The Professor and the Madman: Summary and book reviews of The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester, plus links to an excerpt from The Professor and the Madman and a biography of Simon Winchester.

Mysterious (mistîe · ries), a. [f. L. mystérium Mysteryi + ous. Cf. F. mystérieux.] 1. Full of or fraught with mystery; wrapt in mystery; hidden from human knowledge or understanding; impossible or difficult to explain, solve, or discover; of obscure origin, nature, or purpose. It is known as one of the greatest literary achievements in the history of English letters. The creation of the Oxford English Dictionary began in 1857, took seventy years to complete, drew from tens of thousands of brilliant minds, and organized the sprawling language into 414,825 precise definitions. But hidden within the rituals of its creation is a fascinating and mysterious story--a story of two remarkable men whose strange twenty-year relationship lies at the core of this historic undertaking. Professor James Murray, an astonishingly learned former schoolmaster and bank clerk, was the distinguished editor of the OED project. Dr. William Chester Minor, an American surgeon from New Haven, Connecticut, who had served in the Civil War, was one of thousands of contributors who submitted illustrative quotations of words to be used in the dictionary. But Minor was no ordinary contributor. He was remarkably prolific, sending thousands of neat, handwritten quotations from his home in the small village of Crowthorne, fifty miles from Oxford. On numerous occasions Murray invited Minor to visit Oxford and celebrate his work, but Murray's offer was regularly--and mysteriously--refused. Thus the two men, for two decades, maintained a close relationship only through correspondence. Finally, in 1896, after Minor had sent nearly ten thousand definitions to the dictionary but had still never traveled from his home, a puzzled Murray set out to visit him. It was then that Murray finally learned the truth about Minor--that, in addition to being a masterful wordsmith, Minor was also a murderer, clinically insane--and locked up in Broadmoor, England's harshest asylum for criminal lunatics. The Professor and the Madman is an extraordinary tale of madness and genius, and the incredible obsessions of two men at the heart of the Oxford English Dictionary and literary history. With riveting insight and detail, Simon Winchester crafts a fascinating glimpse into one man's tortured mind and his contribution to another man's magnificent dictionary.

Media Reviews

Wall Street Journal Deftly weaves into a narrative full of suspense, pathos and humor.   Book World Washington Post Brisk and entertaining.   NY Times Book Review Elegant. . .imaginative. . .One of the strangest modern literary stories.   Publisher's Weekly With his cheeky way with a tale ('It is a brave and foolhardy and desperate man who will perform an autopeotomy' he writes of Minor's self-mutilation), Winchester celebrates a gloomy life brightened by devotion to a quietly noble, nearly anonymous task.   Time Out (UK) [Winchester's]. . .casual and engaging prose makes the book appealing to lay readers of general history. . .the author can't seem to stop getting in the way of his story. . .psychological insights are often labored and conjectural. . . .an interesting read on the background of one of the most important books in the English language.   London Times This is almost my favorite kind of book the work of social and intellectual history which through the oblique treatment of major developments manages to throw unusual light on humankind and its doings... Simon Winchester's effortlessly clear, spare prose is the perfect vehicle for the tale... absolutely riveting.   The Economist An extraordinary tale. . .a splendid book.

Recent Reader Reviews

Rated of 5 by Elizabeth
Very Interesting
This book is excellent for any word lover, but is a bit stilted and detailed. It was very clever how the author put a page from the dictionary as the beginning of each chapter and the subject of that chapter dealt with the word. From...   Read More

Rated of 5 by Sam
Staying Power
It's a relatively small book, appealing and lackluster simultaneously. You will never forget the mechanics of how the OED was created, you will ruminate endlessly regarding the innovations of a madman, and you will be glad you read the...   Read More

Rated of 5 by Millie
The Surgeon of Crowthorne
I was fascinated from the first page. In 1978 I treated myself to a complete set of the OED (13 volumes) and have used it ever since and have always been amazed at the wealth of information for every word including the first instance of its use...   Read More

Rated of 5 by eliendriel
Who Knew the Dictionary Could be So Much Fun?
I read this book on a whim, and could not put it down. If you liked the style of "Manhunt," or "Devil in the White City," then you'll love this book. The author takes the historical development of the Oxford English Dictionary, focuses the...   Read More

Rated of 5 by CHizy
the professor and the mad man
This book sucks. it talks too much about stuff that is unrelated to the story of the two protagonists. there are times when it goes off topic so far that the reader forgets what the main point or the plot is. I do not recommend this book to...   Read More

Rated of 5 by Mike H
An excellently written account of the making of the OED and the lives of Dr. Murray and Dr. Minor. Some criticize the book for being too simple at times, overly-exaggerated, or boring. However, a book about the dictionary and the characters...   Read More

...6 More Reader Reviews

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