Many can recognize the intended error in the title of the book (a joke further explained in the book), but few know about the nuances of punctuation that Truss explains. A book on punctuation? Must be a boring textbook with material that only hardcore English majors need to know.
Far from the truth. It is a passionate account from of a grammarian worn out by the abuse of the poor little punctuation marks. Truss surely takes a zero-tolerance approach in her novel - she describes herself as a stickler. She would (as a proud member of the Apostrophe Protection Society) alert store owners when she notices signs that advertise their "Apple's" and "Fresh Fruit's". With her witty humor and powerful anecdotes Truss manages to charm readers with her seemingly misplaced efforts, but overall manages to convey the need to preserve punctuation, the traffic lights of language.
Further, the book aims to inform on the proper use of the different punctuation marks while condemning the misplaced apostrophes and promoting the use of the forgotten semi-colon. You are guided through the art of possession, the glory of exclamations, the power of listing, the advantage of interruptions, and much more. So, aspiring writers, avid readers, and the curious, pick up this gift to language. It's a great read.