Making The Cat Laugh - By Lynne Truss

varalotti · Jan 15, 2007

Most Gracious ILites,

I picked this book from a local book fair. You know the author, probably. She wrote the world-acclaimed punctuation book, "Eats, Shoots and Leaves." It was the only grammar book in publishing history to become a best-seller.

She is a columnist and a literary critic. This book is an anthology of all her columns.

Do you remember ladies I threw a challenge at you, that if you can read my story without shedding tears, then you win a prize.

When my translation book was read by the publisher's editor he told the same thing. If some one can read this book without crying, we are thinking of giving that person an Academy Award - and then promptly pack him up to the neighbourhood psychiatrist.

With Ms.Truss's book, the challenge is on the other side. If you dont laugh while reading this 212-page book, you are in for an award - and a pshychiatric treatment too.

I was laughing aloud while reading the book - in fact laughing so much that my dear wife came running to me with the word,
"நேத்துக் கூட நன்னாத்தானே இருந்தேள். இப்ப என்ன ஆச்சு?"
I rushed to book fair when it was about to close down and got down two more books of Ms.Truss.
I want to share this happiness with you.
love,
Varalotti

Vandhana · Jan 15, 2007

Dear Sridhar,

Thanks for this suggestion. I have put in a request at my local library and hope to get my hands on the book by next week.

Vandhana

vidyasarada · Jan 15, 2007

Dear Sridhar
Lynn Truss;s book is indeed enjoyable. I read it as soon as it got into the best sellers list last year and was so vigorously plugged by Amazon.com. Incredible that a book on grammar can be so hilarious . Visualising a cowboy- panda nonchalantly finishing dinner , shooting down a fellow diner and swaggering out makes me chuckle even now.:mrgreen:
VS

varalotti · Jan 16, 2007

Read her other books, VS

Dear VS,
I also bought that grammar book; but I am yet to complete it. This time at the local fair I was amazed to see her other books. I got three books, Making the Cat Laugh (very hilarious), Talking to the Hand (a book on rudeness, again you cant stop laughing) and Tennysons Gift. I have finished the Cat book and have started Talking to The Hand.
regards
sridhar

sathya · Jan 19, 2007

enge puthagam?

hello

kaadu kekkatta
ellorum
vizhundu vizhundu
sirikkumpozudhu
naamum vaai vittu
sirikkavendiyathu thaan
enna seivathu
enna joke ennru purinthaal thane
therindu sirippadarku

appadithaan irukkiradhu
inda write up pathi ezhudanum enral
puthagangal kidaikatha pozhudu
karpanai panni sirikka vendiyathuthaan

haha
sathya

vidyasarada · Jan 24, 2007

Dear Poetess Sathya
Really enjoyed your humourous ditty.
Too bad you could not get the books. Maybe you can order them online.

In the meanwhile, just to comfort you, so that you dont have to " karpanai panni sirikka"fy, I'll explain that Panda joke in my last post:
You see, that Book "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" by Lynn Truss is a grammar book that speaks of the importance of punctuation in english writing. The title itself is a wrongly punctuated line that describes a Panda . That animal's diet consits of tender bamboo shoots and leaves. So a short description of the animal should ideally read as : " Dependent on the Bamboo . Eats shoots and leaves. " But by placing a comma after the first word, the person who wrote it unwittingly converts the Panda into some wild ,cowboylike figure who eats his meal, then "shoots" ( with a gun) someone and finally " leaves" (departs).
So thats the joke ! The book has more such inadvertantly funny examples.

Vs

sathya · Feb 1, 2007

hello sarada

thank u so much for saying about eats, shoots and leaves

well i ws just wondering what could be so funny about eats shoots etc
( my book is called eats and drinks !! quite a serious one on how to eat when etc..)

never learnt grammar properly in school ....
may will have to learn it the funny way?

sathya