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An Admirable Point: A Brief History of the Exclamation Mark!
The history of the both loved and hated punctuation mark—from Beowulf to spam emails, ee cummings to neuroscience.
Few punctuation marks elicit quite as much love or hate as the exclamation mark. It's bubbly and exuberant, an emotional amplifier whose flamboyantly dramatic gesture lets the reader here be feelings! Scott Fitzgerald famously stated exclamation marks are like laughing at your own joke; Terry Pratchett had a character say that multiple !!! are a 'sure sign of a diseased mind'. So what's the deal with ! ?
An Admirable Point recuperates the exclamation mark from its much maligned place at the bottom of the punctuation hierarchy. It explores how ! came about in the first place some six hundred years ago, and uncovers the many ways in which ! has left its mark on art, literature, (pop) culture, and just about any sphere of human activity.
Whether you think it's over-used, or enthusiastically sprinkle your writing with it, ! is inescapable.
176 pages, Paperback
First published November 3, 2022
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189 people want to read
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November 28, 2022Despite being brief, this was too long. The excellent Semicolon: The Past, Present, and Future of a Misunderstood Mark uses a single punctuation mark as the springboard for a really interesting read, so I was hoping for similar here, but this is very repetitive, doesn't go deep, and basically lacks sufficient material: it would have made a good article. Possibly the exclamation mark is just duller than the semicolon.
There's a couple of good examples of use, like the end of this excellent translation of Beowulf. A deep dive into why right-wing politicians lean in to the exclamation mark far more than left wingers (especially Trump, God help us) has potential, but it doesn't really come together as a thesis. And, I regret, the authorial/editorial decision to have lots and lots of exclamatory statements in praise of the exclamation mark ends up vindicating the many quotes begging writers not to use it.
There's a couple of good examples of use, like the end of this excellent translation of Beowulf. A deep dive into why right-wing politicians lean in to the exclamation mark far more than left wingers (especially Trump, God help us) has potential, but it doesn't really come together as a thesis. And, I regret, the authorial/editorial decision to have lots and lots of exclamatory statements in praise of the exclamation mark ends up vindicating the many quotes begging writers not to use it.
February 25, 2023
I’m definitely a punctuation geek. (My favourite punctuation mark is the semicolon, and there’s a book about it, too: Semicolon: The Past, Present, and Future of a Misunderstood Mark by Cecelia Watson, which I have on my Kindle.) One might think that strings of exclamation points are a pretty new thing – rounding off phrases in (ex-)presidential tweets, for instance – but, in fact, Hazrat opens with a Boston Gazette headline from 1788 that decried “CORRUPTION AND BRIBERY!!!” in relation to the adoption of the new Constitution.
The exclamation mark as we know it has been around since 1399, and by the 16th century its use for expression and emphasis had been codified. I was reminded of Gretchen McCulloch’s discussion of emoji in Because Internet, which also considers how written speech signifies tone, especially in the digital age. There have been various proposals for other “intonation points” over the centuries, but the question mark and exclamation mark are the two that have stuck. (Though I’m currently listening to an album called interrobang – ‽, that is. Invented by Martin Speckter in 1962; recorded by Switchfoot in 2021.)
I most enjoyed Chapter 3, on punctuation in literature. Jane Austen’s original manuscripts, replete with dashes, ampersands and exclamation points, were tidied up considerably before they made it into book form. She’s literature’s third most liberal user of exclamation marks, in terms of the number per 100,000 words, according to a chart Ben Blatt drew up in 2017, topped only by Tom Wolfe and James Joyce.
There are also sections on the use of exclamation points in propaganda and political campaigns – in conjunction with fonts, which brought to mind Simon Garfield’s Just My Type and the graphic novel ABC of Typography. It might seem to have a niche subject, but at just over 150 pages this is a cheery and diverting read for word nerds.
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
The exclamation mark as we know it has been around since 1399, and by the 16th century its use for expression and emphasis had been codified. I was reminded of Gretchen McCulloch’s discussion of emoji in Because Internet, which also considers how written speech signifies tone, especially in the digital age. There have been various proposals for other “intonation points” over the centuries, but the question mark and exclamation mark are the two that have stuck. (Though I’m currently listening to an album called interrobang – ‽, that is. Invented by Martin Speckter in 1962; recorded by Switchfoot in 2021.)
I most enjoyed Chapter 3, on punctuation in literature. Jane Austen’s original manuscripts, replete with dashes, ampersands and exclamation points, were tidied up considerably before they made it into book form. She’s literature’s third most liberal user of exclamation marks, in terms of the number per 100,000 words, according to a chart Ben Blatt drew up in 2017, topped only by Tom Wolfe and James Joyce.
There are also sections on the use of exclamation points in propaganda and political campaigns – in conjunction with fonts, which brought to mind Simon Garfield’s Just My Type and the graphic novel ABC of Typography. It might seem to have a niche subject, but at just over 150 pages this is a cheery and diverting read for word nerds.
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
November 11, 2022
In her brief history of the exclamation mark, Florence Hazrat takes us on a fascinating journey from its invention in the fourteenth century to the present age. Why did the exclamation mark "make it", whereas other typographic experiments (hate point, sarcmark, interrobang, etc.) didn't? What happens in our brains when we see an exclamation mark? Who put the exclamation mark into the great works of Shakespeare and Jane Austen - the authors themselves, the editor, or the printer? And how have social media changed the status and function of the exlamation mark?
In giving fresh and often surprising answers to these and other questions, the author's deep knowledge of her subject matter and thorough research are evident throughout. However, Florence Hazrat wears her learning lightly and addresses a wide readership. This book is simply too enjoyable and readable to gather dust in in the recesses of a university library. Whether you are a budding writer, simply curious about the history of language and writing, or wondering whether you should or shouldn't use exclamation marks in your emails, one thing is certain: you will never look at the exclamation mark in the same way again!
In giving fresh and often surprising answers to these and other questions, the author's deep knowledge of her subject matter and thorough research are evident throughout. However, Florence Hazrat wears her learning lightly and addresses a wide readership. This book is simply too enjoyable and readable to gather dust in in the recesses of a university library. Whether you are a budding writer, simply curious about the history of language and writing, or wondering whether you should or shouldn't use exclamation marks in your emails, one thing is certain: you will never look at the exclamation mark in the same way again!
May 12, 2023
I love both history and language, so this should have been a home run, but it's not well written or organized or even very interesting.
DNF
DNF
February 2, 2025
I wasn't quite certain what to expect from Florence Hazrat's An Admirable Point ! A Brief History of the Exclamation Mark! but, having some interest in the history of the English language and actually enjoying the study of its structure and grammatical forms, I thought the book worthy of exploration—and I'm pleased that I did. Beyond the creation, use, and variable popularity of the exclamation mark (or exclamation point if one prefers), Hazrat's discussion encompasses a bit of the history and use of other punctuation as well and is rather rich in visual images that enhance the text.
The author reminds her readers that, until changing social norms generated a plethora of grammar rule books beginning around 250 years ago, such niceties as punctuation were largely at the discretion of writers and practices varied widely. She even cites the origin (a single grammarian) of such rules as not splitting infinitives and not ending sentences with prepositions. At this point, one may ask, “Does anyone really care?” All I can say by way of answer is that I'm one language nerd who finds this sort of revelation curiously fascinating.
While this book is a relatively serious look at the creation and evolution of punctuation in written English, Hazrat is not above interjecting some levity here and there. In a brief discussion of the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf, her rather tongue-in-cheek description of Grendel's mother as “a middle-aged stay-at-home mom who goes berserk and shows herself to be a formidable foe to a dashing young warrior” is likely to stay with me for quite some time. I must admit that reading that was a LOL moment (and, yes, Hazrat does include “cyberspeak” in her linguistic exploration).
One of Hazrat's points that I found quite illuminating and had never really thought about before, is that, with few exceptions, what we read in print is not necessarily what an author submitted in manuscript to a publisher, at least as far as punctuation is concerned. In fact, she states that many authors pay little if any attention to punctuation, leaving such to the discretion of proofreaders and publishers, even though punctuation can often determine how we interpret a text or how an actor speaks in a dramatic production.
Now I must show myself as a bit of a hypocrite. Having noted that the prescriptive grammar rules that we were taught in school (at least during my public school years) are merely two to three centuries old and did not exist during most of English's history, I'm nonetheless bothered by encountering violations of those rules in print. On page 81, Hazrat writes, “The question of whether an author themselves inserted !s in their texts or not is a pertinent one.” The word author is singular and may not be followed by plural pronouns such as themselves and their. Just as my senses were recovering from those pronoun-antecedent gaffes, page 94 struck me with a comma splice error: “Vivian does not follow her teacher's advice to do like Donne and live a little, instead she dedicates her life to scholarship. . . .” That comma should be at least a semicolon, not a comma!
How does calling out those grammatical errors make me a hypocrite? Even while shuddering from such usage, I do recognize the accuracy and applicability of Hazrat's observations on page 159: “Grammar rules are not eternal or universal. They are historical, serving us at the moment with the particular technology at our disposal for a particular purpose. We outgrow them like clothes, and then we replace them. . . . [I]t is foolish to impose inauthentic structures on living linguistic realities.” If we accept these observations, as I think we must, then we should ignore my comments in the previous paragraph (or else assume that my tongue was somewhat cheekbound).
Overall, I found Hazrat's book interesting, informative, and occasionally humorous. It is short at only 162 pages (ignoring the peritext of acknowledgments and index), and I believe that all good language nerds will enjoy their time spent with it.
The author reminds her readers that, until changing social norms generated a plethora of grammar rule books beginning around 250 years ago, such niceties as punctuation were largely at the discretion of writers and practices varied widely. She even cites the origin (a single grammarian) of such rules as not splitting infinitives and not ending sentences with prepositions. At this point, one may ask, “Does anyone really care?” All I can say by way of answer is that I'm one language nerd who finds this sort of revelation curiously fascinating.
While this book is a relatively serious look at the creation and evolution of punctuation in written English, Hazrat is not above interjecting some levity here and there. In a brief discussion of the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf, her rather tongue-in-cheek description of Grendel's mother as “a middle-aged stay-at-home mom who goes berserk and shows herself to be a formidable foe to a dashing young warrior” is likely to stay with me for quite some time. I must admit that reading that was a LOL moment (and, yes, Hazrat does include “cyberspeak” in her linguistic exploration).
One of Hazrat's points that I found quite illuminating and had never really thought about before, is that, with few exceptions, what we read in print is not necessarily what an author submitted in manuscript to a publisher, at least as far as punctuation is concerned. In fact, she states that many authors pay little if any attention to punctuation, leaving such to the discretion of proofreaders and publishers, even though punctuation can often determine how we interpret a text or how an actor speaks in a dramatic production.
Now I must show myself as a bit of a hypocrite. Having noted that the prescriptive grammar rules that we were taught in school (at least during my public school years) are merely two to three centuries old and did not exist during most of English's history, I'm nonetheless bothered by encountering violations of those rules in print. On page 81, Hazrat writes, “The question of whether an author themselves inserted !s in their texts or not is a pertinent one.” The word author is singular and may not be followed by plural pronouns such as themselves and their. Just as my senses were recovering from those pronoun-antecedent gaffes, page 94 struck me with a comma splice error: “Vivian does not follow her teacher's advice to do like Donne and live a little, instead she dedicates her life to scholarship. . . .” That comma should be at least a semicolon, not a comma!
How does calling out those grammatical errors make me a hypocrite? Even while shuddering from such usage, I do recognize the accuracy and applicability of Hazrat's observations on page 159: “Grammar rules are not eternal or universal. They are historical, serving us at the moment with the particular technology at our disposal for a particular purpose. We outgrow them like clothes, and then we replace them. . . . [I]t is foolish to impose inauthentic structures on living linguistic realities.” If we accept these observations, as I think we must, then we should ignore my comments in the previous paragraph (or else assume that my tongue was somewhat cheekbound).
Overall, I found Hazrat's book interesting, informative, and occasionally humorous. It is short at only 162 pages (ignoring the peritext of acknowledgments and index), and I believe that all good language nerds will enjoy their time spent with it.
September 20, 2023
Today's nonfiction post is on An Admirable Point: A Brief History of the Exclamation Mark! by Florence Hazrat. It is 176 pages long and is published by David R. Godine, Publisher. The cover is bright yellow with a purple exclamation mark in the center and the title on either side. The intended reader is someone who is interested in the history of punctuation. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.
From the dust jacket- The history of the both loved and hated punctuation mark—from Beowulf to spam emails, ee cummings to neuroscience.
Few punctuation marks elicit quite as much love or hate as the exclamation mark. It's bubbly and exuberant, an emotional amplifier whose flamboyantly dramatic gesture lets the reader here be feelings! Scott Fitzgerald famously stated exclamation marks are like laughing at your own joke; Terry Pratchett had a character say that multiple !!! are a 'sure sign of a diseased mind'. So what's the deal with ! ?
An Admirable Point recuperates the exclamation mark from its much maligned place at the bottom of the punctuation hierarchy. It explores how ! came about in the first place some six hundred years ago, and uncovers the many ways in which ! has left its mark on art, literature, (pop) culture, and just about any sphere of human activity.
Whether you think it's over-used, or enthusiastically sprinkle your writing with it, ! is inescapable.
Review- This is a very fun book about the history of the exclamation mark. The mark has many names from The screamer to the Bang, has the mark jumps out at the reader from the page. The Bang is not as old as most punctuation but it has a more tumultuous history. From being called as unneeded and unwanted to being seen as a rude mark, the Bang has quite a history. The writing is very good with lots of humor about the subject and how passionate people have gotten about a mark on paper, not even the words, just the mark itself. The research is solid with good notes at the back. Hazrat clearly has great love for punctuation and the Bang in particular. I hope that she writes another book because I really enjoyed this one.
I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.
From the dust jacket- The history of the both loved and hated punctuation mark—from Beowulf to spam emails, ee cummings to neuroscience.
Few punctuation marks elicit quite as much love or hate as the exclamation mark. It's bubbly and exuberant, an emotional amplifier whose flamboyantly dramatic gesture lets the reader here be feelings! Scott Fitzgerald famously stated exclamation marks are like laughing at your own joke; Terry Pratchett had a character say that multiple !!! are a 'sure sign of a diseased mind'. So what's the deal with ! ?
An Admirable Point recuperates the exclamation mark from its much maligned place at the bottom of the punctuation hierarchy. It explores how ! came about in the first place some six hundred years ago, and uncovers the many ways in which ! has left its mark on art, literature, (pop) culture, and just about any sphere of human activity.
Whether you think it's over-used, or enthusiastically sprinkle your writing with it, ! is inescapable.
Review- This is a very fun book about the history of the exclamation mark. The mark has many names from The screamer to the Bang, has the mark jumps out at the reader from the page. The Bang is not as old as most punctuation but it has a more tumultuous history. From being called as unneeded and unwanted to being seen as a rude mark, the Bang has quite a history. The writing is very good with lots of humor about the subject and how passionate people have gotten about a mark on paper, not even the words, just the mark itself. The research is solid with good notes at the back. Hazrat clearly has great love for punctuation and the Bang in particular. I hope that she writes another book because I really enjoyed this one.
I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.
April 2, 2023
A history of the exclamation point!
Hazrat starts by explaining that what we in America refer to as an "exclamation point", is called an "exclamation mark" in England. It is a relative newcomer in punctuation. Our current punctuation, , and . and ? and : and ; and " evolved between 1400 and 1600. The ! did not become popular until the 1700s.
It has always been controversial. Traditionalists have always argued that good writing doesn't need a mode indicator to get across its meaning. The ! has always been considered to be lazy writing by some.
Hazrat has a more nuanced view. She agrees it can be overused, but she argues that properly used in the correct context, it is a valuable tool. She argues that it is very valuable in recreating the rhythm and feel of spoken words and she criticizes editors who take !s out when they have value. Jane Austen had the ! edited out of her manuscript.
Of course, they can be misused. Republicans are three to six times more likely than Democrats to use !s in their tweets. Our newly indicted former President is notorious for writing and speaking in all caps with !s.
Advertisement is a natural home for the exclamation point. She has a good review, particularly of political advertisement using hte !.
I was very interested in the arguments about whether it was appropriate to use the ! when translating ancient literature like Homer, cicero or Beowulf. They were written before the ! existed. Hazrat has an interesting discussion of the controversy about the use of ! in Beowulf translations. (My own feeling is that it is, in great part, an adventure story and, therefore the !s make perfect sense.
This is an admirably short book. Hazrat covers a wide territory without being tedious. It is a serious piece of scholarship, but she is a stylish writer who seems to be enjoying herself wandering around the peculiar subject she selected. Excellent!
Hazrat starts by explaining that what we in America refer to as an "exclamation point", is called an "exclamation mark" in England. It is a relative newcomer in punctuation. Our current punctuation, , and . and ? and : and ; and " evolved between 1400 and 1600. The ! did not become popular until the 1700s.
It has always been controversial. Traditionalists have always argued that good writing doesn't need a mode indicator to get across its meaning. The ! has always been considered to be lazy writing by some.
Hazrat has a more nuanced view. She agrees it can be overused, but she argues that properly used in the correct context, it is a valuable tool. She argues that it is very valuable in recreating the rhythm and feel of spoken words and she criticizes editors who take !s out when they have value. Jane Austen had the ! edited out of her manuscript.
Of course, they can be misused. Republicans are three to six times more likely than Democrats to use !s in their tweets. Our newly indicted former President is notorious for writing and speaking in all caps with !s.
Advertisement is a natural home for the exclamation point. She has a good review, particularly of political advertisement using hte !.
I was very interested in the arguments about whether it was appropriate to use the ! when translating ancient literature like Homer, cicero or Beowulf. They were written before the ! existed. Hazrat has an interesting discussion of the controversy about the use of ! in Beowulf translations. (My own feeling is that it is, in great part, an adventure story and, therefore the !s make perfect sense.
This is an admirably short book. Hazrat covers a wide territory without being tedious. It is a serious piece of scholarship, but she is a stylish writer who seems to be enjoying herself wandering around the peculiar subject she selected. Excellent!
April 14, 2025
I picked this one up off the library suggestion shelf on a whim—and I’m so glad I did. It's a charming, fast-paced read, perfect for a cozy, rainy Saturday when you're in the mood to be delighted and informed.
For those of us who instinctively reach for the exclamation point—then immediately second-guess it, haunted by the fear that it makes us sound unserious or overly eager—this is the punctuation support book you need to face your punctuation haters with the confidence that only comes from being completely overeducated about a subject.
Turns out, the debate over the exclamation point isn’t new. We’ve had punctuation sticklers and enthusiasts duking it out since Shakespeare’s day. One thing I loved learning: typesetters used to have a massive influence over how punctuation appeared in print. Fun example where you can use the comma and punctuation used in old books so see where one typesetter took a break and another (more punctual) typesetter took over.
Some gems I walked away with:
The exclamation point and the question mark were often confused or even swapped back in the day. They both aimed to help readers interpret tone, emotion, and rhythm.
People have proposed all kinds of punctuation marks over the years—ones for irony, fear, and more. Honestly? I’d love to bring some of them back. There’s something wonderfully human about trying to add nuance with squiggles and dots.
There’s a brief bit about the semicolon: described as a pause longer than a comma but not quite a full sentence break. Even the greats disagree on how and when to use it—which I find oddly comforting. ; will be making its way back into my life.
No mention of the reddit coded /s to note sarcasm - maybe fodder for the second printing?
The writing itself is just lovely—there are a few sentences so well-crafted I had to stop and reread them, just to enjoy the style and smarts
I’d absolutely pick up another book by this author, and I’m excited to check out her podcast too.
For those of us who instinctively reach for the exclamation point—then immediately second-guess it, haunted by the fear that it makes us sound unserious or overly eager—this is the punctuation support book you need to face your punctuation haters with the confidence that only comes from being completely overeducated about a subject.
Turns out, the debate over the exclamation point isn’t new. We’ve had punctuation sticklers and enthusiasts duking it out since Shakespeare’s day. One thing I loved learning: typesetters used to have a massive influence over how punctuation appeared in print. Fun example where you can use the comma and punctuation used in old books so see where one typesetter took a break and another (more punctual) typesetter took over.
Some gems I walked away with:
The exclamation point and the question mark were often confused or even swapped back in the day. They both aimed to help readers interpret tone, emotion, and rhythm.
People have proposed all kinds of punctuation marks over the years—ones for irony, fear, and more. Honestly? I’d love to bring some of them back. There’s something wonderfully human about trying to add nuance with squiggles and dots.
There’s a brief bit about the semicolon: described as a pause longer than a comma but not quite a full sentence break. Even the greats disagree on how and when to use it—which I find oddly comforting. ; will be making its way back into my life.
No mention of the reddit coded /s to note sarcasm - maybe fodder for the second printing?
The writing itself is just lovely—there are a few sentences so well-crafted I had to stop and reread them, just to enjoy the style and smarts
I’d absolutely pick up another book by this author, and I’m excited to check out her podcast too.
March 19, 2024
Unterhaltsam, aber!
**** Worum geht es? ****
Wie kann ein Satzzeichen eigentlich rebellisch sein? Das Ausrufezeichen kämpft schon seit Jahrhunderten um seinen Platz unter den Satzzeichen. Warum wurde dieser regelmäßig angezweifelt und welchen Stand hat es heute? Eine Reise durch die Geschichte des Ausrufezeichens.
**** Mein Eindruck ****
Das Buch hat eine Vielzahl an Fakten zusammengetragen rund um die Geschichte und die Bedeutung eines einzelnen Satzzeichens. Dies zu verfolgen war für mich nicht nur informativ, sondern auch sehr unterhaltend. Die Bilder lockerten den Text angenehm auf. Während des Lesens fragte ich mich allerdings immer wieder, ob es sich hierbei um eine Ansammlung von Wissen oder einer in sich konsistenten Sacherzählung handelt. Ich konnte keinen stringenten Erzählstrang erkennen, teils kam es zu zeitlichen Sprüngen und inhaltlichen Wiederholungen. Schon zu Beginn sprang ich mit einem Beispiel in das Buch, motivierende Sätze oder gar eine Einführung suchte ich vergeblich. Auch die einzelnen Kapitel werden nicht motiviert: die Themenzugehörigkeit, bzw. der Kontext bleiben unklar und so fühlte sich für mich manches als ausschweifend an. Einige Aussagen weisen ein starkes Meinungsbild auf, sodass ich als Lesende nicht unterscheiden konnte, was eine persönliche Meinung oder eben eine wissenschaftliche oder historisch fundierte Aussage ist. Am Ende kann man das Buch aber auch weniger ernst nehmen und sich einfach unterhalten fühlen. Dieser Teil ist äußerst gut gelungen und lohnt es zu entdecken.
**** Empfehlung? ****
Ist man auf der Suche nach einem fundierten Sachbuch ist die Trennung von dem Meinungsbild mit viel Arbeit verbunden. Sucht man ein unterhaltendes und teils historisch interessantes Buch, kann man viel Freude erleben. So oder so lernt man bestimmt etwas dazu!
**** Worum geht es? ****
Wie kann ein Satzzeichen eigentlich rebellisch sein? Das Ausrufezeichen kämpft schon seit Jahrhunderten um seinen Platz unter den Satzzeichen. Warum wurde dieser regelmäßig angezweifelt und welchen Stand hat es heute? Eine Reise durch die Geschichte des Ausrufezeichens.
**** Mein Eindruck ****
Das Buch hat eine Vielzahl an Fakten zusammengetragen rund um die Geschichte und die Bedeutung eines einzelnen Satzzeichens. Dies zu verfolgen war für mich nicht nur informativ, sondern auch sehr unterhaltend. Die Bilder lockerten den Text angenehm auf. Während des Lesens fragte ich mich allerdings immer wieder, ob es sich hierbei um eine Ansammlung von Wissen oder einer in sich konsistenten Sacherzählung handelt. Ich konnte keinen stringenten Erzählstrang erkennen, teils kam es zu zeitlichen Sprüngen und inhaltlichen Wiederholungen. Schon zu Beginn sprang ich mit einem Beispiel in das Buch, motivierende Sätze oder gar eine Einführung suchte ich vergeblich. Auch die einzelnen Kapitel werden nicht motiviert: die Themenzugehörigkeit, bzw. der Kontext bleiben unklar und so fühlte sich für mich manches als ausschweifend an. Einige Aussagen weisen ein starkes Meinungsbild auf, sodass ich als Lesende nicht unterscheiden konnte, was eine persönliche Meinung oder eben eine wissenschaftliche oder historisch fundierte Aussage ist. Am Ende kann man das Buch aber auch weniger ernst nehmen und sich einfach unterhalten fühlen. Dieser Teil ist äußerst gut gelungen und lohnt es zu entdecken.
**** Empfehlung? ****
Ist man auf der Suche nach einem fundierten Sachbuch ist die Trennung von dem Meinungsbild mit viel Arbeit verbunden. Sucht man ein unterhaltendes und teils historisch interessantes Buch, kann man viel Freude erleben. So oder so lernt man bestimmt etwas dazu!
November 9, 2022
I thought a book about punctuation would be boring, but was pleasantly surprised! This is a fun read about the life and times of the exclamation mark. It's full of weird and amusing anecdotes for example how Jane Austen actually used lots of exclamation marks, but how they disappeared when her books were printed.
This books tells us where the exclamation mark came from, and why it was invented, and goes up to today, how it made a come-back on social media (Twitter and Trump mostly). There's exclamation marks in art, in political slogans, or what happens in our brain when we see one. The author also tackles prejudices against the mark, for example that people think it's childish or unnecessary.
I didn't know there were so many exclamation marks around us and feel so much better now using them!!!
This books tells us where the exclamation mark came from, and why it was invented, and goes up to today, how it made a come-back on social media (Twitter and Trump mostly). There's exclamation marks in art, in political slogans, or what happens in our brain when we see one. The author also tackles prejudices against the mark, for example that people think it's childish or unnecessary.
I didn't know there were so many exclamation marks around us and feel so much better now using them!!!
December 3, 2023
Normally, I adore witty non-fiction books like this. But on page 11, there was an unnecessary dig at GenZ. It really stuck out because I HATE generational stereotypes, but I continued. A little further in, the author mentions typewriters having no "!" key, forcing writers to type an apostrophe, backspace, and type a period under it. And then she leaps to smartphones ringing in the true renaissance of the exclamation point.
But there's a whole lot of history between the end of the typewriter era and the beginning of the smartphone one, mainly the entire rise of the word processor and the keyboard-based Internet. What about the usage of ! in programming, for example. Once I got to the Donald Trump word cloud, the stars disappeared from my rating, leaving me at the sad 2-star "it's okay" mark.
But there's a whole lot of history between the end of the typewriter era and the beginning of the smartphone one, mainly the entire rise of the word processor and the keyboard-based Internet. What about the usage of ! in programming, for example. Once I got to the Donald Trump word cloud, the stars disappeared from my rating, leaving me at the sad 2-star "it's okay" mark.
August 2, 2023
This was a really great wee read that definitely got me out of my reading slump! It tells the story of the exclamation mark from its invention by an Italian writer to its modern use on Twitter and in books. I really liked how many references the author made to modern and ancient literature - as well as pop culture - to explain her points. The language in this book also used enough linguistics terms to be a really fascinating deep dive but not too many that I was confused and bored. Overall, a really interesting read! :)
December 21, 2023
This book was just ok. It’s a collection of essays about the exclamation mark but they did not feel particularly cohesive or thoughtfully sequenced. Some essays were interesting and others felt like they weren’t really saying anything. A decision was also made to use a bold exclamation mark in place of the words most times, which actually made the book harder to read because my brain was reading it as punctuation rather than the subject of the sentence - a very stilted reading experience! 2.5 stars
August 7, 2023
This was actually better than you’d (or I’d) expect. This was my slim “suitcase appropriate” before bed book while traveling- it was meant to put me to sleep. But I found it pretty interesting to learn the history of this and other types of punctuation. I’m an English teacher, so I guess it figures.
July 28, 2025
This was fun, and not too in-depth. I appreciated the fact that it addressed the whole sort of snobby attitude about ! (which was how the exclamation point/mark was often called in the book) being unprofessional, or just generally uncool. I use a lot of them, so it was good to be reassured that I'm not an overly emotional ("hysterical") person for using them.
Perfect!
Perfect!
June 17, 2023
Aside from briefly falling into the academic trend of gendering or queering its subject (punctuation!!), this is excellent, particularly the chapter on the history of the ! and Trump's usage of it. Well done to the author for spinning this out to book length.
October 10, 2023
I feel strangely violated after reading this book. It’s not so much a history of the exclamation mark as a shocking expose of obscure pop culture and exclamation mark-adjacent experiments in advertising. I was hoping for something more substantial, I guess. And all of those !!!!!! hurt my head.
January 12, 2024
A great starting point from which to examine society & language.
Appeals: grammar, linguistics, microhistories
diversity representation (gender, class, race, sexuality) in An Admirable Point are thematic (gender) and incidental (class, race, sexuality)
Appeals: grammar, linguistics, microhistories
diversity representation (gender, class, race, sexuality) in An Admirable Point are thematic (gender) and incidental (class, race, sexuality)
June 11, 2024
The book is beautifully written; it is worth reading just for its poetic tone.
Unfortunately, I seem to be a little bit impatient for its debauchery and digressions.
A major flaw - especially for a book that covers typography - is the chosen font which is strenuous to read in the long run.
Unfortunately, I seem to be a little bit impatient for its debauchery and digressions.
A major flaw - especially for a book that covers typography - is the chosen font which is strenuous to read in the long run.
November 15, 2022
A story of, and through the exclamation mark. Highly amusing, most interesting, thoroughly informative, and surely recommended.
April 14, 2023
Initially thought this book might not for me with all the photos and images in the introduction but then it really grew on me. Worth a look 📚
18.48
18.48
June 9, 2023
Drier, more focused on history, and way more Trump than I would’ve cared to read about.
dnf
October 16, 2023Dnf @ 30%
July 6, 2025
Perhaps I came into this book with the wrong expectations, but the book felt like a disjointed smattering of trivia about the exclamation point. I feel as though the book lacked a core ethos and said very little. If you want a bunch of facts about exclamation points, you will find them in this book. There's nothing to really grasp your attention and make you care more than however much you cared about exclamation points before you started reading.
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