Two G&S Books Compared Book Review of: Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Hear Ye! The First Lexicon vs. The Second Lexicon Gilbert and Sullivan Lexicon Gilbert and Sullivan Lexicon In which is gilded the Philo- By Harry Benford sophic Pill Major illustrator: By Harry Benford Geoffrey Shovelton Illus. Geoffrey Shovelton Pub. 1991 Pub. 1978 (Admittedly, The Midwestern Gilbert and Sullivan Society spends a good deal of time playing catch-up. It has taken us some time to find a reviewer for this book, but one of our Florida members, A.G. Thurston, offered to write a review, so we took him up on it. Better late than never, here it is:) When a book reviewer examines and writes about one book, the reviewer can travel an open highway picking the destination and stopovers at the reviewer's discretion. However, when two books are examined, if the books are somewhat similar, the routes to travel are restricted to comparison and contrast. Well, that's true, sort of. A reviewer can take fascinating side trips to add visual and auditory experiences as a book review is not intended to be a charge down a superhighway with only road signs to view. The first book, a hardback, printed in 1978, served as the foundation for the latest one, a softcover book, printed in 1991. As the author explains in his 1991 prologue, the first book con- tained several errors pointed out by his reading public. It was during this awareness period that Harry Benford noticed the illustrations needed to be more into the in quantity. In addition, Benford also included the almost-forgotten libretto to The Zoo. So, that was it: he corrected, he added, and he enlarged the original edition. Both books are laid out in the same manner. A foreword by the late Isaac Asimov is followed by the dictionary entries from the Gilbert and Sullivan Operas in chronological order of usage for each opera. Moderns here in the fifty states must bridge a great pond and a different culture. Some of the words and phrases are more familiar to those living near the Strand; thus the need for a lexicon arose. A comparison of the entries reveals that the author deleted some of his humorous asides for the latest edition, in order not to detract from the semantics under discussion. Fortunately, Benford's light touch appears in enough entries to make the reader smile while reading, but most entries are straightforward attempts to classify the use of a word or a phrase. Oftentimes, the author gives several options from which the reader can discover which is the best option and can discover which is the one favored by Benford. As the lexicon is read and as Gilbert is explained, the genius of Gilbert shines through the words and phrases to overwhelm the reader with Gilbert's eruditeness and with his unique word use. Call him, if you will, a wordsmith, a phrase- ologist, or a master metaphorist; his semantics reflect the right word to fit the right situation in his writing. Add to these so- excellent word choices the rhythm of prosody and a pungent sense of humor that can parody, can illuminate, and can entertain, and you have Gilbert, the writer. The second and newer lexicon is a worthwhile addition to anyone's library except those whom Gilbert called "Canaille" (the following definition is from the second lexicon: "Canaille: the scum of the earth, those hating Gilbert and Sullivan operas"). I must admit that I failed to find one single error in the first lexicon. In truth, Harry Benford and Geoffrey shovelton in this second edition have discovered new ways to "Gild the Philosophic Pill". (SAY! No doubt such a book already exists, but has anyone put together a book about the gags Sullivan slipped into the music of the operas? Many years ago, it has been said, someone gave a talk at a New England Gilbert and Sullivan Society meeting about musical jokes in the G&S operas, and I would bet a book or article on the subject would show Sullivan to be as erudite as Gilbert in his use of music. Oh, well, it's just a thought. In any event, Harry Benford's revised Gilbert and Sullivan Lexicon is available from Sarah Jennings Press (2222 Fuller Rd.; Ann Ar- bor, MI 48105-2313 / (313) 665-7410) for $20.00. For Canadian addresses, it's $25.00 Canadian, and for the U.K, 11. All prices include shipping, handling, and sales tax. (If you live some- where else, the price of the book is US$19.00, and shipping and all will be billed. Discounts are also available on orders of five or more). It's a nice, yellow, trade-size paperback (7" x 10", 270 pages) with lots of pictures and an index, a bibli- ography, and, as pointed out in the review, the libretto of The Zoo.) [This review appeared in Issue 34 (May 1992) of Precious Non- sense, the newsletter of the Midwestern Gilbert & Sullivan Society. Posted by permission of Sarah Cole, Society Secre- tary/Archivist. For information on Society membership write to: The Midwestern Gilbert & Sullivan Society, c/o Miss Sarah Cole, 613 W. State St., North Aurora, IL 60542-1538.]