Fun Times in English Language (Book Review)

B. Maria Kumar, Fun Times in English Language, Indore: Satprakashan Sanchar Kendra, 1991, ISBN 81-85428-14-X, pp. 60.

I expected something really creative from this book which promised fun from the English Language but I was disappointed to find hardly anything that proved to be fun. It seemed like the same old run-of-the-mill stuff. The two forewords to the book spoke highly of it and created a genuine interest in the book but the book itself disappointed.  

The book has seven chapters, each dedicated to a fun component of the language. Thus we find Anagrams, Conundrums, Palindromes, Peculiarities, Spoonerisms, Word Games and Word Squares. The chapter on Anagrams is quite interesting but does not have unfortunately, the capacity for fun. It makes us aware however, of a number of anagrams and invites us to create our own. The chapter on Conundrums is pretty dull and requires an average grasp of English to relish. Palindromes are interesting and create slight amusement. The drawback is that in order to create palindromes the sense of sentences is distorted to the point of becoming nonsensical. The chapter on Peculiarities is a good one as it gives us an opportunity to see how English can be fun. The chapter on Spoonerisms firstly, was an eye-opener to me as I did not know something like it existed in English. Secondly, the chapter is amusing and shows how slight mistakes can change the entire meaning of a sentence. The last two chapters on Word Games and Word Squares were the real clinchers. They provide good ideas for teaching English and helping students build vocabulary.

The book is short and can be finished at a single sitting (which is how I did it). The author has made a good attempt to draw attention to the funny side of the English language. I do not think however, that he did an exceptionally good job.