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The Book of Nonexistent Words
How many times have words not been enough?
How many complex feelings don’t have a corresponding noun that properly describes them?
How many times has language left us like an archer without arrows in the labyrinth of our emotions?
Award-winning author Stefano Massini, a master of expression, made a discovery that shot new life into his writing practice. To his surprise he found that the ancient rules of language were not quite as restrictive as he had long envisioned them to be. With so many emotions and states of mind missing modern descriptors and definitions, Massini stumbled across a simple but artistry-altering idea. Instead of compromising honest expression through perfunctory verbiage, he decided language was, if anything, a flowing palette of colors he could use to paint all things. Words are meant to be invented.
To reconfirm his belief in the magic of words, Massini returned to the wondrous mechanism that has fed dictionaries from time immemorial. If he could not find the precise word he wanted, he created one. In this delightful compendium, he introduces his personal vocabulary; every chapter mentions a new word that comes from a story about a real person, from Louis XIV to an American gangster.
The Book of Nonexistent Words is a beautiful collection of linguistic origin stories wrought from the mind of an internationally renowned storytelling icon. Massini effectively liberates our human capacity for using language creatively and shows how we can embrace storytelling to fine tune our way of being in the world. Massini encourages us to be imaginative; if the language in the dictionary cannot adequately match the reality of the here and now, we must create new words that ring true.
How many complex feelings don’t have a corresponding noun that properly describes them?
How many times has language left us like an archer without arrows in the labyrinth of our emotions?
Award-winning author Stefano Massini, a master of expression, made a discovery that shot new life into his writing practice. To his surprise he found that the ancient rules of language were not quite as restrictive as he had long envisioned them to be. With so many emotions and states of mind missing modern descriptors and definitions, Massini stumbled across a simple but artistry-altering idea. Instead of compromising honest expression through perfunctory verbiage, he decided language was, if anything, a flowing palette of colors he could use to paint all things. Words are meant to be invented.
To reconfirm his belief in the magic of words, Massini returned to the wondrous mechanism that has fed dictionaries from time immemorial. If he could not find the precise word he wanted, he created one. In this delightful compendium, he introduces his personal vocabulary; every chapter mentions a new word that comes from a story about a real person, from Louis XIV to an American gangster.
The Book of Nonexistent Words is a beautiful collection of linguistic origin stories wrought from the mind of an internationally renowned storytelling icon. Massini effectively liberates our human capacity for using language creatively and shows how we can embrace storytelling to fine tune our way of being in the world. Massini encourages us to be imaginative; if the language in the dictionary cannot adequately match the reality of the here and now, we must create new words that ring true.
272 pages, Paperback
First published November 27, 2018
17 people are currently reading
404 people want to read
About the author
Stefano Massini
33 books86 followersStefano Massini (Firenze, 22 settembre 1975) è uno scrittore, drammaturgo e saggista italiano, consulente artistico del Piccolo Teatro di Milano, firma del quotidiano La Repubblica e noto volto televisivo per i suoi racconti a Piazzapulita su La7.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
November 12, 2019
Una parola nuova per ogni lettera dell'alfabeto, un aneddoto a spiegarne la motivazione: Massini si inventa vocaboli per descrivere situazioni e stati d'animo che una parola che li definisca non ce l'hanno.
Un libro splendido, scritto in modo splendido.
Un libro splendido, scritto in modo splendido.
November 21, 2021
What a wonderful idea of creating a dictionary to describe interesting historical events of love, art literature, disaster, triumph and coincidence. My take is it is less a dictionary and more a study of humans and choices we make.
May 6, 2019
Massini mi aveva conquistata con la sua epica della famiglia Lehman ... e qui si riconferma un grande, anzi grandissimo, raccontatore di storie.
Questo Dizionario Inesistente altro non è se non un grande contenitore nel quale Massini inserisce una serie di storie appartenenti alla storia mondiale. Ogni parola inesistente si ispira ad una storia realmente avvenuta che Massini racconta con uno stile e una verve tutta personale.
Un libro piacevole, scorrevole, interessante ... davvero da recuperare!!!
Questo Dizionario Inesistente altro non è se non un grande contenitore nel quale Massini inserisce una serie di storie appartenenti alla storia mondiale. Ogni parola inesistente si ispira ad una storia realmente avvenuta che Massini racconta con uno stile e una verve tutta personale.
Un libro piacevole, scorrevole, interessante ... davvero da recuperare!!!
January 12, 2019
Il limite dei vocabolari è un pretesto intelligente che permette a Massini di continuare a fare quello che gli riesce meglio, cioè raccontare storie. Stavolta si tratta di piccoli bozzetti,tratteggiati con la consueta maestria. Evocativo ed istruttivo, guadagna la pole position sul comodino. Da leggere e rileggere.
July 1, 2020
Un marinaio che resta appeso ad un dirigibile, un poeta al quale viene negato il proprio nome e un rivoluzionario al quale non interessa la rivoluzione: questa deliziosa raccolta propone una ventina di storie curiose, coniando per ognuna di esse un neologismo.
Scritto benissimo, lo spunto è forse più adatto ad animare una rubrica settimanale su un periodico, ma resta godibilissimo.
Scritto benissimo, lo spunto è forse più adatto ad animare una rubrica settimanale su un periodico, ma resta godibilissimo.
December 8, 2024
I loved the concept of this book. The thoughtful creativity that the author uses to create new words and the history behind them was fun to read about. I am curious how the translation of the book impacted its content.
December 3, 2018
Non ho parole per fare una recensione di questo libro. Dovrei inventarle. Una, nessuna o centomila? Nessuna. Devo pensarci su ... Per ora parlano le "stelle". Cinque bastano per dire che questo libro le merita tutte. Le etichette che gli ho dato sono la mia valutazione ....
March 18, 2021
This book is unlike any other of I have heard of or read, both in content and in talent of writing, and to try and capture it will be difficult, but I am going to try my best!
Other languages and cultures have words that describe complex emotions, states of being, situations, etc... Have you ever searched for a word to describe your innermost feelings, but came up short? Stefano Massini takes that concept and turns it into a 26 chapter book, or “dictionary”, in which each chapter, a different letter of the alphabet, is a brilliantly and poetically told story from history, whether distant or near. From that story, he then coins a new word that is taken from the context of the story and gives a definition. After the "A" story, I was captured.
"Anchorism: Indicates the state of mind of those who feel forgotten by the rest of the world, realizing that the life of everyone around them carries on just the same regardless of their own personal suffering."
This definition resonated with me on such a deep level that I consumed the rest of the book in 24 hours. If you are a lover of history, short stories, lore, philosophy, and language, this book is an absolute MUST READ for you. Halfway through the book I paused and pre-ordered the physical copy because I knew it would be one I would want to return to over and over.
Stefano Massini is brilliant. I hope this book explodes with popularity when it is published in October- it deserves all the credit it can be given!
Other languages and cultures have words that describe complex emotions, states of being, situations, etc... Have you ever searched for a word to describe your innermost feelings, but came up short? Stefano Massini takes that concept and turns it into a 26 chapter book, or “dictionary”, in which each chapter, a different letter of the alphabet, is a brilliantly and poetically told story from history, whether distant or near. From that story, he then coins a new word that is taken from the context of the story and gives a definition. After the "A" story, I was captured.
"Anchorism: Indicates the state of mind of those who feel forgotten by the rest of the world, realizing that the life of everyone around them carries on just the same regardless of their own personal suffering."
This definition resonated with me on such a deep level that I consumed the rest of the book in 24 hours. If you are a lover of history, short stories, lore, philosophy, and language, this book is an absolute MUST READ for you. Halfway through the book I paused and pre-ordered the physical copy because I knew it would be one I would want to return to over and over.
Stefano Massini is brilliant. I hope this book explodes with popularity when it is published in October- it deserves all the credit it can be given!
May 12, 2021
There is something comforting about seeing the world in plain facts. Massini modernizes this desire, expanding how to view the world, by adding new words in which to express ourselves.
How often have you reached for a word to describe how you feel, but all you can grasp is ‘astonishing’, ‘disappointed’, ‘content’? None of which actually hit the heart of your experience?
Massimi dispels these moments of loss by inventing new worlds - inspired by people or events all through history. Each entry is a mix of multiple examples, building a foundation and a history for each word. The stories are usually disconnected, and at times it can be confusing what point he’s trying to make.
Despite that, my favorites letter was ‘O’ for Oatism and Olivarism. In this chapter alone, the author covers our ongoing obsession with work. He speaks to a job being a means to an end (leisure), a Japanese executive dropped dead of a heart attack after working 200 hours of overtime in a month, and a Spanish Duke and Count who made himself indispensable, stopped sleeping, and went insane. In short, you get a lot in each chapter.
If you’re looking for a whimsical take on language and the tribulations of life, the Book of Nonexistent Words will be a joy.
How often have you reached for a word to describe how you feel, but all you can grasp is ‘astonishing’, ‘disappointed’, ‘content’? None of which actually hit the heart of your experience?
Massimi dispels these moments of loss by inventing new worlds - inspired by people or events all through history. Each entry is a mix of multiple examples, building a foundation and a history for each word. The stories are usually disconnected, and at times it can be confusing what point he’s trying to make.
Despite that, my favorites letter was ‘O’ for Oatism and Olivarism. In this chapter alone, the author covers our ongoing obsession with work. He speaks to a job being a means to an end (leisure), a Japanese executive dropped dead of a heart attack after working 200 hours of overtime in a month, and a Spanish Duke and Count who made himself indispensable, stopped sleeping, and went insane. In short, you get a lot in each chapter.
If you’re looking for a whimsical take on language and the tribulations of life, the Book of Nonexistent Words will be a joy.
July 20, 2021
What makes this an interesting read is that the author has created words that better represent an incidence or occurrence better than any word that we already have. Such as "custerized" is a much better explanation as to what happened to Custer than massacre.
What I found most interesting/implausible was that the translator was able to use the 'created' words in the same way that Massini did. How is it possible to translate the original 'new' words into English words that make sense. So what did the words look like in Italian??
What I found most interesting/implausible was that the translator was able to use the 'created' words in the same way that Massini did. How is it possible to translate the original 'new' words into English words that make sense. So what did the words look like in Italian??
March 18, 2021
This book is unlike any other of I have heard of or read, both in content and in talent of writing, and to try and capture it will be difficult, but I am going to try my best!
Other languages and cultures have words that describe complex emotions, states of being, situations, etc... Have you ever searched for a word to describe your innermost feelings, but came up short? Stefano Massini takes that concept and turns it into a 26 chapter book in which each chapter, a different letter of the alphabet, is a brilliantly and poetically told story from history, whether distant or near. From that story, he then coins a new word that is taken from the context of the story and gives a definition. After the "A" story, I was captured.
"Anchorism: Indicates the state of mind of those who feel forgotten by the rest of the world, realizing that the life of everyone around them carries on just the same regardless of their own personal suffering."
This definition resonated with me on such a deep level that I consumed the rest of the book in 24 hours. If you are a lover of history, short stories, lore, and language, this book is an absolute MUST READ for you. Halfway through the book I paused and pre-ordered the physical copy because I knew it would be one I would want to return to over and over.
Stefano Massini is brilliant. I hope this book explodes with popularity when it is published in October- it deserves all the credit it can be given!
Other languages and cultures have words that describe complex emotions, states of being, situations, etc... Have you ever searched for a word to describe your innermost feelings, but came up short? Stefano Massini takes that concept and turns it into a 26 chapter book in which each chapter, a different letter of the alphabet, is a brilliantly and poetically told story from history, whether distant or near. From that story, he then coins a new word that is taken from the context of the story and gives a definition. After the "A" story, I was captured.
"Anchorism: Indicates the state of mind of those who feel forgotten by the rest of the world, realizing that the life of everyone around them carries on just the same regardless of their own personal suffering."
This definition resonated with me on such a deep level that I consumed the rest of the book in 24 hours. If you are a lover of history, short stories, lore, and language, this book is an absolute MUST READ for you. Halfway through the book I paused and pre-ordered the physical copy because I knew it would be one I would want to return to over and over.
Stefano Massini is brilliant. I hope this book explodes with popularity when it is published in October- it deserves all the credit it can be given!
February 3, 2025
If you find passages like this interesting, then this book is for you:
But what are our beloved wars really about? They are often just a chess game against ourselves. We believe we are fighting someone, not realizing that the battlefield in the end is all ours. Ours alone. In the infinite labyrinth of voices that resonate within the human soul, it is so difficult to give a name to every face we have: we are a chorus of contrasting sensations and opinions, between which it is difficult to find harmony. We live by inconsistencies. Indeed, our inconsistencies define us, and are continually hidden and disguised in the name of an absurd command to remain consistent. People cannot be consistent: it goes against their very nature, which fortunately evolves through the shocks of experience. To live is to change, to live is to adapt, to live is to alter oneself, willingly accepting that yesterday's "I" is to be rediscovered in tomorrow's "I."Personally, I found these philosophical stretches deadly dull. Besides these sections of banal philosophy, the book consists of a series of highly fictionalized biographies of whimsical people, like the inventor of the ballpoint pen. This book has the trappings of an interesting work, but I'm not sure there's much beneath the surface. It's like a Wes Anderson movie: it looks right, the cast is good, but the work is ultimately trifling.
September 28, 2023
"Das Buch der fehlenden Worte" ist eine faszinierende literarische Reise durch erfundene, aber dennoch authentisch wirkende Wörter, die in einem neuen Wörterbuch zusammengestellt sind. Stefano Massini nutzt jedes Buchstabenkapitel, um wahre Ereignisse aus der Menschheitsgeschichte zu präsentieren, von Kriegen bis zu berühmten Persönlichkeiten. Durch geschickte Verknüpfung von Emotionen und Handlungen entstehen neue Wörter, die in einem intelligenten Wörterbuchstil präsentiert werden. Die kreative Herangehensweise des Autors, der mühelos mehrere Geschichten zu einem neuen Wort verwebt, fesseln und er schafft ein einzigartiges Leseerlebnis. Dabei tragen wunderbare Illustrationen zur Komplettierung des Buches bei.
Die Stärke des Buches liegt in seiner Einfallsreichtum und dem geschickten Spiel mit der Sprache. Stefano präsentiert historische Bezüge in einem erfrischenden Kontext, wodurch ich eine völlig neue Perspektive auf die Bedeutung von Worten und die menschliche Geschichte erhaltenb habe. Besonders beeindruckend ist die Kombination von bis zu drei Geschichten, die zu einem fehlenden Wort führen, was dem Buch eine zusätzliche Tiefe verleiht. Eine wahre Schatzkiste für Sprachliebhaber und Geschichtsinteressierte gleichermaßen.
Die Stärke des Buches liegt in seiner Einfallsreichtum und dem geschickten Spiel mit der Sprache. Stefano präsentiert historische Bezüge in einem erfrischenden Kontext, wodurch ich eine völlig neue Perspektive auf die Bedeutung von Worten und die menschliche Geschichte erhaltenb habe. Besonders beeindruckend ist die Kombination von bis zu drei Geschichten, die zu einem fehlenden Wort führen, was dem Buch eine zusätzliche Tiefe verleiht. Eine wahre Schatzkiste für Sprachliebhaber und Geschichtsinteressierte gleichermaßen.
August 2, 2020
L'intento è lodevole: viviamo in un'epoca in cui ogni campo prende in prestito termini di lingue straniere e li riadatta in italiano, spesso creando neologismi alquanto bizzarri. Massini ricerca nella storia personaggi che hanno lasciato un segno, vuoi per questo vuoi per quello, e conia termini nuovi, aggettivi e sostantivi per descrivere vita e comportamenti altrimenti non identificabili. D'altronde, stacanovista è di per sé il più grande esempio (e fonte dell'idea per l'autore). Ciò che non mi ha convinto è lo stile con cui quest'idea prende vita: lo trovo alquanto barocco, spesso filosofeggiante, dedito, a quanto pare, a una feroce invettiva contro i cosiddetti 'programmi televisivi da massaia', definizione alquanto ricorrente in queste duecento e passa pagine. Nulla da dire su come i racconti vengono presentati, descritti in maniera concisa, efficace, in grado di arrivare al cuore della questione.
February 19, 2019
Piacevole, ben scritto ed intrigante: un dizionario di sinonimi e contrari inesistenti basati su vite o fatti esistiti: curiosi, eccentrici, tristi o terribili.
Due cose non mi son piaciute: l'autore non può fare a meno di salir sempre in cattedra ed aprire ogni capitolo del libro ammannendoci il pistolotto su vita, morte, morale, ecc...
In secondo luogo mi sarebbe piaciuto un piccolo apparato bibliografico sui personaggi ed eventi trattati per dare la possibilità al lettore di fare qualche approfondimento...
Due cose non mi son piaciute: l'autore non può fare a meno di salir sempre in cattedra ed aprire ogni capitolo del libro ammannendoci il pistolotto su vita, morte, morale, ecc...
In secondo luogo mi sarebbe piaciuto un piccolo apparato bibliografico sui personaggi ed eventi trattati per dare la possibilità al lettore di fare qualche approfondimento...
February 8, 2022
Strange book, sometimes entertaining, sometimes boring, but all in all enjoyable. I have always loved the story behind the words, how they came into existence, their story and deep meaning. In this case, the words are the story and are use to tell the stories. Stories which are not well known and shown the research the author has made through the (Italian) alphabet. Kudos to the translator, which in my opinion was able to get through the traps of literal translation and adapt the stories to international readers
December 29, 2022
This book has a collection of books I am sure to read to children in the future. And the words defined are imbibed with the aura of a haiku, beautifully compressing a concept behind them.
My personal favorite: questic (adj.) - der. from the Antarctic expedition of the Quest 1922 - describes the condition of someone who sets himself major objectives in life but does nothing in preparing to achieve them. A questic attitude is that of someone who suffers from chronic disorganization, incapable of helping himself with that minimal foresight that would make everything simpler
My personal favorite: questic (adj.) - der. from the Antarctic expedition of the Quest 1922 - describes the condition of someone who sets himself major objectives in life but does nothing in preparing to achieve them. A questic attitude is that of someone who suffers from chronic disorganization, incapable of helping himself with that minimal foresight that would make everything simpler
May 15, 2022
Short, enjoyable, if mostly falling attempt at establishing new words using historic fact-fiction.
Would have liked to see more different approaches at generating words, other than creating them on the basis of names.
Also a bit bothered by not knowing what was based on well established historical knowledge and what wasn't..
Would have liked to see more different approaches at generating words, other than creating them on the basis of names.
Also a bit bothered by not knowing what was based on well established historical knowledge and what wasn't..
July 30, 2024
In theory it's a book about words, but really - it's a book about surprising twists of history. I learned a lot about events and people I'd never heard of! Ad the words...they seem well suited for this moment in time.
January 6, 2025
While a handful of people in the world may take the author up and use the non-existent words, what's wonderful about this book are the esoteric history lessons.
It was insightful to read the stories that I had never read in my entire life. Brilliant history book.
It was insightful to read the stories that I had never read in my entire life. Brilliant history book.
July 22, 2019
Raccolta di brevi racconti, consigliatissimo
February 27, 2021
Neue Worte für Gefühle und Zustände, die man sonst nur umschreiben kann - abgeleitet aus Anekdoten und Histörchen. Unterhaltsam - aber wahrscheinlich schaffen es die Worte eher nicht in den Duden
December 27, 2021
4/5 for this one. Wonder what's a word for a book that you want to finish hurriedly and yet never end.
Read
January 1, 2022I was assigned this for a review and immediately intrigued; I never would have picked it up. But it was quite forgettable.
January 25, 2022
A set of Reddit's TILs with a moral at the end. Europe-centric. "Shenshinism" is the best one
January 3, 2023
My daughter got me this book for Christmas. It was a delight! The stories were charming. I'm not sure the new words will be galloping into the lexicon, but the book was a fun read.
October 10, 2023
What a fun book - an A-Z of known and relatively unknown characters and their exploits resulting in the author “nounifying” them! Well worth a read.
January 14, 2024
This book was a tremendous amount of fun. The translation is thoroughly readable. Feels authentic, not at all stiff.
Want to read
June 29, 2024___________________________________
FROM BOOK: Mein Kampf. Da Adolf Hitler (Stefano Massini)
FROM BOOK: Mein Kampf. Da Adolf Hitler (Stefano Massini)
October 13, 2022
الكتاب مجموعة كلمات مرتبة أبجديا يقترحها الكاتب للتعبير عن أمور في الحياة لا يوجد كلمات تعبر عنها
الكلمات مشتقة من أسماء أشخاص مشهورين على الأغلب لكن الكاتب يركز على شيء محدد في حياتهم يرويه بأسلوب "الكتابة الإبداعية" ثم يستخلص منه الكلمة
لا أعتقد أن الكاتب يقترح فعلا كلمات جديدة ويتوقع أن يستخدمها الناس، هذا الكتاب حتى لا يمكن أن يصنف ضمن اللغويات، هو أقرب إلى الفلسفة أو التأملات ممزوجة بالقصص. واختيارات القصص، الاستنتاجات منها وطريقة سردها ذكية
لم يعجبني أن الكلمات مأخوذة كلها من أسماء الناس، تمنيت لو تلاعب قليلا بالكلمات العادية
والترجمة (الإنجليزية طبعا) رهيبة
الكلمات مشتقة من أسماء أشخاص مشهورين على الأغلب لكن الكاتب يركز على شيء محدد في حياتهم يرويه بأسلوب "الكتابة الإبداعية" ثم يستخلص منه الكلمة
لا أعتقد أن الكاتب يقترح فعلا كلمات جديدة ويتوقع أن يستخدمها الناس، هذا الكتاب حتى لا يمكن أن يصنف ضمن اللغويات، هو أقرب إلى الفلسفة أو التأملات ممزوجة بالقصص. واختيارات القصص، الاستنتاجات منها وطريقة سردها ذكية
لم يعجبني أن الكلمات مأخوذة كلها من أسماء الناس، تمنيت لو تلاعب قليلا بالكلمات العادية
والترجمة (الإنجليزية طبعا) رهيبة
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