{"product_id":"dictionary-days-ilan-stavans-9781555974190","title":"Dictionary Days","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe whole of \u003ci\u003eThe Catcher in the Rye\u003c\/i\u003e is in the \u003ci\u003eOxford English Dictionary\u003c\/i\u003e, waiting to be \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eunscrambled, and so are all the novels of our past, present, and immediate future\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003een-thu-si-ast \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFunction: noun \u003cbr\u003e: a person filled with enthusiasm: as a: one who is ardently attached to a cause, object, or pursuit b: one who tends to become ardently absorbed in an interest \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA dictionary, despite its heroic effort to pin down language, is destined for failure the moment a single word is printed; language, with its eternal mutations, is forever uncontainable. In \u003ci\u003eDictionary Days\u003c\/i\u003e, award-winning essayist Ilan Stavans explores our very human need to \"seize upon the meaning of a word.\" Owner of hundreds of dictionaries, he follows a fascinating, zigzagging history of lexicography across many languages, including English, French, Spanish, German, Arabic, Hebrew, Latin, and Cyrillic. Throughout his journey, Stavans spots strange meaning inconsistencies, uncovers unusual origins, and shares extraordinary and often hilarious anecdotes. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWith a dazzling knowledge of dictionaries through the ages, matched by a lively wit, Stavans reaches far beyond the margin of the page and pays a worthy tribute to a discipline that is at once inspiring and maddening. \"For dictionaries are oracles: nothing is outside them--except the impossible.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Ilan Stavans\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1555974198\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781555974190\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Graywolf Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/01\/2005\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 256\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.70lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 6.78h x 5.06w x 0.93d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 05\/01\/2005 pg. 85\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 02\/01\/2005 pg. 171\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 03\/14\/2005 pg. 57\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e 03\/15\/2005 pg. 1252","brand":"Ilan Stavans","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":46571101978879,"sku":"9781555974190","price":17.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_5efbf3ea-8261-4cd3-b956-27da57cea084.jpg?v=1738807252","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/dictionary-days-ilan-stavans-9781555974190","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}