Book Review: Shady Characters by Keith Houston
Shady Characters by Keith Houston is, simply put, a fun read. Short and succinct, the 244 pages ensures that no section feels “too long”, nor did I ever feel “bogged down” in historical details or highly technical writing. Houston’s writing style is playful and easy to follow along, apt for a title as intriguing as Shady Characters. ¶ The book covers punctuation in a way that most of us non-linguaphiles, have never seen—or even thought of—before. Each section/chapter covers a different “shady character” of a punctuation mark and, quite literally, marks its history and use through time. And there is a surprising amount of rises and falls equated with each symbol. Who knew the world of typography could be so dramatic ‽ ¶ There are a few symbols that you likely haven’t heard of also covered in the book, showing a modern example of how punctuation marks can fade into obscurity. It’s a reminder that the punctuation we use today with reckless abandon* hasn’t always been this way and...