The Describer's Dictionary: A Treasury of Terms & Literary Quotations

by David Grambs and Ellen S. Levine

Book Overview

A singular and indispensable reference tool, The Describer's Dictionary--now expanded and updated--has served for over twenty years as the go-to resource for writers who are determined to capture the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393312658
• ISBN13: 9780393312652
• Release Date: August 1995
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

A Writer's Best Friend

Just the right words to describe the hilt of a sword, a small lively man, the flight of a bird, eluding you? Fret no more gentle writer, help is at hand in the form of The Describer's Dictionary. Recommended for writers at every level by published writers and writing teachers the world over, this indispensable writer's bible should be cosying up to your dictionary & thesaurus on your desk.

Words, Words, Words

This book is easy to use and full of ideas. Love it and use it all the time.

The oldcrowe used book store: bought Describer's Dictionary

The oldcrowe bookstore delivered as stated. A used book in very good condition! I'm happy there are still honest retailers out there.

A Terrific Dictionary and Great Review of Skilled Writing

Gramb's Describer's Dictionary is one of the finest books written about the written word. It's a dictionary, but it is much more than that. It's important to note the subtitle of this book (A Treasury of Terms and Literary Quotations for Readers and Writers) because this subtitle gets to the heart of what makes this book so special.To begin, this dictionary/book lists over 2,000 useful words for describing things, animals, and people to include the following subgroups: shapes, patterns, surface and textures, size, position, relation, proportion, emblems, symbols, light, colors, building structures, terrain and landscape, climate, clouds, species adjectives (e.g., bovine and many many more), types, technical terminology, perceived attractiveness, body types, face, heads, hair, eyes, noses, ears, mouths, lips, teeth, skin coloring, hand, fingers, legs, knees, feet, jaws, walk, voices, necks, mannerisms, general appearance, and more. In other words, this dictionary will help reader, writer, and observer to economically and accurately identify his (or her) surroundings.Just one look at the pages of this book should be enough to hook those who enjoy the art of description.There are some great words in this book (some common, but many underused useful words are listed as well--even the most well-versed will find hundreds of gems in this book), but what really makes this book essential for those interested in accurately (and beautifully) describing their surroundings is Gramb's inclusion of passages from great literature. This gives the reader a real sense for how powerful (and beautiful) words are. Authors on display include Carver, Twain, Cummings, Updike, Baldwin, Percy, Dickens, Melville, Hawthorne, Woolf, Faulkner, Joyce, Orwell, Nabokov, and many more.Those interested in words, description, and great writing will love this book. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

A Must for Writers

One of the best reference works I've come across. This book will give you almost every word from colors, to shapes, to patterns, to terrain, to architecture, to colors, to textures--all of which is supplemented with excellent examples ranging from the classics to such modern writers as Nicholson Baker, proving that not only does Mr. Grambs have good taste, but that he's well read as well.