
of the great literary achievements of the English language. Those who do know the work are for the most part librarians whose constant interaction with books makes them privy to matters literary. But very few librarians know the history of how the OED came into existence.

Written by Simon Winchester, The Professor and the Madman chronicles this history by immersing the reader alternatively in a world of madness and scholarship. It tells the story of two men whose lives were oddly but distantly intertwined for most of their existence--one, “the professor,” from Scotland, the other a madman, from Connecticut. Each corresponded “meanings” with the other for decades without ever knowing the ins and outs of each other’s personal lives. “The professor,” for instance, mistakenly believed he was interacting with an educated Englishman gentleman of considerable means.

Their first encounter is illustrative. The professor leaves his scriptorium at Oxford and travels to Crowthorne, where the madman resides. A liveried coachman escorts him to an impressive residence where he marvels at its spacious interiors, exquisite books and elegant furniture. Finally he introduces himself to the man waiting for him. “A very good afternoon to you sir. I am Dr. James Murray of the London Philological Society, and Editor of the Oxford English Dictionary…for you must be, kind sir, my most assiduous helpmeet, Dr. W.C. Minor?” The other man, presumably embarrassed, replies, “I regret, kind sir, that I am not.…I am in fact the governor of the Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum. Dr. Minor has been a patient here for more than twenty years. He is our longest-staying resident.”

This encounter has been disputed, but it comports with the well-documented travails of “the madman” whose childhood in Ceylon acquainted him with the Singhalese, Burmese, Hindi and Talil languages. The brutality of the American Civil War may also have contributed to the mental instability that eventually led him to an asylum and the making of a giant undertaking now known as the OED. “The madman’s” simple grave at Evergreen Cemetery in New Haven may not do justice to his achievement, but in its way it is a fitting reminder of what one individual clinging to the shreds of sanity managed to accomplish through the fierce cherishing of words.

Vicente Revilla
Library

While the story Winchester tells is undeniably a good yarn, I think the popularity of this book has more to do with its broad scope. This short history covers a lot of territory: true crime, historical biography, the development of the English dictionary, the history of the OED, the American Civil War, the Victorian era treatment of mental patients, the early days of psychiatry. In short, there's a little bit for just about anyone. I was particularly drawn to the material concerning the OED's development and the process by which the entries were constructed. (I'm the sort of person who has a soft spot for things like desks with pigeonholes.) This is also an interesting example of popular history rendered through the use of archival documents: the records of the mental institutions which housed Dr. Minor, the records of Minor's military service, and the archives of the Oxford University Press. Winchester sometimes speculates about things about which there is no record of evidence. He also makes unnecessary leaps forward and back in time in an attempt to artificially heighten his narrative. These little jumps occasionally led me to think, as I read, "Well, get on with it." Still, it was an enjoyable read. ( )

About a group of men who organized the enormous task of compiling definitions for the Oxford English Dictionary, starting in 1857. Before reading this book I had no idea what kind of effort went into creating dictionaries, or who would try and tackle such a task. Reading about it was fascinating. Not just for the love of words and language, but also the more sensational and intriguing aspects of the story. The book opens with a murder scene in London, a brutal act committed by William C. Minor who was later deemed insane and committed to an asylum where he remained for some thirty years. What does this have to do with the making of a dictionary? It turns out that the editorial team for the dictionary appealed to the public for word submissions, and a staggering amount came from Minor, from behind the walls of the insane asylum. It's almost hard to believe this story is true. A wonderful read.

from the Dog Ear Diary ( )

I know that my opinion of the book was definitely clouded by the fact that I'd already read (and read relatively recently) The Meaning of Everything, Winchester's other book about the OED. Because the subject of the two books is the same there are passages that seem to have been copy-and-pasted from the first book into the second. That, however, wasn't my complaint. Actually, I just thought The Meaning of Everything was a much stronger book. In The Professor and the Madman, Winchester is trying to tell the story of Minor (the madman) as well as the story of Murray (the professor and longest-reigning editor of the OED) and the broader story of the OED itself. Because he is trying to accomplish so much in one relatively short volume, he doesn't really manage to tell any of the stories satisfactorily.

One of the things I did like about the book (well, both books) is Winchester's use of what in my family we call "SAT words" (in reference to one of the standardized tests that we Americans need to take before entering university). I'm not sure if Winchester made an attempt to use more arcane words because he was writing a history of a dictionary or if he always writes like that, but it's definitely something I noticed and appreciated. ( )

Great Book, off beat topic, the story of the man who contributed most to the Oxford English Dictionary ( )

Neat footnote story re: the making of the Oxford English Dictionary. See also "The Meaning of Everything," also by Winchester, for a more expanded look at the making of the OED. ( )

My favorite book of 2005. ( )

The Professor and the Madman is the fascinating true story of the making of the OED, and of Dr. William Minor, who contributed close to ten thousand entries while he was locked up in an insane asylum. It's a very quick read, and more space could have been allotted both to Minor's crime, trial, and madness; and to the conditions of asylums in nineteenth-century London. But this is a great book, an interesting story with plenty of good research behind it, and I appreciate that it records the unusual story of W.C. Minor, who otherwise would be an unfairly obscure character in history ( )