Accents

I am reading Lynne Truss's Eats, Shoots and Leaves.

She is a British author who writes in the deadpan wit that stems from a gloomy climate. Her comedic style is so dry it's almost sticky.

They joy of reading a British author is imagining them reading it aloud. I often have an almost pretentious accent of ongoing monologue in my head while I'm reading. When I put the book down, it often comes out in my speech.

I have been told on more than one occasion that when I get nervous, usually when talking in groups of people whom I don't know, I will feign an English accent. I wonder if it's a defense mechanism? "If I don't wow these people with my stories, they'll think I'm cool anyway because I talk British!"

It doesn't often work, but it's worth the shot, right? No? Oh well.

The other interesting thing about this book is the fact that the description of the book found on the back cover has a detailed story of a panda on a murderous rampage in a cafe. Not to mislead the reader, the book is about punctuation. Not about panda bears, or murder. There's not a lot of mystery in the meat of the book.

Nonetheless, it is a delightful read for cynical writers such as myself.