The taste of honey : The note book of a linguist

This work gathers the loose‑leaf notebook of a linguist, assembled from entries made between adolescence and adulthood. The pages are not dated or ordered, giving the sense of flipping through a scrapbook rather than a polished memoir. Its raw, unedited voice captures fleeting impressions of literature, language, and everyday oddities.

Readers will find the writer wandering from Goethe to Byron, musing on the limits of English seriousness compared with French wit, and debating the value of nursery rhymes like Mother Goose. Interwoven are observations about cultural moments, such as a North‑American campaign against fanciful verses, and brief sketches of literary figures. The tone is conversational yet erudite, inviting listeners to share in the author’s curiosity and gentle humor.

Because the notebook was never intended for publication, the narrative feels intimate, as if you’re reading whispered thoughts strung together on a thread. The fragmentary style encourages the imagination to fill gaps, making each listening experience personal. It offers a window into the mind of a scholar who finds poetry in the ordinary and delight in the act of recording it.