I feel like the end product of this book was a lot different from its blurb. I loved the hook of twin girls who have their own language and become obsessed with dictionaries and words. However, the story didn't revolve around this too much (and when it did it felt way too pedantic for me to be kept interested). I also found most of the characters to be sort of unlikable (not a prerequisite for me normally, but it just didn't work to have protagonists that I wasn't rooting for in any way).

My main complaint with this was that I felt this major disconnect between the events in the story and my experience as a reader. Critical events in the characters' lives were often described as an after-thought or as a way to foreshadow. This jumping back and forth in timelines was super frustrating and didn't add anything to the storytelling. I also didn't vibe with the change in perspectives - it was hard for me to remember which twin was which and then all of a sudden, minor characters also had a POV. This felt unnecessary and was just another way that I felt let down by the writing.

I can't think of a reader I would recommend this to.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found it delightful, at times quirky and fun, other times frustrating and sad, but always a delight to read. Here we have the story of Laurel and Daphne, identical twins who share a love of words that initially brings them together, then begins to tear them apart. As children, they share a secret twin language, they collect words, and they bond over their reverence for an enormous dictionary that lives in their father's study on a book stand. As they grow, their love of words grows as well, but that love grows differently in each twin; Daphne first becomes a copy editor, then writes a grammar column in a major newspaper that becomes very popular, while Laurel becomes a teacher, and later a poet and author of short stories. While Daphne loves the rules of the written language, Laurel loves the adaptability of the spoken language, and The Rift begins to divide the two, coming to a head after their father dies, and they fight over custody of the beloved dictionary.
This is not a plot driven book; it's character driven, and does a beautiful job of bringing the characters to life. Laurel and Daphne may look alike, but they develop distinct personalities- they share the passion for words, but it manifests differently in each woman. The secondary and minor characters are fleshed out well too, and add so much flavor to this family saga. The characters felt real to me- not always likeable, sometimes annoying (I so wanted to smack the twins for being so stubborn about their rift!), but at the same time endearingly human, with quirks and redeeming qualities enough that I'd love to be friends with them. Gravit! Dear sweet, rumpled Gravit, I just want to "mom" him! I found the bits of grammar and language knowledge sprinkled throughout the book fascinating; while I'm not quite the word nerd the twins are, I do enjoy some word nerdery now and then. This is the first book I've read by Schine, but I'll definitely look for more!

Fascinating exploration of the lives of two twins, now their lives intersect and diverge. Page-turning worthy read. Good choice for a bookclub!

A quirky bit of charming. The story of identical twin sisters follows them through life. Revolving around language and the love of words in both careers and personal lives. The twins discover what it is to come together and apart. I like this author.

Copy provided by the Publisher and NetGalley

An amusing family drama exploring the ebbs and flows of a twin relationship over decades. The sisters’ interest in words and dictionaries spans their lifetime, different careers and both separates them and brings them together.

I found this quite a fast paced read despite the relatively limited plot - this book is much more focused on characters and ideas, but I really enjoyed it.

Try as I might, I could not finish this book. I just could not connect with either character or the story.

A great book for bibliophiles and verbivores!

The book cover intrigued me enough to read the jacket. And the intrigue continued. This is the life story of two identical red-head twins (Laurel and Daphne) with all the standard notions of twins, such as twin-speak and indistinguishable characteristics and behaviors as they grow up in their own mutually shared orbit. What really binds them together is their love for words and how words are conveyed.

The story becomes crafty as they venture into adulthood and leave the sanctuary of their quirky and loving parents (who are also the keepers of the family totem/talisman: A dictionary - an important talisman for wordsmithing twins ). One becomes a writer and copy-editor and the other a teacher ... as "grammarians" are want to do. But what happens when that once mutually shared orbit begins spinning each in their own unique direction? How can their "twinhood" survive? And what about that dictionary?

This novel is about identical twin sisters, from their childhood through middle age, and as the title suggests, both of them are also always in love with language - from their own secret twin language to collecting vocabulary words to a passion for grammar. It's not really about the plot though, the book is more of a character study and an excellent one at that, as you really get a feel not just for the two sisters but even the more minor characters in their orbit. But even more, this is that rare kind of book where the writing is so good that just reading the way it is written is a sheer pleasure of its own. 4.5 stars, maybe even 4.75.

Twin, n. A couple; a pair;two
Twin, v.t. To part, sever, sunder, deprive of.

And do a matching set of twins are born. Vibrant red hair, a precocious pair, who take to language early and never really stop from it being fascinating. Their closeness even into intimadated their mother, their was scarcely a thought that between them went unshared. What one knew, the other did. They even made of their own language. Words were important, are important and how it is used matter. Lauren and Daphne, one thought nothing would ever come between them. Until something did.

This book spans decades, following the family, the girls as they grow, start families and careers of their own. The author does a terrific job mixing humor, and there is a great deal of it, with the tragedies life seems periodically to throw our way. If you are a lover of words, care about their usage, grammar, this is the book for you. Words get top billing here, and the girls float through the many different ways they are used. Loved the characters, loved the writing, loved the word and definition listed before each chapter. It is a wonderful book about life and that shows the importance of words, their ability to heal and hurt, as well as their importance throughout history. Definitely the right book at the right time.

"Grammar makes you respect words, every individual word. You make sure it's in the place where it feels the most comfortable and does its job best."

"This is what words do, she realizes. They call out from the page and force you to listen. No, they allow you to listen."

Laurel and Daphne Wolfe are identical twins who are as fierce and feisty as their flaming red hair predicted. Obsessed with words and grammar since childhood these inseparable twins spoke their own treasured language and continuously outwitted the adults in their lives. A fine line between constant amazement and “is there something wrong with them?” - their psychiatrist uncle and loving parents couldn’t quite figure them out. Daphne unsurprisingly creates an eminent column devoting herself to the usage and meaning of Standard English while Laurel becomes a kindergarten teacher and poet. Both living in NYC, the sisters begin to grow apart for the very first time in their lives. Marriage, children and opposing views of destiny slowly unravel this tight-knit relationship. A lifelong battle over ownership of their father’s precious Webster’s dictionary seals their fate. While the ending fell a tad short, logophile (my new favorite word!) and storyteller Cathleen Schine never fails to entertain.

Oh hell yes. This charming little book had me on the first page, and when it was over, I was sorry to be done. Big thanks go to Net Galley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the review copy. This is the first time I have read anything Schine has written, but it cannot possibly be the last. You can buy it now.

We start in the dark; we start behind bars. Happily, it’s because our protagonists are infants, and they’re in a crib. As light streams through the open door, we enter the lives of Daphne and Laurel, who are identical twins. They are brilliant, and they are in love with the written word from the get-go.

At the outset this story seems like a romp, but its success is in the details. As children we see the girls move in lock step; the first one out of the womb is the alpha, and they both understand this. But as they grow up and define their places in the world, there’s tension and at times, competition. In order to develop relationships and families separately, they have to pull away from each other, and when two people are very close, the only way they can become independent is through a hard break. Schine is absolutely consistent in the development of her characters, and this also includes their intellectual gifts.

One aspect of fiction that grates on my nerves is when I see a gifted child protagonist that’s developed in an amateurish way. Some writers want to use a child in their writing, but don’t have any clue about the qualities inherent in a child at the age they have chosen, and so they build giftedness into the character as an excuse, so that they can provide the child with adult-level dialogue and dodge the stages of childhood. Schine doesn’t do that. Instead, she creates completely believable little geniuses that are nevertheless coping with the growing pains, developmental milestones, attitudes and frequent self-centeredness that characterize children and adolescents. Her care and skill result in characters that are entirely believable. I like the side characters a lot also.

The wit and sass shown by Daphne and Laurel as they indulge in their secret twin language as well as word play using standard English is original and makes me laugh out loud more than once, but as they grow older, both twins encounter broader philosophical issues that connect language with class, ethnicity, and other variables, and they must find their way through the ethical slough. They don’t choose the same paths, and their anger and pain toward one another is visceral. But in the end…well. You’ll have to find that out for yourself.

This book is highly recommended to those that have twins in their lives; those that love the English language; and those that want to howl with laughter. However, I don’t recommend it to anyone whose first language isn’t English.

I read several books at a time, and while I was reading this one, it became the reward for finishing a chapter in a less rewarding read. You, however, can reward yourself right now by ordering a copy.

This is a book for lovers of language, and it's especially good for anyone with a sibling - especially a sister. I live that their rivalry hinges over possession of a dictionary.- how utterly perfect.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

The editing advice is gingerly placed within the story of the twin’s rift. And there is a fight about a dictionary that mom has to resolve. This is one of the most original writing books published.

The Grammarians
My thanks to #NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review. I really, really like words, and I really really like biographies, but I could not enjoy this book. I think I was triggered by too many family events at the time to fully give myself to the sisters. I had my own sister battle going on, and it just made me sad. I did find The Grammarians, overall, charming, and a little quirky.

Laurel and Daphne are identical twins with a secret language and an obsession with words, especially those found in the Merriam Webster's New International Dictionary, Second Edition. As they grow up each begins to fight for their own identities, eventually causing a rift between the once inseparable sisters. This is an clever and engaging story. This sisters are memorable characters, as are some of the minor characters in this well plotted and intensifying novel. I highly recommend this to fans of literary fiction and women's fiction.

While initially I thought the premise of The Grammarians was extremely unique, clever, and intriguing (and in truth I still think that despite the poor execution of the novel), I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped. I found the writing style frustrating and choppy, sparse and impossible to get lost in, and that pretty much sums up how I felt about the book in general. It didn't capture me or fill me with any particular joy. Perhaps like the twins, it gave itself a bit more credit than it deserved.

This book filled the empty space on my shelf alongside the works of Audrey Niffenegger. It is a hilarious, quirky and intelligent novel about two powerful women and their love of language. Any bibliophile needs to add it to their list.

'The Grammarians' is a funny and heartfelt novel. The tale of the title twins deftly explores a fierce sibling rivalry and an unbreakable bond. And the writing is an immersive pleasure, bursting with love of language and the quest for knowledge and the push-pull of families. Highly recommended!!

I grew up with a set of twins and we were close up until we went to college. I was never aware of a personal “twin” language but I was supremely aware that they were each one-half of a whole. They went everywhere together until they didn’t and not surprisingly much of their separation was due to an object they both coveted and of course the opposite sex.

But back to The Grammarians, Laurel and Daphne, identical twins, oddities, objects of “those stares”, speaking in their special language, communicating in ways only they understand. How difficult and dispiriting to acknowledge that they are one-half of a whole and longing to be more. They make those around them “uneasy with their secret words and language games”. Interesting, I was uneasy reading this book. There were so many words and thoughts based on words and confusion and maybe more than a bit of nonsense regarding all these words. But “this is what words do...they call out from the page and force you to listen.” I listened but there were so many words and so much back and forth in code and ugh, the split, the separation, the twin-ship torn asunder.

I found this to be a refreshing bit of writing which was sometimes amusing, often puzzling as the next verbal tangent went off into left field. Unfortunately the ending was unimpressive and lost the depth that Schine had managed through much of the book.

Thank you NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for a copy.

This a very quick, clever story that spans almost a lifetime. The Grammarians centers around identical twin centers. They are so close as kids that they develop their own secret language. One day their father brings home a dictionary that becomes their prized position. The two remain very close get married have children and spend both their careers in words. Unfortunately it is that same Dictionary that causes the rift in their relationship, as they both want possession of it.

Catherine Schine’s wrote a story that would seem so typical of a family saga, but yet she wrote something that was ultra unique also. This did not feel like a tired story at all. Daphne and Laurel’s stories are familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. Though I have to say my favorite characters in this book were their Husbands, Michael and Larry and the beautiful friendship that had and maintained even when their wives were not speaking to each other.

Overall, very enjoyable read. This book had definitely more meat to this, but still this is something you can enjoy reading on a Sunday afternoon.

Thank you NetGalley and Sarah Crichton Books for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.