The Liar's Dictionary by Eley Williams

This book is about language, and is centered on the fictional Swansby’s New Encyclopaedic Dictionary, a 19th century reference volume that was intended to be the most comprehensive British dictionary ever created. But the project was disrupted by WWI and is now known as a folly. Mallory is hired as an intern to assist the modern Swansby in his quest to update and digitize the dictionary. Tucked away in a dilapidated office in the now-historic Swansby House, Mallory is tasked with updating definitions, checking spelling and punctuation, and being harrassed by an anonymous caller. Back in 1899, Peter Winceworth also suffered through his days at the Swansby House. Winceworth was an introverted lexicographer who believed his job was pointless and felt disconnected from his colleagues and his life. Extremely socially awkward, and even though his grasp of language was magisterial, he struggled to engage in basic conversation. Though separated by more than a century, Winceworth and Mallory’s experiences in Swansby House are surprisingly parallel, and not just because they work in the same building on the same project. Mallory, a lesbian who is not out at work, experiences the same sense of alienation that haunts Winceworth. They both battle harassment on the job. They both find language to be lacking in its ability to capture their experiences. And when Winceworth tries to remedy this, it causes chaos for Mallory even 100 years later. The more things change the more they stay the same. The connections between Winceworth and Mallory echo neatly back and forth one to another, effortlessly collapsing the decades between them. But these characters and their concerns are frequently overshadowed by the dynamic role that language itself plays in the book. This is quirky and detailed book that needs to be read with attention to these details.