Talk to the Hand

It was OK but unlike her bestseller "Eats, shoots and leaves" it could not hold my attention long enough to allow me to finish it. Too much pointless ranting. Perhaps I meet too many normal, nice people to get worked up over the berks.

Funny in places but really just a rant (0/0 people found this helpful)

Firstly, the comments about gluten and lactose intolerance have been removed from the paperback addition (see the reviews of the hardback edition); presumably replaced with the line about forcing all young people to do national service.

Having read "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" I thought this would be a good read, so I bought it, although it is clear this was written as a quick follow up and so is not really up to the same standard. "Talk to the Hand" is really just a long rant, which has been mentioned in numerous reviews about the hardback version. However, I enjoy a good rant so I did find this enjoyable to read in that sense. Truss set out 6 reasons to stay at home and lock the door, but I never felt she really came to any solid conclusions about them, and didn't tie it all up nicely at the end. It just trailed off, and in this respect the book is disappointing.

In summary, this book is good as a toilet read, but don't expect the usefulness and humour of "Eats, Shoots and Leaves".

Enlightening... (5/5 people found this helpful)

The bizarre thing about this little book, and all the anger on it's pages, is that it has had the completely opposite effect on me to what I imagined it would!
I can be an angry person with the rest of them, while also being prone to being irritated by the rudeness and inconsideration of others. I have also had the odd sway into feelings of road rage (Sorry - but that person that pulls out on you in a 60mph limit and proceeds to dawdle along at 25mph will ALWAYS have me reaching for my imaginery dashboard mounted machine gun. You know who you are.) And I too, am irked by other people chatting in the cinema and the very loud, somewhat uneccessary use of mobile phones.But I found myself, rather than shouting 'Yes, thats right - I feel just like that' aloud while reading LT's prose, I found myself instead thanking the good Lord that I'm not as irritated as she appears to be! How tiring!
So, actually, reading this book can be good for your health. It can make you realise how much worse off other people are. Or, in contrast, it can be bad for your health as you reach the conclusion that perhaps you are the irritating as opposed to the irritated...

The Face Ain't Listening... (0/1 people found this helpful)

"and the The Reader Ain't Reading" (Christmas Newsletters). How we have managed to become so rude and inconsiderate to one another, especially at Christmas, is beyond belief. Just thoughtlessness, really. Well done, Lynne Truss, Simon Hoggart and Noel Turner for making us stop and think...

Do your research, Other Truss (4/16 people found this helpful)

As well as the ignorant swipe at sufferers from coeliac disease, there is in this book also a mendacious and spurious statement to the effect that increased computer use is "associated" with rises in diagnosed autism and Asperger Syndrome. Is she trying to imply that it "causes" these conditions? Utter rubbish, and dangerous rubbish at that, fuelling prejudice and misunderstanding of what are congenital developmental disorders which existed (even if not recognised for what they are) *long* before computers.

No marks, Lynne.

Lynne Truss

Reader Reviews:

Not as funny as eats, shoots etc. (0/0 people found this helpful)

Funny in places but really just a rant (0/0 people found this helpful)

Enlightening... (5/5 people found this helpful)

The Face Ain't Listening... (0/1 people found this helpful)

Do your research, Other Truss (4/16 people found this helpful)

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