Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Little, Brown and Company (14th Edition)
Pages
1750
Description
A completely revised and updated edition provides a sweeping overview of the cultural influence of inspirational language and includes new contributions by such authors as the Dalai Lama, Steve Jobs and Desmond Tutu.
Collection
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1855
1948 (12th edition)
1992 (16th edition)
2002 (17th edition)
2012 (18th edition)
Physical description
1750 p.; 9.5 inches
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User reviews
LibraryThing member keylawk
From Caedmon (floruit 670) to Crane (1913) in chronological order, and a Miscellaneous, Translations, Epitaphs, Bible, and Unknown Authors sections, going back to the Ancient Greeks, Egyptians, and Gesta Romanorum.
John Bartlett, born in Massachusetts in 1820, collected quotations as a kind of
In other words, there is no attempt, no claim, to present a theology in a nutshell, or a compilation of the most beautiful, or even most wise, quotations. Having said that, as the idea of publication came upon him, he expanded his collection to include not only the "familiar" but expressions "worthy of being familiar". As examples of the latter, he re-introduced the Apocrypha and presented the solemnities of the Koran to the American public.
John Bartlett, born in Massachusetts in 1820, collected quotations as a kind of
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habit while working in the Harvard University bookstore. He selected them for their "familiarity", with the purpose of showing the provenance of expressions become "household words". He is particularly acute with Biblical and Shakespeare quotations, but remember, he is selecting for "familiarity". In other words, there is no attempt, no claim, to present a theology in a nutshell, or a compilation of the most beautiful, or even most wise, quotations. Having said that, as the idea of publication came upon him, he expanded his collection to include not only the "familiar" but expressions "worthy of being familiar". As examples of the latter, he re-introduced the Apocrypha and presented the solemnities of the Koran to the American public.
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LibraryThing member auntieknickers
Indispensable. There is a temptation just to use the Internet to source quotations, but it's easy to find wrong attributions there, too. This isn't the only dictionary of quotations I have, but it's the one I check first.
LibraryThing member muzzie
I love this book. One holiday when money was tight, it showed up under the tree. Long on my wish list, but much too expensive at the time to buy, my husband had listened and there it was. So many times when a phrase runs through one's mind or an occasion requires just the right words, the first
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place I look is this book. Every library should include a copy. Show Less
LibraryThing member aulsmith
The index is great for finding quotations by the word you remember (assuming the word is actually in the quote) However, one of my favorite things to do is to peruse the main body of the work which is in chronological order by author. It gives you a flavor of individual authors as well as the style
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and concerns of different periods of English literature. Show Less
LibraryThing member raizel
List by author in approximately chronological order of famous or interesting quotations. An index of authors at the beginning and a huge index of quotes at the end make it easy to find things. The title page says that this is the fifteenth and 125th anniversary edition, revised and enlarged, edited
It's fun to just open the book to a random page and start skimming and reading---an example of how books are better than facing a blank search box on a webpage for serendipitous learning. Nonetheless, I haven't touched the book in a few years and I'm tidying, so I hope this donation to a local library book sale will let this book find another good home.
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by Emily Morison Beck and the editorial staff of Little, Brown and Company. It's fun to just open the book to a random page and start skimming and reading---an example of how books are better than facing a blank search box on a webpage for serendipitous learning. Nonetheless, I haven't touched the book in a few years and I'm tidying, so I hope this donation to a local library book sale will let this book find another good home.
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LibraryThing member pre20cenbooks
Enjoyed browsing, useful tool for writers and preparing school presentations, papers.
LibraryThing member drmarymccormack
I have used this book, over the years, countless times. I pick it up for some certain thing and the next thing I know, it's two in the morning and I haven't even noticed! I only wish it had more, more, more!
LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
The strongest reason for getting rid of this book is the reason I probably never will--this stood on the family bookshelves before I was born--this edition is from 1955. I remember browsing through it as a child and finding quotations that spoke to me. As such it was a gateway to literature, since
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it made me want to read books by the authors of those beautiful lines. And I like that although there are Author and Subject Indices, the book is organized chronologically, from Ancient Egypt ("To resist him that is set in authority is evil" - The Instruction of Ptahhotep) to Queen Elizabeth II ("My whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service...") Show Less
LibraryThing member UtopianPessimist
Just what I need when something pithy and pertinent must be included in writing. 5 stars
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REF