Ein absolutes Muss für Linguisten!, 23. März 2006

Wie und warum sich Sprache entwickelt, kann ein trockenes Thema sein. Bill Bryson jedoch beschreibt die Entwicklung der englischen Sprache mit so viel Humor, dass man vergisst, dass es sich eigentlich um ein Sachbuch handelt. Natürlich ist er sachlich, aber seine Beispiele und Kommentare machen das Thema wirklich lebendig. Dieses Buch ist für jeden Anglistikstudenten (wie ich einer war) eigentlich unverzichtbar, aber soweit ich weiß, wird es an den Universitäten nicht verwendet. Mein Exemplar ist schon zerfleddert, so oft habe ich es gelesen und lese ich es noch.

      entertaining and instructive, 9. März 2005

I wish my English teacher would have used this book. It contains lots of the small facts that fill the language with life. Where does it come from, what other languages had influence on it, what oddities does it contain - and so on. If English is your mother tongue you will learn a lot about it, why you speak the way you do today, or what the great advantages (and disadvantages) of English are. Facts you surely didn't get in your English class, too. Please, teachers, read this book and use some of the funny facts to help your pupils learn English - with a laugh.

      Entertaining Humbug, 5. Juli 2004

My wife told a Briton her godson's name was Daniel, and the man was very much pleased: "an English name!" This sums up Mr Bryson's book quite nicely. It is entertaining indeed, but not enough to hide the fact that his assertions are sometimes of a very questionable nature, if not downright wrong. Examples? The French, too, take over English words - like "ouest", for "west". This, with your leave, Mr Bryson, is sheer humbug - and a very serious blunder. And, as an example for the versatility of English, he cites the word "arachibutyrophobia". English? Man alive, do you really mean it? He marvels at the prononciation of Scottish place names, but forgets, that their origin is Gaelic - or Norse - and certainly not English. I could go on and on and on. If you want entertainment, buy a detective story, and forget Bryson.

       A great and entertaining book, 9. März 2004

This was the most entertaining book about languages I've ever read. Bill Bryson managed to deeply dig into the linguistic background and present us the relevant facts in an comprehensible and highly amusing way. "Mother Tongue" is highly recommendable not only for native speakers of the English language but also for everyone who is interested in the general aspects of our language's history and its features.

       Absolutely charming, 21. Mai 2003

I read this book about three years ago, and I found it to be very delighful. Now, in the meantime having started to do British Studies, I've recently read it again - it was still worth the lack of sleep in the mornings. It is not one of Bryson's most typical books (at least in my opinion), yet it should be suitable for those who have an interest in English, its history and the origins of its absudities, which are being dealt with in Bryson's ever charming style.I'd recommend it to every student of English (whether native speaker or not), and to all those who just love to read funny books dealing with topics usually not considered to be that delightful. It's worth it.