
Semicolon
The Past, Present, and Future of a Misunderstood Mark
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $16.19
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Pam Ward
-
By:
-
Cecelia Watson
About this listen
A pause-resisting, existential romp through the life and times of the world’s most polarizing punctuation mark.
The semicolon. Stephen King, Hemingway, Vonnegut, and Orwell detest it. Herman Melville, Henry James, and Rebecca Solnit love it. But why? When is it effective? Have we been misusing it? Should we even care?
In Semicolon, Cecelia Watson charts the rise and fall of this infamous punctuation mark, which for years was the trendiest one in the world of letters. But in the 19th century, as grammar books became all the rage, the rules of how we use language became both stricter and more confusing, with the semicolon a prime victim.
Taking us on a breezy journey through a range of examples - from Milton’s manuscripts to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letters from Birmingham Jail” to Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep - Watson reveals how traditional grammar rules make us less successful at communicating with each other than we’d think. Even the most die-hard grammar fanatics would be better served by tossing the rule books and learning a better way to engage with language.
Through her rollicking biography of the semicolon, Watson writes a guide to grammar that explains why we don’t need guides at all and refocuses our attention on the deepest, most primary value of language: true communication.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2019 Cecelia Watson (P)2019 HarperCollins PublishersListeners also enjoyed...
-
Everything Data Analytics A Beginner's Guide to Data Literacy
- Understanding the Processes That Turn Data Into Insights
- By: Elizabeth Clarke
- Narrated by: Brennan Koenigsreuter
- Length: 3 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With the world going remote, and data science following along, you can start and pursue a career in data right here, right now. How do I start? What do I need to know? What is data analytics? I'm sure one, if not all, of these questions have run through your mind. Well, the answer is data literacy: the ability to read, understand, and communicate data into information. Building a solid foundation of practical knowledge is the first step to being successful in data. From there, you can finally decide what direction you should go in and start gaining the required knowledge.
-
-
Great material for starters
- By Amazon Customer on 08-01-22
By: Elizabeth Clarke
-
The Neanderthals Rediscovered
- How Modern Science Is Rewriting Their Story (Revised and Updated Edition)
- By: Dimitra Papagianni, Michael A. Morse
- Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
- Length: 5 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In recent years, the common perception of the Neanderthals has been transformed, thanks to new discoveries and paradigm-shattering scientific innovations. It turns out that the Neanderthals' behavior was surprisingly modern: they buried the dead, cared for the sick, hunted large animals in their prime, harvested seafood, and communicated with spoken language. Meanwhile, advances in DNA technologies are compelling us to reassess the Neanderthals' place in our own past.
-
-
Fascinating Subject... Soporific Reader
- By Andrew E. Yarosh on 11-21-17
By: Dimitra Papagianni, and others
-
The Beginner's Guide to Stoicism
- Tools for Emotional Resilience & Positivity
- By: Matthew J. Van Natta
- Narrated by: Steve Rimpici
- Length: 3 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Being a stoic means embracing positivity and self-control through the ability to accept the uncertainty of outcomes. With this stoicism guide, the beginner stoic will learn how to take charge of their emotions on the path to sustained happiness and satisfaction. This easy-to-navigate stoicism guide gives you the emotional tools needed to let go of the things you can’t control and find joy in what you have.
-
-
fast start into pure self-therapy
- By RANDALL S WALKER on 04-28-21
-
Activate Your Vagus Nerve
- Unleash Your Body’s Natural Ability to Overcome Gut Sensitivities, Inflammation, Autoimmunity, Brain Fog, Anxiety and Depression
- By: Dr. Navaz Habib
- Narrated by: Jonathan Yen
- Length: 5 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Your vagus nerve is the largest and most important nerve in your body. It carries messages to and from your brain, gut, heart, and other major muscles and organs. However, common issues like inflammation, stress, or physical trauma can interfere with the nerve's ability to function. Luckily, there are tons of quick-and-easy ways to activate and exercise the nerve, strengthening its function and restoring your body to good health.
-
-
Elton John? & Great book
- By Amazon Customer on 10-17-19
By: Dr. Navaz Habib
-
The Joy of x
- A Guided Tour of Math, from One to Infinity
- By: Steven Strogatz
- Narrated by: Jonathan Yen
- Length: 6 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Many people take math in high school and promptly forget much of it. But math plays a part in all of our lives all of the time, whether we know it or not. In The Joy of x, Steven Strogatz expands on his hit New York Times series to explain the big ideas of math gently and clearly, with wit, and insight.
-
-
Great listen
- By cameron on 08-16-19
By: Steven Strogatz
-
How to Talk to Anyone About Anything
- How to Communicate Better, Improve Social Skills, and Get Your Arguments Across (Master Your Communication and Social Skills)
- By: Ian Tuhovsky
- Narrated by: Randy Streu
- Length: 3 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What happens when you learn to communicate better with everyone? No doubt you’ve had to endure a painfully awkward conversation, more than once in your life. Maybe it was a stranger, a colleague, or a date. Maybe it was a group discussion. You found yourself breaking a sweat, not knowing what to say. The more time passed, the more tense you became. You thought about all the communication books you’ve read in your life and wished you had them with you…to knock yourself unconscious as a way out of the conversation. The best thing about the whole situation was the moment it ended.
-
-
"Just be a natural extrovert"
- By Taylor G on 07-03-22
By: Ian Tuhovsky
-
Everything Data Analytics A Beginner's Guide to Data Literacy
- Understanding the Processes That Turn Data Into Insights
- By: Elizabeth Clarke
- Narrated by: Brennan Koenigsreuter
- Length: 3 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With the world going remote, and data science following along, you can start and pursue a career in data right here, right now. How do I start? What do I need to know? What is data analytics? I'm sure one, if not all, of these questions have run through your mind. Well, the answer is data literacy: the ability to read, understand, and communicate data into information. Building a solid foundation of practical knowledge is the first step to being successful in data. From there, you can finally decide what direction you should go in and start gaining the required knowledge.
-
-
Great material for starters
- By Amazon Customer on 08-01-22
By: Elizabeth Clarke
-
The Neanderthals Rediscovered
- How Modern Science Is Rewriting Their Story (Revised and Updated Edition)
- By: Dimitra Papagianni, Michael A. Morse
- Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
- Length: 5 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In recent years, the common perception of the Neanderthals has been transformed, thanks to new discoveries and paradigm-shattering scientific innovations. It turns out that the Neanderthals' behavior was surprisingly modern: they buried the dead, cared for the sick, hunted large animals in their prime, harvested seafood, and communicated with spoken language. Meanwhile, advances in DNA technologies are compelling us to reassess the Neanderthals' place in our own past.
-
-
Fascinating Subject... Soporific Reader
- By Andrew E. Yarosh on 11-21-17
By: Dimitra Papagianni, and others
-
The Beginner's Guide to Stoicism
- Tools for Emotional Resilience & Positivity
- By: Matthew J. Van Natta
- Narrated by: Steve Rimpici
- Length: 3 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Being a stoic means embracing positivity and self-control through the ability to accept the uncertainty of outcomes. With this stoicism guide, the beginner stoic will learn how to take charge of their emotions on the path to sustained happiness and satisfaction. This easy-to-navigate stoicism guide gives you the emotional tools needed to let go of the things you can’t control and find joy in what you have.
-
-
fast start into pure self-therapy
- By RANDALL S WALKER on 04-28-21
-
Activate Your Vagus Nerve
- Unleash Your Body’s Natural Ability to Overcome Gut Sensitivities, Inflammation, Autoimmunity, Brain Fog, Anxiety and Depression
- By: Dr. Navaz Habib
- Narrated by: Jonathan Yen
- Length: 5 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Your vagus nerve is the largest and most important nerve in your body. It carries messages to and from your brain, gut, heart, and other major muscles and organs. However, common issues like inflammation, stress, or physical trauma can interfere with the nerve's ability to function. Luckily, there are tons of quick-and-easy ways to activate and exercise the nerve, strengthening its function and restoring your body to good health.
-
-
Elton John? & Great book
- By Amazon Customer on 10-17-19
By: Dr. Navaz Habib
-
The Joy of x
- A Guided Tour of Math, from One to Infinity
- By: Steven Strogatz
- Narrated by: Jonathan Yen
- Length: 6 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Many people take math in high school and promptly forget much of it. But math plays a part in all of our lives all of the time, whether we know it or not. In The Joy of x, Steven Strogatz expands on his hit New York Times series to explain the big ideas of math gently and clearly, with wit, and insight.
-
-
Great listen
- By cameron on 08-16-19
By: Steven Strogatz
-
How to Talk to Anyone About Anything
- How to Communicate Better, Improve Social Skills, and Get Your Arguments Across (Master Your Communication and Social Skills)
- By: Ian Tuhovsky
- Narrated by: Randy Streu
- Length: 3 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What happens when you learn to communicate better with everyone? No doubt you’ve had to endure a painfully awkward conversation, more than once in your life. Maybe it was a stranger, a colleague, or a date. Maybe it was a group discussion. You found yourself breaking a sweat, not knowing what to say. The more time passed, the more tense you became. You thought about all the communication books you’ve read in your life and wished you had them with you…to knock yourself unconscious as a way out of the conversation. The best thing about the whole situation was the moment it ended.
-
-
"Just be a natural extrovert"
- By Taylor G on 07-03-22
By: Ian Tuhovsky
-
The Modern Scholar: The Lost Warriors of God
- The True History of the Knights Templar
- By: Professor Thomas F. Madden
- Narrated by: Professor Thomas F. Madden
- Length: 4 hrs and 30 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Professor Thomas F. Madden is a widely published author and the director of the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Saint Louis University. In The Lost Warriors of God, Madden examines one of the most fascinating organizations in world history: the Knights Templar, whose members gave up home, family, and worldly possessions to defend the Holy Land and the Christian pilgrims who journeyed there.
-
-
Amazing and TRUE! No more conspiracy theories.
- By LH on 05-18-15
-
Awakening Your Ikigai
- How the Japanese Wake Up to Joy and Purpose Every Day
- By: Ken Mogi
- Narrated by: Matt Addis
- Length: 3 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ikigai is a Japanese phenomenon commonly understood as "your reason to get up in the morning". Ikigai can be small moments: the morning air, a cup of coffee, a compliment. It can also be deep convictions: a fulfilling job, lasting friendships, balanced health. Whether big or small, your ikigai is the path to success and happiness in your own life. Author Ken Mogi introduces five pillars of ikigai to help you make the most of each day and become your most authentic self.
-
-
Not what you expect
- By Daun on 10-22-18
By: Ken Mogi
-
In Defense of Plants
- An Exploration into the Wonder of Plants
- By: Matt Candeias PhD
- Narrated by: Matthew Boston
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since his early days of plant restoration, amateur plant scientist Matt Candeias has been enchanted with flora and the greater environmental ecology of the planet. Now, he looks at the study of plants through the lens of his ever-growing houseplant collection.
-
-
Great book - mediocre narration
- By Brenda Mendoza on 05-15-21
-
Squid Empire
- The Rise and Fall of the Cephalopods
- By: Danna Staaf
- Narrated by: Emily Durante
- Length: 7 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Before there were mammals on land, there were dinosaurs. And before there were fish in the sea, there were cephalopods - the ancestors of modern squid and Earth's first truly substantial animals. Cephalopods became the first creatures to rise from the seafloor, essentially inventing the act of swimming. With dozens of tentacles and formidable shells, they presided over an undersea empire for millions of years. But when fish evolved jaws, the ocean's former top predator became its most delicious snack. Cephalopods had to step up their game.
-
-
Affected and tedious
- By Kate on 07-28-18
By: Danna Staaf
-
Ignorance
- How It Drives Science
- By: Stuart Firestein
- Narrated by: David Copelin
- Length: 4 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Knowledge is a big subject, says Stuart Firestein, but ignorance is a bigger one. And it is ignorance - not knowledge - that is the true engine of science. Most of us have a false impression of science as a surefire, deliberate, step-by-step method for finding things out and getting things done. In fact, says Firestein, more often than not, science is like looking for a black cat in a dark room, and there may not be a cat in the room.
-
-
It turns out, I’m not dumb at all
- By corridor5 on 03-28-18
By: Stuart Firestein
-
Good Prose
- The Art of Nonfiction
- By: Tracy Kidder, Richard Todd
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 5 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Good Prose is an inspiring book about writing - about the creation of good prose - and the record of a warm and productive literary friendship. The story begins in 1973, in the offices of the Atlantic Monthly, in Boston, where a young freelance writer named Tracy Kidder came looking for an assignment. Richard Todd was the editor who encouraged him, and from that article grew a lifelong association. Before long, Kidder's The Soul of a New Machine, the first book the two worked on together, had won the Pulitzer Prize.
-
-
Tendentious
- By Despair at the State of the Republic on 05-15-23
By: Tracy Kidder, and others
-
Now I Know
- The Revealing Stories Behind the World's Most Interesting Facts
- By: Dan Lewis
- Narrated by: Jeremy Arthur
- Length: 6 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Did you know that there are actually 27 letters in the alphabet, or that the U.S. had a plan to invade Canada? And what actually happened to the flags left on the moon? Even if you think you have a handle on all things trivia, you're guaranteed a big surprise with Now I Know. From uncovering what happens to lost luggage to New York City's plan to crack down on crime by banning pinball, this book will challenge your knowledge of the fascinating stories behind the world's greatest facts.
-
-
Scientifically inaccurate
- By Sara on 12-04-20
By: Dan Lewis
-
Mind and Cosmos
- Why the Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature Is Almost Certainly False
- By: Thomas Nagel
- Narrated by: Brian Troxell
- Length: 3 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The modern materialist approach to life has conspicuously failed to explain such central mind-related features of our world as consciousness, intentionality, meaning, and value. This failure to account for something so integral to nature as mind, argues philosopher Thomas Nagel, is a major problem, threatening to unravel the entire naturalistic world picture, extending to biology, evolutionary theory, and cosmology. Since minds are features of biological systems that have developed through evolution, the standard materialist version of evolutionary biology is fundamentally incomplete.
-
-
Intellectual honesty at its finest
- By Alice Walker on 02-15-18
By: Thomas Nagel
-
The Modern Scholar: Medieval Mysteries
- The History Behind the Myths of the Middle Ages
- By: Professor Thomas F. Madden
- Narrated by: Professor Thomas F. Madden
- Length: 4 hrs and 10 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Middle Ages is not only a period of Romance, but of legends, tales, and mysteries. In this course, Professor Thomas F. Madden guides listeners through the most famous and enduring narratives of medieval Europe. Beginning with King Arthur, Professor Madden peels back layers of exaggeration and fiction to lay bare the historical basis for the mythical king.
-
-
Entertaining And Enlightening
- By Hellocat on 06-03-14
-
David Lynch
- The Man from Another Place (Icons)
- By: Dennis Lim
- Narrated by: Jeff Cummings
- Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At once a pop culture icon, cult figure, and film industry outsider, master filmmaker David Lynch and his work defy easy definition. Dredged from his subconscious mind, Lynch's work is primed to act on our own subconscious, combining heightened, contradictory emotions into something familiar but inscrutable. No less than his art, Lynch's life also evades simple categorization, encompassing pursuits as a musician, painter, photographer, carpenter, entrepreneur, and vocal proponent of Transcendental Meditation.
-
-
Essential listening for Lunch fans
- By Michael P. Mesaros on 08-14-18
By: Dennis Lim
-
Dreyer's English
- An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style
- By: Benjamin Dreyer
- Narrated by: Benjamin Dreyer, Alison Fraser
- Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As Random House’s copy chief, Dreyer has upheld the standards of the legendary publisher for more than two decades. He is beloved by authors and editors alike - not to mention his followers on social media - for deconstructing the English language with playful erudition. Now, he distills everything he has learned from the myriad books he has copyedited and overseen into a useful guide not just for writers but for everyone who wants to put their best prose foot forward.
-
-
You'll be horrified at a lifetime of usage errors.
- By RTaylor on 05-16-19
By: Benjamin Dreyer
-
Story Structure: The Key to Successful Fiction
- The Red Sneaker Writers Book Series, Volume 1
- By: William Bernhardt
- Narrated by: William Bernhardt
- Length: 2 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"Writing is structure,” William Goldman said, but too often aspiring writers plunge into their work without grasping this fundamental principle. Story structure is one of the most important concepts for a writer to understand - and ironically, one of the least frequently taught. In this book, New York Times best-selling author William Bernhardt explains the elements that make stories work, using examples spanning from Gilgamesh to The Hunger Games.
-
-
Book is an Infomercial
- By Crystal White on 03-11-15
Critic reviews
"An audiobook devoted to the semicolon? Unlikely as that might sound, this little history of grammar's most misunderstood punctuation mark is, at just under four hours, brisk, lively, witty, and provocative; it is a genuine pleasure for the ear. Narrator Pam Ward is particularly skilled at rendering topics that might seem narrow, highly specialized, and intended only for a niche market. Her narration is purposeful and expressive, and at the same time unhurried and unforced; in other words, it is a fine artistry of pacing and balance that enlivens without dramatizing. Here, given so many noteworthy authors and fine passages to quote - she simply shines." (AudioFile Magazine)
What listeners say about Semicolon
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Max
- 03-10-21
Thoughtful and entertaining exploration
As someone who has struggled with a learning disability and has been equally mocked and praised for my punctuation, while never understanding the rules, this book has been a form of vindication! I loved it. It is written clearly while being entertaining for the casual listener. Repositioning punctuation for a contemporary context.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Robert D. Walker
- 09-06-19
Awesome
It is impossible to write a.book about a semicolon but it’s awesome that this lady did it. It was so interesting that l had a hard time putting it down. And now I use it easily. This boo goes beyond setting rules. It helps you understand that you can’t write hampered by rules
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why many writers and students deride semicolons
Narration is clear, but I do not appreciate the sarcastic tone.
Nor do I believe that proper use of semicolon is all that difficult to learn or that preoccupation with using correct grammar stanches creativity.
Author’s attitude explains why so many students who have taken English 101 evidence poor writing skills.
This audio is important in that it unflinchingly mocks those of studiously attending to and using this and many other useful punctuation marks.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 02-01-23
Well written and insightful; for all writers
Overall, this book is an opinionated essay about the past and present use of semicolons and of their perception. It is somewhat straightforward in that goal. The topic of semicolons is very niche topic, however the author uses the issue at hand to address a wider concern about the nature of language; she believes that language is foremost about communication and that rules have stifled that ability. Whether or not you agree with her, the book is a fine read because it opens up an important discussion about writing, and likely expands your grammatical ability as a result.
A potential issue is that it is an advanced read, and you will likely find little value in the book without high literacy skill.
I appreciate that the author does not force you into dogmatically preaching her beliefs, she provides ample direct sources and examples, and that she does not use unfair arguments. Additionally, the book is concise. It's about 4 hours long, and writing about a single key on the keyboard for longer than that would be monumentally ridiculous, but this length is enough to fully support its message.
I am only an amateur writer, and I went into this book hoping for a quick and replicable rule on the use of semicolons, since I had faced so much confusion around them before. Unfortunately, this book does not provide that; it is still 4 hours long after all. But I don't believe that this is the fault of the author. The book itself discusses how that kind of concrete use likely isn't possible for the semicolon. What struck me the most was my realization that the commonly accepted rules for English were created by authors who published style books, ones which were made for profit, and which competed with other publishers, making English grammar undeniably malleable in some way.
Ultimately however, this book did allow me to come to my own conclusion about semicolons, and my use of them in this review should be proof of that. It is intrinsically an unnecessary addition to English grammar, but a helpful tool that can be used to change the way an author's voice is eccentuated. It is also useful as a kind of "grammatical synonym" to a comma, colon, or occasional period, and slightly changes the sentence for the purpose of flow.
In regard to the audio, the narrator is simply excellent. She never falters in pronunciation or in enthusiasm, and I feel as if it the author herself reading the book aloud. It is difficult to show how semicolons are used without providing text, but because her inflection is so great, you can hear the impact that a semicolon had on that sentence. It is truly an impressive feat to do that, and I wish more narrators had that kind of ability.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Garry
- 09-30-20
Let’s hear it for the semicolon; a subtitle
Great research into the life of the semicolon; written with humor and a touch of sarcasm here and there.
Pam Ward did an outstanding job of narration; making a wonderful text come to like.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Patent Guy
- 09-07-24
Somewhat misleading title
This was less a history of the semicolon as it was the author’s setting out her views about grammar and punctuation in general, with a strong denigration of rules in favor of stylistic choices.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- David Carta
- 09-21-24
great for grammar nerds!
parts of this book for difficult in the audiobook format because it required looking at punctuation which obviously is not visible in the audio format.
there's some interesting stories and vignettes that I will take away, but if a grammar punctuation book is your cup of tea I would suggest to get the book as opposed to the audiobook.
the performance was fantastic.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jeffrey D
- 08-15-19
Silly me; I thought it was about semicolons
This book should be entitled My many marvelous opinions. I think the title of the actual book is misleading.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
21 people found this helpful