Russell Ash, who actually has a pretty interesting name himself, will probably put many grown ups off from buying this book. His title, Big Pants, Burpy and Bumface, does not sound the sort of book you would want to buy for your child, nephew or friends' daughter. But in fact it is a great book which has many uses.
Is everyone tired and down post holiday? Take the book to the supper table and have everyone search for a name they particularly like. It might be Olive Branch, a play on words such as Walter Cress or just outright ridiculous like Driver Bus, Free-gift Lulham or Lyonella Fredegunda Cuthberga Ethelswytha Ideth Ysabel Grace Monica de Orellana Plantagenet Tollemache-Tollemache.
This is a great book for long car rides, waiting in queues at museums and at slow restaurant tables. Everyone around you will wonder why you seem so cheerful (especially if you live in England).
An added bonus is that he writes where and when the person with said name lived, lives and died. There are also funny couples names (such as Charles Sargent marrying Lucy Pepper), palindromes and people who have the same names as characters on the Simpson's television show.
Makes you think again about the power of the name and the namer.
I recently bought this book from my local Tesco store and laughed my bumface off! Some of the names are just too ridiculous that you know they can't be made up... are some are just amazingly fascinating, like people with the surnames Email or Ipod who were born centuries before either were invented.
I leave it on the shelf in the bathroom as a "loo read" (or even, Lou Reed?!) and flat mates all enjoy it also!
I'd have to rate it 5/5 and thoroughly recommend it!
Posted by: Suze | March 03, 2010 at 01:29 PM