The Professor and the Madman

By: Simon Winchester

Narrated by: Simon Winchester

Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

Hidden within the rituals of the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary is a fascinating mystery. Professor James Murray was the distinguished editor of the OED project. Dr. William Chester Minor, an American surgeon who had served in the Civil War, was one of the most prolific contributors to the dictionary, sending thousands of neat, hand-written quotations from his home. After numerous refusals from Minor to visit his home in Oxford, Murray set out to find him. It was then that Murray would finally learn the truth about Minor - that, in addition to being a masterly wordsmith, he was also an insane murderer locked up in Broadmoor, England's harshest asylum for criminal lunatics. The Professor and the Madman is the unforgettable story of the madness and genius that contributed to one of the greatest literary achievements in the history of English letters.

©1998 Simon Winchester (P)1999 HarperCollins Publishers Inc., All Rights Reserved, Harper Audio, A Division of HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"The linguistic detective story of the decade." (New York Times Magazine)

Simon Winchester did it again.

I am going to be honest, I wasn't sure Mr. Winchester could make a book about writing a dictionary interesting. I was wrong.

Interesting and charming

The Professor and the Madman is a fun listen! The writing and the narration are matched perfectly with the classically stuffy, bombastic, sometimes overly detailed style you'd want in a book about the OED. The narration is crisp and tight, although his Scottish accent is intermittent. The writer's treatment of Dr. Minor's mental illness is honest and compassionate and the book as a whole is well researched. Although, for what it's worth, I live near the cemetery where Dr. Minor is buried (I haven't found his grave yet, but I'd like to look) and calling it a slum is a bit harsh!

Fascinating

As a lover of words as well as of history, I found this book to be fascinating. It is not for everyone, certainly, as some of the explanations can become a bit, well, "wordy". But those same passages are necessary to a full understanding of and appreciation for the complete story. I am thankful that Simon Winchester has shared this amazing account with us! I listened to the entire book straight through. It is a book I may revisit in order to catch details that I may have missed.

An captivating and yet educational story!

A fascinating tell about the making of the Oxford English Dictionary. the Author manages to keep the readers attention while rendering the most otherwise dole details of the making of the dictionary. The intertwining of the sad and yet interesting story about Dr William Miner and his contribution to the dictionary makes it a very interesting reading. Christians must read practicing discernment and acknowledge that at the end the story of William Miner it's the sad story of an apostate.

Skip the Interview at the End

I had high hopes for this book. However, it turned out to be a dry recounting of the history of the OED with what felt like a large sidenote about a man with mental illness. This is an account, not a story. As an account of the creation of the OEM it is informative and interesting. As a story it is too long, unimaginative and slow moving. The characters were well described but not well developed. If you are interested in the creation of the OEM go ahead and read it otherwise, it's a waste of time.

Memoirs of the Oxford English Dictionary

Wow!

I never knew Lexicography could be interesting to read about. Also its Going to be a film in 2017

This book packages everything so well its hard to find a dull moment. A truly fascinating story and a testament to the English language. Do not pass this read up.

Fascinating!

Well-told, unusual story of the OED. Good listen, great story, who knew? I will listen to this one more than once.

Interesting story, well told, beautifully narrated

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes! I would highly recommend this book to anyone who's a wordsmith. I really enjoyed hearing the author read it, too. The interview in the final chapter is quite fascinating, too.

What did you like best about this story?

This is an amazing tale that covers lots of different topics -- from the unrelenting dedication it took to compile the dictionary, to the possible sources of insanity in this one man, to the barbaric practices of war in the 19th century -- so it held my interest throughout.

Have you listened to any of Simon Winchester’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, I haven't.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

The Professor and the Madman -- everyone has something to offer

Fascinating

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. While this is a narrow aspect of history, I was so taken with the story. Who knew the Oxford English Dictionary had such a wild past.

Have you listened to any of Simon Winchester’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes. This one is the best.

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

How dictionararies are written.

Any additional comments?

I've recommended this book to many people and told more the story. Just a great book.

Wonderful story

I can't believe how interesting the story is on the making of the dictionary. It sounds like it would be boring but quite the opposite.

I would highly recommend this book!