There is much to learn in this short collection of collective nouns, of how they were used by the nobility in medieval times to categorise animals to hunt, or even colloquially in medieval times to describe certain groups of people with distinct attributes, separating the noble born from peasants There are small sections in each entry charting the evolution of the nouns later and sometimes up until the present, showing you comparative differences in their use.

An Unkindness of Ravens gave me a picture of medieval life and its customs, and its similarities and differences to the present. Beyond that it held a quirky branch of knowledge every time I dipped in to read the entries.

Not all of the book can be read with enjoyment from start to finish as some entries weren’t as immediately interesting as others – in some senses the book can be of more use as a dictionary.

Still, much enjoyment was had in the novelty of reading the nouns, and there is a high chance I’ll have much fun revisiting the book.