Dreyer's English

An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style

By: Benjamin Dreyer

Narrated by: Benjamin Dreyer, Alison Fraser

Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times best seller • A sharp, funny grammar guide they’ll actually want to read, from Random House’s longtime copy chief and one of Twitter’s leading language gurus

Named one of the Best Books of the Year by O: The Oprah Magazine • Paste • Shelf Awareness

"Essential (and delightful!)" (People)

We all write, all the time: books, blogs, emails. Lots and lots of emails. And we all want to write better. Benjamin Dreyer is here to help.

As Random House’s copy chief, Dreyer has upheld the standards of the legendary publisher for more than two decades. He is beloved by authors and editors alike - not to mention his followers on social media - for deconstructing the English language with playful erudition. Now, he distills everything he has learned from the myriad books he has copyedited and overseen into a useful guide not just for writers but for everyone who wants to put their best prose foot forward.

As authoritative as it is amusing, Dreyer’s English offers lessons on punctuation, from the underloved semicolon to the enigmatic en dash; the rules and nonrules of grammar, including why it’s okay to begin a sentence with "And" or "But" and to confidently split an infinitive; and why it’s best to avoid the doldrums of the Wan Intensifiers and Throat Clearers, including "very," "rather," "of course," and the dreaded "actually." Dreyer will let you know whether "alright" is all right (sometimes) and even help you brush up on your spelling - though, as he notes, "The problem with mnemonic devices is that I can never remember them."

And yes: "Only godless savages eschew the series comma."

Chockful of advice, insider wisdom, and fun facts, this audiobook will prove to be invaluable to everyone who wants to shore up their writing skills, mandatory for people who spend their time editing and shaping other people’s prose, and - perhaps best of all - an utter treat for anyone who simply revels in language.

Praise for Dreyer’s English

"Playful, smart, self-conscious, and personal... One encounters wisdom and good sense on nearly every page of Dreyer’s English." (The Wall Street Journal)

"Destined to become a classic." (The Millions)

"Dreyer can help you...with tips on punctuation and spelling.... Even better: He’ll entertain you while he’s at it." (Newsday)

©2019 Benjamin Dreyer (P)2019 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Interwoven with cultural history and lively self-revelation, this bracing manual will up your game even if all you’re writing is emails." (People Book of the Week)

 

"Call it the hedonic appeal. Dreyer beckons readers by showing that his rules make prose pleasurable.... His book is in love with the toothsomeness of language. Its sentences capture writing’s physicality." (Katy Waldman, The New Yorker)

"Brimming with wit and revelatory wisdom, this style manual-cum-linguistic jubilee from Random House’s copy chief...entertains as it enlightens." (O: The Oprah Magazine)

A Delightful Surprise

I was fairly confident I would like this book, if only from its topic and tongue-in-cheek subtitle. What I didn't expect was how much I would enjoy the narration. I'm especially wary of authors who read their own work - often a notoriously bad choice - but in this case Benjamin Dreyer nails it, along with his co-performer Alison Fraser. Excellent production and direction, too. Well done!

Wonderfully read

As a style manual, this would be better consumed in print. However, the audio book gives us the full benefit of Dreyer's voice, in both the literal and the literary sense, the latter of which is so much a part of the excellence (and enjoyment) of this writing. (Special note: I am certain the writer himself would groan over Audible's request that we rate the "story" of this book.)

Fabulous

Appreciated his learned take on writing style, and loved the style with which it was delivered.

Fun

The author is not only obviously knowledgeable, he’s so entertaining to listen to. Thankfully he narrated his own book.

Informative + Entertaining

It is a difficult task to write a book about grammar without putting your readers to sleep. I appreciate the author’s dry humor. I also bought the paperback because I suspect I will be referencing this book regularly.

Fun, Informative, and Well Performed

Well written, well researched, all together well done. Benjamin Dreyer has put together an excellent handbook, and his and Alison Fraser's performance is fantastic. Listen through the first time for the fun of it, then keep a copy at your desk for reference.

enjoyable but overhyped

I learned some useful information and laughed some along the way, but this was neither as amusing nor as informative as the glowing reviews led me to believe.

Almost Utterly Great

The author's political commentary should have been edited out. A great read otherwise. I've gained new respect for copy editors and hope I haven't broken too many rules writing this review.

Grammar can be fun.

I read this for a graduate level course, and it was excellent. Who knew learning grammar could be so much fun.

Proper English and Much Tongue in Cheek

Dreyer's English, An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style, by Benjamin Dreyer, and narrated Benjamin Dreyer, along with delivery of the performance lines by Alison Frase. A pleasant journey into the peculiarities of the English language. Filled with little tidbits one should mind when writing and delivered in a tongue in cheek format. Mr. Benjamin Dreyer is a copy editor for Randon House.

The book is more entertaining than one would anticipate when considering the foibles of this idiom we took from the British, because Mr. Dreyer’s method of delivery is; a bit ironic. In fact, it is just packed with goodies to keep in mind when writing and equally packed with quips.