I am reading the biography of Ulysses Grant, by Ron Chernow--the Pulitzer Prize winner who wrote "Washington," and "Alexander Hamilton.  It is interesting.  But a challenge  to read.  Chernow writes beautifully, but he uses words that I have never heard before.  So I decided to record,  and look up every word I didn't know in the dictionary--to find the meaning.  Which I did.

In one hundred pages, I listed over forty words I didn't know, and subsequently looked up.   I will probably learn the meaning of a bunch of new words before I finish--since there are 965 pages in the book.  Now, the thing I need to do is remember them.   However, if I remember any of them it will be an accomplishment.  Here are a few of over three hundred words I didn't know:

imprimatur--person's guarantee that something is a good standard
peroration--conclusion of a speech intended to enthuse
fillip--stimulus
bruited--spread
fortnight--two weeks
interregnums--a period when normal government is suspended

I should have known "fortnight."  I didn't.  I had heard it but didn't know exactly what it meant.  I did know it was a time period, but didn't know for how long.

One thing I did learn from the outstanding imprimatur (!) that Chernow wrote about Grant's life.  Grant was unfairly branded by history--eclipsing his sterling qualities.  This book gives an account of his life--from birth to death.  I recommend it for anyone who is interested in history.  It is excellent.  I have a much better concept of the political events of the Civil War.  As well as the battles.

I won't remember that word "imprimatur" in the morning.  I guess that's why Chernow won a Pulitzer prize in literature.  His command, and use, of the English language is exceptional.

As soon as I finish "Grant," I'm going to read something easy.  Something in which I know most of the words.  However, there's nothing wrong with stretching your mind a little bit.