BOOK REVIEW: The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

It goes without saying that I love to invest in books with lovely prose, and Pip Williams more than delivers in her novel The Dictionary of Lost Words. This novel's historical setting is composed with meticulous thoughtfulness and superb attention to its language.

Overall, reading this book was a lyrical experience, and when I finally pulled my gaze away from the end, I felt a sort of loss in that the reality before my eyes was not half as rich as the one I'd left behind in the pages.

A Note on the Author

Pip Williams is no stranger to writing, though The Dictionary of Lost Words has made for a smashing debut among her impressive accolades and other written works. I would feel remiss, I think, in not taking a moment to recognize the author as the most fundamental voice behind the creation of a book.

My edition also includes an interview with Pip Williams inside a Book Club Guide, which was so insightful to read after absorbing the story. One of my favorite notes from the interview, which I'll expand on further in this post's Critical Analysis, was on her consideration of women's involvement in developing the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). Williams says:

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"I knew nothing about the creation of the OED before reading The Professor and the Madman. That book made me curious about whether words might mean different things to men and women; it made me wonder if it mattered that the English language was being defined by men, from books written mostly by men."

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Williams also denotes shortly thereafter that she was driven to the library, and that the Internet can only take you so far. As someone who spent many years volunteering my local library, this note from Williams earns her brownie points in my book.

Summary

We open the novel in the home of young Esme and her father as he opens her mind to the wonders of language. Esme will grow up without her mother, but instead with a family of lexicographers, collectors of words for the first complete Oxford English Dictionary. The novel sets itself in the thick of the twentieth-century, amidst the clamor of women's suffrage and the exposure of classism in modern English culture. Not only does Esme's journey guide her on a path of self-reflection and coming-of-age, but also a path toward independent thought and bravery. As she grows, Esme realizes that language as she has come to know and identify with it, neglects some of the most impactful words and experiences of not only women, but many of the common folk who she meets. A conflict bubbles first within herself, and then bursts when she takes action to seek the meanings behind these lost words and set them to written record in her own dictionary: the Dictionary of Lost Words.

Critical Analysis

Overview

Perhaps the most impactful thing about this book is not merely its exploration of language, but rather the choices it makes in making language so very much part of human nature and the human body. In fact, Esme's conflict throughout the story is so dependent on her growth as a woman without the presence of a mother, yet with several other female figures who ultimately influence the development of her character. That is to say, as readers we receive the novel in a careful, curious way only because Esme, our eyes and ears, is also absorbing the novel's world through the language surrounding her.

In a way, I adore the romanticized notion that Esme is made of ink (as a character in a novel), and her entire mode of understanding is contained in both Scriptorium ink within the boundaries of the story, but also her entire story is contained in the ink of the novel itself--bound together with paper and glue and entrusted to its dear readers.

The Dictionary of Lost Words strives to give form to the boundlessness of language, which ultimately gives the reader both a relieving stretch of curiosity and a frustrating sense that even all the words in the world may not be able to accomplish all the nuances of humanity. In it, language is given physical embodiment which grants it viscerality and vulnerability. Without such physical foundations, the novel's themes might have become lost in abstraction. As it stands, Pip Williams' debut novel is an exhilarating narrative of historical fiction, purposefully engaging socioeconomic status, women's suffrage, and cultural standards to deliver its depth of character, setting, and theme.

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Deep Dive

I have so much to say about this novel, but Esme's authenticity bleeds into the pages from the very start. The first scene opens on her and her father as he traces her fingers over the letters L-I-L-Y. Lily: a lovely flower. Lily: "like Mamma" (xiii). I wondered, then, if the novel would spend its time defining who Lily was or would have been to Esme. As it happens, we glean a special symbolism here as Esme's father discards Lily's Scriptorium slip and Esme lunges forward to rescue the charring word from the flame. This action results in dots of the ink remaining in her hand. To me, this suggests that from the very beginning, two things remain an integral part of Esme's body: language and her mother.

A word of advice: Keep a dictionary on hand while you read. I was thrilled for the opportunity to learn so many new words. It seems only fitting, of course, that in a story about compiling the first complete Oxford English Dictionary there are new words. Here are just a few of my favorites:

• literata

• hurly-burly

• scapegrace

• doolally

As the story progresses, the dichotomy between women and men truly sets the framework for Esme's internal and external conflict. She seems pulled in two directions, and the uncertainty behind her choices reflects greatly on the expectations of her status as an educated, moderately wealthy woman in twentieth century London. Esme is both fascinated by and wary of the facets of language found among common folk, as being around those in service or poverty enlighten a part of being English that Esme has never before seen. Further, Esme befriends a stunning actress, an activist who proves to be Esme's foil. Perhaps Esme is not quite so bold as to follow her boisterous friend into public protest, but she does seek her own individual rebellion by collecting women's words.

The exigence for Esme's collection of otherwise unrecorded terms initially begins as an effort of rescue. She understands that for one reason or another, some words are not considered viable enough for inclusion in the OED. In a conversation with her father, Esme learns that some words are "just not solid enough," and that if they are only known by speech but not writing, they will likely be discarded. Esme understands that many women never learn to read or write, so how can this be? How can the lexicographers allow all those valuable words to be forgotten simply because no one, no man, has ever recorded them before?

Esme's ascent into young adulthood presents challenges of cultural standards, classism, and scandal. The novel takes a melancholy turn as we journey into adulthood alongside Esme. For me, I even noticed that as the prose grew melancholic, as did my annotations while reading. In fact, there are at least fifty pages, perhaps more, that present hardly any notes at all. This is by no means to suggest that the writing lost its grip or neglected its messaging; rather, I think I simply fell in step with Esme's sense of "loss" or feeling lost in herself.

Naturally, the novel comes with a thrilling cast of characters who act as both windows for Esme's curiosity and support pillars for her as her choices lead to conflicts beyond her means of repair. Dittie is my favorite, a sassy woman who sticks out like a sore thumb in the face of conventionality. She faces the English culture around her and shamelessly chooses the beat of her own drum. Perhaps she does not quite fit in with the notion of motherhood that comes with this novel's thematic structure? Instead, it may be better to suggest that Dittie adds to the novel by standing as a woman who more accurately fits the proud nature of a woman from our time. Analytically, I find that Dittie might be the most relatable "modern" woman in the novel. However, there are certainly several other women who deserve our empathy.

I wonder to whom you will connect the most?

Conclusion

Ultimately, it is my aim in this review to offer a taste of this book's story and characters without overextending into spoilers. Esme's journey is entirely unique, and she serves as a symbol of significant thought-provocation for our ever-shifting world.

If you have also read this book, or intend to, please let me know in the comments! I would love to start a conversation with you about all your favorite words and scenes.

We are left with one final note from author Pip Williams:

"The Dictionary, like the English language, is a work in progress."

Rating

I was completely captivated by this book. It came with me to restaurants, coffee shops, work, bed: literally everywhere until I swallowed up every last word! I was obsessed. The Dictionary of Lost Words is an impeccable debut novel. While annotating this novel, I chose blue highlights and tabs to demarcate new words, and I swiftly ran out of blue tabs. Pip Williams has now become one of my rare they-wrote-it-so-I-must-buy-it authors. I am so in love with her voice and her writing style. Because of this book's rich use of language, close attention to theme, and beautifully unique character development, I've chosen to rate it with 5 stars.