Have You Eaten Grandma?

Or, the Life-Saving Importance of Correct Punctuation, Grammar, and Good English

By: Gyles Brandreth

Narrated by: Gyles Brandreth

For anyone who wants to make fewer (not less) grammar mistakes, this “passionate, enlightening, and easily navigable manual is certainly the right book at the right time” (Publishers Weekly)—reminiscent of the New York Times bestseller Eats, Shoots & Leaves.

Our language is changing, literary levels are declining, and our grasp of grammar is at a crisis point. From commas to colons, apostrophes to adverbs, there are countless ways we can make mistakes when writing or speaking. But do not despair! Great Britain’s most popular grammar guru has created the ultimate modern manual for English speakers on both sides of the Atlantic.

In this “irreverent and conversational” (Booklist) guide to proper punctuation and so much more, Gyles Brandreth explores the linguistic horrors of our times, tells us what we’ve been doing wrong, and shows us how to can get it right every time. Covering everything from dangling participles to transitive verbs, from age-old conundrums like “lay” vs. “lie,” to the confounding influences of social media on our everyday language, Have You Eaten Grandma? is an endlessly useful and entertaining resource for all.

Critic reviews

"No one but Gyles Brandreth could write and narrate such an entertaining guide to the idiosyncrasies of the English language. The focus is on British and American English, especially clarifying differences that are sometimes quite amusing. Brandreth's sparkling style is more conversational than scholarly. Hearing his diverse accents as he demonstrates the origins of various words is impressive and frequently helps with uncertain pronunciations. The audiobook includes discussions of punctuation, spelling, grammar, and vocabulary. Brandreth is up-to-the-minute with vocabulary and facetiously enumerates recent words that he dislikes such as "24/7" and "back in the day." Most enjoyable is his demonstration of Cockney rhyming slang, while his clear explanations of complex grammar rules are very helpful. The inclusive book is greatly enhanced by the audio format."

Fascinating and Entertaining

I was made aware of Gyles on the game show Qi, and I think he is a fascinating personality. Admittedly, a book about grammar shouldn't be particularly entertaining, but this one is. it's terrific and well worth the listen.

Not for audio

If you enjoy listening to words being spelled over and over so that you can tell the differences than this is a great book for you. Otherwise do yourself a favor and get the print version.

Slow down the speed. It helps a lot.

I love the title and the cover art. The author knows his subject matter backwards and forward and he explains it briskly in a native British accent.
As a speaker and writer of American English, I tried to follow along. Things improved once I adjusted the narrating speed.