Love, Death, Madness, and the Creation of Roget's Thesaurus
by Joshua Kendall
Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Mar 2008
304 pages
Genre: Biography/Memoir
Publication Information
Peter Mark Roget - polymath, eccentric, synonym aficionado - was a complicated man. He was an eminent scholar who absorbed himself in his work, yet he also possessed an allure that endeared him to his mentors and colleagues - not to mention a host of female admirers. But, most notably, Roget made lists.
From the age of eight, he kept these lists with the intention of ordering the chaotic world around him. After his father's death, his mother became, at once, overbearing and despondent. Soon, his sister would also descend into mental illness. Despite these tragedies, Roget lived a colorful life full of unexpected twists and discoveries - including narrowly avoiding jail in Napoleon's France, assisting famed physician Thomas Beddoes by personally testing the effects of laughing gas, and inventing the slide rule.
'Although Roget is a tantalizing subject, Kendall never lights the necessary spark to make the legendary wordsmith come alive." - Publishers Weekly.
"The earlier part of Roget's 90 years is emphasized, including narrative and quotations to portray his family life, developing interest in language and science, and early efforts to categorize his learning. Another recent biography by Nick Rennison (Pocket Essentials, 2007) generally illumines Roget's scholarly background instead of the personal theme." - Library Journal.
"Kendall’s style is plain and sensible; he gets the job done with sympathy and speed, occasionally entertaining the reader with a novelistic flourish." - New York Times.
"As for Kendall's own book, it is well-written and persuasive but largely devoid of narrative tension. It ought to build toward the climactic event of Roget's life, the publication of the Thesaurus, but that arrives almost as an afterthought and is given only a few perfunctory pages." - The Washington Post.
"The Man Who Made Lists is brisk and vivid, with Kendall coloring between the lines left by history. " - Los Angeles Times.
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