Two Books, Two Voices, One Connection.
One of my favourite things to do in KL is to visit the Kuala Lumpur Library, located at the picturesque Dataran Merdeka. While the books on their shelves are a mix of old and new, there’s always a chance of finding hidden gems, like the two books above.
In my mission to borrow books that I wouldn’t find in popular bookshops, I discovered these two books – Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries by Kory Stamper and Dear Fahrenheit 451: A Librarian’s Love Letters and Break-Up Notes to Her Books by Annie Spence.
In Dear Fahrenheit 451, Annie Spence uses a unique format of writing love and break-up letters to the books she has encountered. Inspired by her approach, I decided to write a double book review in the same style.
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Hello, Dear Fahrenheit 451 & Word by Word,
I know it’s a little weird writing a review of both of you together, but it makes sense when you think about it. One is about a librarian’s love and break-up letters to selected books, and the other is a lexicographer sharing her thoughts, opinions, and experiences about how words make it into the dictionary.
Once I finished reading the first and went on to the second, I realised that you’re both equally informative, entertaining, and wonderfully nerdy.
Both of your authors love words. Annie loves books like they are people, and she is not shy to show her true feelings – whether it’s giving them hugs or saying her goodbyes. Kory is a true-blue wordaholic – obsessed with words and her desire to make sure every word, even a word like irregardless, is defined the best way possible. Bottom line: they both have a deep passion for the written word.
Also, I can’t remember how many times I laughed when reading you both. Annie writes like she’s having a chat with a friend. Casual, cool, so funny! Kory’s humour, on the other hand, is a little dry and deep, and she has a way of making even the most technical words sound fun.
Going beyond their day jobs as a librarian and a lexicographer, both authors show their love for words through their everyday lives. Annie takes us along as she sorts through the books she wants to keep or weed out from the shelves. Kory gives us a glimpse into how she got the job and her daily adventures at the quiet yet fascinating Merriam-Webster office.
The best part? You had me at the prefaces. Yes, right from the beginning. Whether I was reading Dear Fahrenheit 451 or Word by Word, it was easy to connect with both. It just shows that words – whether in stories or in dictionaries, can change how we see the world, through both storytelling and knowledge.
I have to confess, after reading both of you, two thoughts came to mind. The first was, “Why didn’t I think of writing letters to books when I was a librarian?” Yes, Dear Fahrenheit, I’m talking about you. The second was, if I had known about the role of a lexicographer earlier, I would have at least tried to be a part of the secret life of dictionaries – even if it’s supposedly meant for native speakers only. Still, I would have tried.
In summary, I think you two books are equally special in different ways, and I am glad that I found you among the thousands of books at the KL Library. I shall remember both of you fondly.
Forever your fan,
Anu
anuvenugopal.com 
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