The Elements of Style: A Paean and a Review

There are some books one can't have enough of. For me, it is Strunk & White's 'The Elements of Style'. I cannot seem to stop reading this small book and I keep reading it all the time. This obsession is so much that I buy all copies of this book that I come across. I have bought quite a few copies which I give away to people who think they need something to improve their writing.



In this manner I have managed to buy all the four editions of this book. Last month at Abids I chanced upon a black hardcover edition of this book and when I opened it I found it was the first edition but it wasn't anywhere indicated so. I am assuming it is a first edition. Now I have all the four editions of this classic at home.


Apart from these copies, I keep one copy in my office and one at home on my table ready to be dipped into. I never tire of reading this book and it has improved my writing to a large extent. It is one book that gave me the push to begin a major writing project which is continuing. In his writing memoir 'On Writing' Stephen King praises it and calls it as a book that every aspiring writer must have on his table. David Morrell also lists this book in his book on writing, " Lessons from a Lifetime of Writing" and says it should always be at your desk.


In her book "Right to Write" Julia Cameron also refers to this book as a 'classic'. It is listed in a long list of books under 'Suggested Reading' at the end of her book.


I had written a short review of this book under the title 'Little Book of Instructions' which was published in Quest ( a supplement of The Hindu) in November 2005. I am copying the review here.