Metaphors Be With You: An A to Z Dictionary of History's Greatest Metaphorical Quotations

Dr. Mardy Grothe’s “Metaphors Be With You” is more than just a sequel to “I Never Metaphor I Didn’t Like.” The earlier book is a collection of metaphors organized by topic. “Metaphors Be With You” purports to collect the ten best comments, most of them in the form of metaphors, ever said about 250 topics from Ability to Zeal. There is some repetition from the previous book, but less than you might expect.

If none of the quotations Grothe selects as the very best suit you, you can jump to his website (www.drmardy.com/dmdmq) for many more. Also there are references to similar topics covered in the book where the quote you are looking for may be found. So this is a handy book, as well as an entertaining one.

Certain writers show more (and most of the sources are writers) pop up frequently. Among those quoted most frequently include the likes of Emerson, Twain, Shakespeare and Thoreau. Other people are cited only once, and then somewhat unexpectedly: Julie Andrews, Rick Warren, Julia Roberts, John Lennon and Penn Jillett among them. Many of those quoted are people you have never heard of, which seems encouraging. One need not be famous to say something famous. Although it certainly helps.

One of the best things about the book is that Grothe tries to verify sources of his quotations. Often he notes that a quote commonly attributed to a famous person cannot be found in that person’s work or was found to have been actually said, or said first, by somebody else. As an example, the line, “And the day came when the risk to remain closed in a bud became more painful than the risk it took to blossom” is attributed on most Internet sites to Anais Nin. Grothe says it was the lesser known Elizabeth Appell who said it.

In one case, a quotation he himself attributed to Andy Rooney in “I Never Metaphor I Didn't Like” is listed as Author Unknown in the newer book.

So give Mardy Grothe a lot of credit for his scholarship. As well as for his clever titles. show less

This book is a labor of love. Grothe has long been a quote collector and has compiled various books of them, but this is his most definitive work, along with an online database that hopes to reach 100,000 quotations (now at about 30,000). Ambitious! Here, he focuses on metaphor because it "....is the principal way we have of conceptualizing abstract concepts like life, death, and time." (xiv) His love for and joy in language is inspiring and enriching. Some favorites from this book: Adventure: "How narrow is the line which separates an adventure from an ordeal." Understanding: "If you only hear one side of the story, you have no understanding at all." Adolescence: "Adolescence is a kind of emotional seasickness. Both are funny, show more but only in retrospect." Grothe gives a full citation of each quote he include of original 'author,' work, context and sometimes a commentary. This is a treasure for any word lover. show less

What a great book to have on hand. I will be keeping this by my computer as a reference book to pull metaphors out to use every once in a while.

I won this book on Bookstr/The Reading Room.